PISCATAWAY — Saving a life can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a law enforcement officer's career.

And even more so when that life has only just begun.

On Thursday two police officers — one of whom was a standout football player at Rutgers a decade ago — as well as a dispatcher came to the aid of a baby boy who had stopped breathing. The 9-1-1 call came in around 2:18 p.m. for a "non-breathing infant" at a Harmony Road home, police said in a statement.

Officer Raymond Pilch was first on the scene, arriving in about three minutes and taking over CPR on the unconscious baby, whose skin had turned blue. Pilch was soon joined by Officer Michael Rountree and both worked in tandem to revive the child. By phone, Dispatcher Cara Brandenburg provided CPR instructions.

The officers' efforts worked: the baby's color returned to a healthy pinkish-white as he began to breathe on his own once more. Then he started crying.

Officers continued to administer oxygen until ambulances from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and JFK Hospital arrived. The baby was taken to St. Peter's University Hospital for treatment.

"I am proud to commend Dispatcher Brandenburg and Officers Pilch and Rountree for their quick actions that made a difference," Chief Richard Ivone said.

"Each year Piscataway police respond to over 30,000 calls and they hope to make a difference. Maybe they take someone dangerous off the street," he added. "Maybe they'll save someone's life. When children are involved, though, the job can be more challenging, but rewarding."

Pilch was a 6-foot-3, 260-pounder for the Scarlet Knights football team, beginning his career as a walk-on and eventually starting at fullback, tight end and, during his final year in 2004, at center.

He earned a number of accolades during his playing career, including the Paul Robeson Award for leadership and the Scholar-Athlete Award, reserved for the football letter-winner with the highest academic average. He was one of three captains of the team in his senior year.

Staff writer Keith Sargeant contributed to this report.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.