NEW JERSEY’S PRIDE Scarlet Knights receive the State Legislature's joint resoluton. From left to right, Greg Schiano, Scarlet Knights coach; Senator Raymond Lesniak; President Richard L. McCormick; players Darnell Stapleton, Nkosi Remy, Joe Radigan, Manny Collins, and Joe Giacobbe; Senator Richard J. Codey; graduate assistant coach Todd Greinede; and Athletic Director Robert E. Mulcahy.
The resolution, sponsored by Codey, Assemblyman John McKeon, and Assemblyman Mims Hackett, lauded the Scarlet Knights for their 11-2 season and first bowl championship. “This year the Rutgers football team managed to surpass all of our wildest expectations and galvanize the entire state with some nail-biting, hard fought victories," Codey said. "They brought national attention to our state and were a huge source of pride for all of us. "I
Rutgers was one of only 14 teams in the nation to record 11 or more victories during the 2006 season. The 11 wins tied a single-season record for the Scarlet Knights and enabled them to become only the fifth team in Big East Conference history to reach that figure in a given year. The team was ranked No. 12 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls. The No. 12 ranking is the highest in the university’s history, eclipsing its No. 15 standing in the final Associated Press poll in 1961.
Additionally, Codey presented individual ceremonial resolutions to President Richard L. McCormick, Athletic Director Robert Mulcahy, and Scarlet Knights Coach Greg Schiano for their stewardship of the team’s successful season.Codey noted that in addition to amassing numerous accolades on the field, the Scarlet Knights also sparked a wave of pride throughout the Garden State – selling out stadiums, area hotels and restaurants, inspiring signs along state highways, and increasing enrollment interest at the university.