Staten Island Advance

Changing the Game

Fifty-eight-year old John Skronski is a successful Re/Max real estate agent, slinging properties along the Jersey Shore, but 40 years ago he was reinventing the HS football landscape while quarterbacking Monsignor Farrell to one of its best seasons in school history.

CHRIS HANSEN'S RUBBER ARM CARRIED MOORE

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Skronski fit the bill of the modern strong-armed QB during an era in which not many existed, particularly at the HS level.

In 1978, the then-Princes Bay resident, who has since relocated to Long Branch, NJ, took the local football scene, and the quarterback position, by storm.

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

Unheard Of

At a time when most HS quarterbacks simply turned and handed the ball to the running back, if they weren't running it themselves, Skronski put on a show with his arm and shattered all of Farrell's passing records -- throwing for 1,940 yards and 19 TDs, while completing 59 percent of his throws -- numbers that were unheard of at the time.

"Whatever Coach [Dennis] Barrett called, I played and threw it," said Skronski. "I grew up watching Joe Namath, the forward pass was just starting to come into play."

An Advance All Star in his senior season, Skronski's Lions finished 9-0 that year, reaching the top of the city ranks, and posted a whopping 31.3 points per game -- tallying 20+ points in all but one contest.

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

Plenty of Hardware

"Back in the day it was a little different," explained Skronski. "Run it, run it, run it...I guess Coach Barrett wanted to open it up because we had the talent at receiver and running back. We had a good balanced attack."

Skronski's success earned him plenty of hardware, as he took home the Advance's Joe Burke Award, as well as the inaugural Fred Fugazzi Award, and the Al Fabbri Award -- given to Staten Island's top HS football player.

In addition, Scholastic named him an All American, and he was named a New York Daily News All Star, as well.

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

National Attention

Skronski's acclaim soon grew beyond the local level as he garnered college recruiting interest on a national scale -- receiving offers from perennial powers UCLA, Stanford, and Notre Dame.

"Recruiting was interesting, it was the first time I was exposed to that," said Skronski. "I had been on a plane once in my life, so it was exciting [to visit those schools]."

For Skronski, the decision was a no-brainer.

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

Fighting Irish

Hall of Fame signal-caller Joe Montana bolted from Notre Dame for the NFL in 1978, and Skronski entered South Bend, Indiana as Golden Joe left it.

"When I went to Notre Dame the opportunity was there for me," said Skronski. "Joe Montana had just graduated, playing time was a factor but you can't go in with too many expectations as a freshman."

Soon after Skronski entered campus, a younger in-state product was recruited to play QB, and ultimately wound up jumping him on the depth chart.

"It didn't happen," said Skronski of his playing time. "It was aggravating."

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

More Than Football

Though he patiently waited, Skronski never saw the field for the Fighting Irish.

"School was great, I made a lot of great friends and got a good education," said Skronski. "Should I transfer and go to a smaller school where I can play, or get a great education? You couldn't go wrong in terms of the education, football just didn't work out."

He graduated in 1983 with a degree in business administration and quickly returned to New York City, only now he was working in foreign exchange on Wall Street.

He spent 15 years dealing in foreign currency, marrying his wife Catherine along the way, before moving onto a career as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and later Morgan Stanley.

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

All Century

The once long-haired quarterback with the big arm took his place on the Advance's All Century Team at the turn of the millennium, a distinction he jokingly takes with a grain of salt.

"The good news is I'm on the All-Century team," said Skronski. "The bad news is, it was last century...it means I'm getting older."

Ever-humble, Skronski credits Barrett for much of his success.

"It was all Coach Barrett, the way he taught us and got us ready to play," acknowledged Skronski.

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

Shocking Diagnosis

It had been smooth sailing for Skronski up until then, but a shocking diagnosis in 2002 rocked his world.

Skronski was suffering from renal failure and would be forced to go on dialysis for five months before undergoing a kidney transplant courtesy of his sister, Susan.

"There were symptoms, but I thought I was just getting older," remembered Skronski. "I went to the doctor and my levels were high, they instantly put me on dialysis. It was surprising to hear, but I was blessed with good doctors and my sister."

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

Back to Normal

It's been over 16 years since Skronski received the kidney, with no issues to report, and 14 years since he began his career at Re/Max.

"After the kidney, I wanted to be more comfortable," he explained. "I didn't want to spend three hours on the train. Real estate affords me the opportunity to have a flexible schedule, but it's still a non-stop job."

Don't Edit

Staten Island Advance

Life's A Trip

Now, it's back to smooth sailing for the former quarterback, who takes his calls from the real estate office these days.

"Life's a trip, things aren't boring," said Skronski. "I've been blessed with a great family and the opportunity to work, I thank God for that.

"I had great coaches and teammates and support from the community and Farrell," he added. "I had a good upbringing and all of that got me going in life. I'm blessed to have what I have and I'm just happy to be working and have the opportunity for a good life."

Don't Edit