Check back on Tuesday morning for an article featuring all 11 of the SOL players who were honored at Thursday night’s banquet. Other SOL players honored were Jack Abercrombie (Hatboro-Horsham), Nick Chilson (Central Bucks East), Brandon Cope (Pennridge), Bill Fleming (Council Rock South) Craig Needhammer (North Penn), Dan Rouse (Cheltenham), Nick Ruhl (Abington), Joe Stolfi (Souderton), Jake Swearingen (Quakertown) and Ward Udinski (Central Bucks West). To view photos of the banquet, visit the Photo Gallery.
DREXEL HILL - Bill Kim listened in amazement to the resumes of his counterparts that were in the running for the Maxwell Football Club’s 2010 Jim Henry Award.
“I thought I had no shot,” Upper Dublin’s senior captain said of an award that recognizes not only football talent but excellence in the classroom and community service as well. “Everyone was just as good or even better than I was – their football, their academics, their community service.
“There’s not enough time in the day for everyone to go on mission trips, all the community service they do, their grade point averages. It’s ridiculous.”So what were Kim’s emotions when former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski announced his name and the brown wrapper was taken off the framed portrait of Upper Dublin’s number 58?
“I will only remember it forever,” Kim said, searching for words. “It’s unbelievable. I’m so thankful.”
Kim may have been dazzled by the resume’s of the 59 other Mini Maxwell recipients who were in the running for the prestigious Jim Henry Award, but it’s a safe bet they were equally impressed when they listened to his at Thursday night’s banquet at Drexelbrook Catering.
“I’m so happy for him,” Upper Dublin coach Bret Stover. “This is about what he does on and off the field. He’s a great player for us, a great leader, a captain, and that speaks for itself.
“The stuff he does outside of football is a credit to his parents and him.”
A first team all-SOL American Conference offensive lineman and middle linebacker, Kim helped guide the Flying Cardinals to a 7-3 season and a spot in the district playoffs. Upper Dublin – which captured a share of the American Conference crown - averaged almost 300 yards of total offense per game with Kim often serving as the lead blocker.
Defensively, Kim recorded 91 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and two pass break ups, but it was his ability to lead that set the senior captain apart.
“Some people are reluctant leaders, but Bill wanted it,” Stover said. “He was our guy out front – he was our talker on the field. He was our quarterback on defense, and he was our leader on the offensive line.
Other SOL players honored were Jack Abercrombie (Hatboro-Horsham), Nick Chilson (Central Bucks East), Brandon Cope (Pennridge), Bill Fleming (Council Rock South), Craig Needhammer (North Penn), Dan Rouse (Cheltenham), Nick Ruhl (Abington), Joe Stolfi (Souderton), Jake Swearingen (Quakertown) Ward Udinski (Central Bucks West).
“He took four underclass linemen and basically put them on his back for the first couple of weeks until they got their feet wet. He made all the calls out there. They all looked to him in the huddle, and he relished that. He enjoyed that.”
In the classroom, Kim earned over 2200 on the SAT – breaking 700 on all three sections – while carrying a 4.7 GPA. He has taken nearly 20 honors and AP courses and is being recruited by Ivy League schools and Carnegie-Mellon.
The treasurer of Upper Dublin’s student government, Kim is involved in model UN and the Chess Club, and he is president of the Asian Student Association. In the spring, he competes on the track team.
Kim volunteers at the Upper Dublin Public Library, and he is involved in his church youth group. He also has volunteered at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.
But ask Kim what he’ll remember most about his high school experience, and it’s football.
“When I look at back at high school, that’s the thing I’ll remember,” Kim said. “Football has meant the most to me the past four years of anything else. I love football more than anything.
“I love my teammates, I love my coaches, I love my school, I love my field. I love everything about it.”
And in one magical night that he will remember forever, Kim found himself standing at the head of the class as the winner of the 2010 Jim Henry Award, which is given annually to the Maxwell Football Club’s High School Player of the Year.
“I honestly never, ever imagined in my wildest dreams this ever happening,” Kim said. “I’m just so grateful to everyone – my parents, my coaches, my friends, my family, my teammates, my girlfriend, everyone.”
For a high school football player, this just might be as good as it gets.
“I can’t imagine anything better,” Kim said. “I thought it was as good as it gets when I won the Mini Maxwell.”
Kim is just the third SOL player to receive the Jim Henry Award in the 26-year history of the award, joining Pennridge’s Ryan Greiser (2004) and Abington’s Shawn Wooden (1990). Greiser was one of the presenters at Thursday night’s awards banquet.
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