Gene Links (2004)

A four-sport athlete who earned 12 letters in three seasons (freshman could not play on the varsity in that era), the versatile Links was All-County in three sports (football, basketball, and baseball) and an All-State player on the gridiron. He was the highest scoring end in the state as a junior and an all-state halfback when he led the team in scoring in his senior year. He batted .400 in baseball playing the outfield. When he graduated, he held the single-season basketball scoring record. Athletic Director Duke DeRochi said, "He's the best all around athlete I've seen since Paul Arrigoni." DeRochi's tenure at RHS went back to 1936. Links was also a sprinter in track and ran the leadoff leg of the gold-medal mile relay team at the Penn Relays. After spending a year at Eastern Military Academy, (four sports), he went to William & Mary and played halfback. He signed a professional baseball contract with the Phillies organization. He was drafted in the Army after three years in the minor leagues. After his military service, he went into small loan and auto finance and owned his own company, Jefferson Loan Company in Paramus, for 20 years. He scouted for Ridgewood football for 11 years and assisted coaches Frank Mozeleski and Roger Sweeney for a number for years. He lives in Kinnelon.