Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame

Relive It All Again

Pete Pullara

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Pete Pullara was an All-City two-way lineman at New Dorp High School, an outstanding offensive guard at Tennessee-Chattanooga, and a fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 1978 NFL draft.

Decades after injuries short-circuited Pullara’s pro football career, he found a second career as director of stadium operations for the Staten Island Yankees, then as the longtime stadium superintendent at both the old and the new Yankee Stadium. He was named to the Staten Island Advance All-Century Football Team.

Football
Class of 2016

John Hagemann

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John Hagemann’s first baseball career, as a relief pitcher in the New York Giant organization, lasted a single season. The second, as a scout for the Expos, Braves and Phillies, lasted most of a lifetime.

Hagemann signed a half-dozen major-league regulars including Staten Islander Jason Marquis, who won 124 big-league games, and was instrumental in the trade that brought Hall of Famer John Smoltz to the Braves. He is a member of the Pro Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame.

Baseball
Class of 2016

John Semerad

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John Semerad was a two-sport star at Monsignor Farrell HS – the 1975 Jaques Award winner as Staten Island’s best high school basketball player, and an Atlanta Braves draftee – and at Seton Hall University.

An All-Met, All-Big East, All-Northeast and All-ECAC slugger and team MVP, Semerad twice led the Pirates in home runs and RBIs, helped take the Hall to three NCAA Tournaments, and played for the United States team in the 1979 Pan Am Games.

Basketball
Class of 2016

Jack Donovan

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Jack Donovan won the Jaques Award and Baseball Old-timers Award as Staten Island’s best high school basketball and baseball player, and was an All-Met pitcher at Seton Hall, where he won a record 27 games and pitched the Pirates to the 1971 College World Series.

A first-round draft pick of the Anaheim Angels, Donovan pitched five minor-league seasons before finding a second career as a team executive and owner.

Baseball
Class of 2004

Eric Olsen

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Olsen_Eric

Eric Olsen, the 2005 New York State High School Player of the Year at Poly Prep in Brooklyn, and the 2009 Guardian of the Year as Notre Dame’s top offensive lineman, played four NFL seasons for the Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, and Tennessee Titans. Olsen started 51 consecutive games as a center, guard and tackle at Notre Dame, where he was a team co-captain as a senior.

Football
Class of 2015