Hoboken three-sport standout recovers from shaky beginning
When Jason Blanks was a budding teenager coming out of the tough housing projects of Hoboken, he was faced with a life-altering decision. He could have easily fallen prey to the evils that surround life in the projects or take another route.
Blanks chose to play sports – as many as possible.
"I thought it was a good way to keep myself off the streets and out of trouble," Blanks said. "I thought it would be a good way out of the projects, even at an early age."
Trouble seemed to find Blanks, even as he entered high school.
"I can tell you that when he first started high school, he certainly was in some difficulties," said Hoboken football coach Ed Stinson, who was first the vice-principal, then the principal at the high school during those tenuous times. "He needed some self-discipline to get out of those troubles. He had to deal with issues inside and outside of school."
"He was in a lot of trouble," said Hoboken basketball and baseball coach Buddy Matthews. "He was a confused kid. He was involved in gang fights and other things in the projects. But he turned his life around all by himself. He found sports as a way to get away from the negativity in his life."
Blanks became determined to succeed in every sport he participated in. He wanted to be the best quarterback possible for the Red Wings football team. He liked playing basketball and wanted to have the responsibilities of being a point guard. Baseball was the true love.
"Everyone in my family was brought up with baseball," Blanks said. "My older brother [Eric Essinger, Hoboken Class of 1991] played baseball, and I used to follow him along. I used to watch him play all the time. So I always wanted to play baseball, too."
Soon after he began to tag along and watch his brother play baseball, Blanks met someone who was an inspiration and who lived in the projects just like him, a young man with hopes and dreams named Rashard Casey.
At that time, Casey was already a three-sport star at Hoboken High School, the best all-around athlete in Hudson County, a talent who would eventually head to Penn State to play football.
"I always looked up to Rashard," Blanks said. "I always admired his talents and I wanted to be like him, play like him. I would always go to the football games and wonder if I could play like him."
In fact, Casey took such a liking to Blanks that he even worked with the youngster, teaching him how to play football.
"He worked with me a few times, teaching me how to throw the football the right way, about ball fakes," Blanks said. "He showed me what I was doing wrong. It was great. It really helped me."
Some seven years after Casey graduated from Hoboken as the finest athlete in the history of the school, Blanks followed in his mentor’s footsteps. Blanks became the starting quarterback, much like Casey. He played basketball, as did Casey. He pitched and played the outfield, like Casey did.
And today, Blanks has earned the same distinction that Casey did when he was a senior at Hoboken – the title of being the best all-around athlete in Hudson County.
Wednesday, Blanks was presented with the 2002-2003 Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Year award, symbolic of the local athlete who excelled in more than one varsity sport and best represented his or her school during the scholastic year.
Blanks became the 12th recipient of the award, which was presented by Reporter co-publisher David Unger. Blanks’ coaches, namely Stinson and Matthews, along with school principal John Lavagnino, were also on hand for the presentation.
Blanks also became the fifth Hoboken athlete to receive the award, joining Jason Casessa (1991-92), Eduardo Gomez (1993-94), Casey (1995-96) and Mike Forcum (1998-99).
Blanks had a fine senior year all around for the three Hoboken teams. He rushed for nearly 500 yards and scored five touchdowns, while passing for 12 more, during the Red Wings’ run to the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group II state championship game. In basketball, Blanks averaged eight points and five assists as the floor general for a team that went 20-6 and went to the sectional finals as well.
During the baseball season, Blanks was the Red Wings’ top pitcher, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.35 earned run average.
Blanks said that he’s been playing all three sports competitively since he was eight years old.
"It just sort of happened naturally," Blanks said. "Playing sports was a good way for me to keep my grades up. I knew that if I wanted to play, I had to remain eligible. It was a motivation for me to do my school work. I feel pretty good about what I was able to do and to be a part of everything."
Matthews said that he will remember Blanks for being a leader.
"He was a winner," Matthews said. "He showed the characteristics of being a leader. He didn’t care about making mistakes. He knew he had to do whatever he could to help the team. I’m going to remember that he was always a hard worker and always a winner. Winners are defined by making teams better. Jason always made every team he played for better. He also played key positions, as a quarterback, as a point guard, as a pitcher. He realized he had a goal and he went toward it."
Stinson credited the discipline Blanks found within himself to get out of trouble, then stay out of trouble.
"You have to give him the credit, because there was really no agency to help him," Blanks said. "He became tremendously dedicated to self-improvement. He then became a major contributor in all three sports, and the success of each team lay with him. The transformation that Jason Blanks made to take care of his personal and his athletic life is phenomenal. They almost parallel each other. He came into his own."
Stinson said that Blanks had the ability to get others to follow his lead.
"He is almost Pied Piper-ish," Stinson said. "People naturally follow him. It’s an intangible quality that cannot be overlooked. You can’t define it, but he has it. He’s a leader. People generally like him. He also has this disarming smile. Even when he’s doing something wrong, he smiles and it disarms you."
"He is well liked by everyone," Matthews said. "He’s well respected. He treats people the way he wants to be treated. He has a lot of respect for everyone. Jason turned his life around, all by himself. I tell you, he’s going to be the inspiration to a lot of people I coach from now on. He turned his entire life around by himself. That says a lot."
Blanks has not officially decided where he will go to continue his athletic career, either St. Peter’s College or the University of New Haven. He has financial aid packages to attend either school and play football, but hopes to try out for the baseball team at that school as well.
Some things will never change. Blanks has to stay active and busy. It’s just his nature.
"It feels pretty good when you have people come up to you and tell you that you became a nice kid and a good athlete," Blanks said. "To be in the same category with Rashard, getting the same award that he got, is something I can’t even imagine. I’m just glad I got the chance to play."
Blanks made the most of his chance in his own way, the only way. By getting away from the trouble and becoming focused on sports.
"It’s proof that athletics is the best class taught outside the classroom," Stinson said. "Maybe this is proof that athletics can save people’s lives."