Stepinac Lineman Brian Harris Honored with Golden Dozen Award

On Thursday, January 30, Stepinac High School senior Brian Harris was honored as a Golden Dozen Scholar-Athlete, at the 41st Annual Golden Dozen Awards Banquet, at the Westchester Country Club.

Harris was a Captain who played center and defensive tackle on the Crusaders Football team. He was recognized, as one of the top 12 scholar-athletes by the Westchester Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, distinguished as the “Golden Dozen.” Mike Amicucci from Harrison High School was also named as a Golden Dozen honoree.

However, besides the top 12 honorees, there was a Second Team of 24 student-athletes chosen, which included seniors Cameron Crabbe and Chris Jordan from the White Plains High School and Kourtney Blanding from Woodlands High School.

Harris was also awarded the Christopher Mello Scholarship, which was presented to him by Mello’s father Doug Mello, at the Golden Dozen Awards ceremony on Thursday.

The scholarship is in memory of Chris Mello, who was a former Rye High School football player and Golden Dozen recipient. Mello died at the young age of 25 years old, aboard American Airlines Flight 11, which was the first plane to hit the World Trade Center, on September 11, 2001.

Harris was named the CHSFL Lineman of the Year and was selected to the All CHSFL, All County and All New York State teams, in 2013. He is being recruited by Trinity College, Catholic University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Assumption College.