Football season may be over but friendship with Audubon family thrives

Rowan University’s football might not have a championship to show for their 2009 season, but the members of the team are bound to remember this season for more important reasons.

In August, head coach Jay Accorsi and his team adopted Luke DeFilippo and his three older brothers Aaron, Caleb and Peter through the Friends of Jaclyn Safe on the Sidelines Program.

Since 2005, the Friends of Jaclyn Program has been pairing up high school and collegiate teams with children diagnosed with brain tumors. According to Dennis Murphy, Jaclyn’s father, who started the foundation in his daughter’s honor, there are over 150 children adopted by teams in 18 different sports and currently over 1,000 schools on a waiting list.

The idea of the Safe on the Sidelines Program is to help the siblings of children with an illness cope and have a support system. The program recognizes that while there are many programs for children with terminal or life threatening illnesses, not many organizations have similar programs for the children who watch their brothers and sisters suffer through treatments and doctor’s visits.

This is what made Rick and Laura DeFilippo eager to participate and help Aaron, 17, Caleb, 13, and Peter, 11, as well as provide good memories of their brother Luke, 7, who was told at two and a half years old that he only had between two months to a year to live.

“I would not want them [Aaron, Caleb and Peter] to look back and say that was a sad experience in my life,” Laura DeFilippo said. “I want them to say that they had enriching experiences because of Luke. Everyone has different opportunities, different circumstances and this is ours.”

Accorsi found that what Laura DeFilippo had said to him over the phone resonated with him more than anything he could have found on the Friends of Jaclyn Web site.

“When Laura called me and we had our first few conversations, she said ‘Luke is going to die. We know that for a fact. Luke will get something out of it. The three boys will probably get more about it, it will help the three boys especially.’ That is what struck me, when she said that,” Accorsi said.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Laura DeFilippo said. “I couldn’t imagine what 100 college age football players were going to be like.’ I remember thinking ‘What were they going to think of us?”

The members of Rowan’s team didn’t know what to expect from the family either.

“At first we were all a little hesitant about the situation because we did not know them, but that quickly wore away because their story was so heartfelt that we opened up in an instant,” said junior defensive linemen Matt Hoffman.

As the season wore on, the DeFilippo boys went to two practices a week and attended all home games. They slowly became friends and inspiration to the team.

“I felt like as the season went on, the kids got more comfortable with all the players,” said senior captain Kevin Taylor. “They were never shy, but they definitely opened up more as the season progressed. We would have them break down huddles and run some plays with us during practice.”

The boys wore tailored Rowan football jerseys made by the university’s equipment manager and started to run plays the offensive players would teach them at the end of every practice.

At first Laura DeFilippo was worried that her boys would be a distraction to the team and worried they might get in the way.

“I didn’t want to distract them because obviously their coach wants them to stay focus so we stood by the gate of the field,” Laura DeFilippo said. “After a few weeks, I couldn’t keep them away from the field and the boys starting running out onto field during huddles.”

Now in the off-season, Rowan football does not foresee this relationship ending anytime soon. The players look forward to keeping in touch with the family. They will have events all throughout the year, including another bone marrow donor drive and plan on inviting the DeFilippos to spring training sessions.

“That’s what great about the FOJ [Friends of Jaclyn] program. Once you adopt, you adopt forever,” Accorsi said.