Klecko found a home with the New England Patriots
Former Marlboro star
playing in Super Bowl
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Dan Klecko may be a rookie on the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots, but he is someone who has already paid his dues.

The Colts Neck resident can appreciate just what the Patriots have accomplished by winning the American Football Conference championship and earning the right to play the Carolina Panthers, the National Football Conference winners, Sunday in Houston, Texas, in the Super Bowl.

You see, in his first year alone with the Pats, Klecko has seen more victories than he did throughout his four years at Temple University. During those trying years, Klecko rose above the losing.

He did not let it wear him out. He still brought it on every play, and that was not lost on Bill Belichick and the Patriots organization, who were confident they had a diamond in the rough.

Before his Temple days, he saw more losses than wins at Marlboro High School. But as in college, Klecko pulled through.

As the son of former NFL All-Pro Joe Klecko, who, despite playing at as high a level as you can, never got to play in a Super Bowl, Dan knows the Super Bowl doesn’t come everyone’s way, according to his father.

Joe Klecko doesn’t want to take any of the attention off Dan this week. Being the son of a former NFL great should take a backseat to what he’s accomplished.

"All the excitement is for Danny, he’s the one who worked hard," said Klecko. "It’s played out for him.

"He never really thought he’d do what he did," he added. "For that reason he’s very thankful. He’s living a dream and he knows it."

Larry Zdilla, who coached Klecko for his first two years at Marlboro, has stayed close to his former player.

"It’s like a dream come true for him," he said. "Imagine, he’s gone from Marlboro to Temple to the Super Bowl. It’s been very exciting."

Zdilla had an inkling from the start that Klecko had qualities that separated him from other athletes.

"Some guys, right away you know they’re different, not just in the way they play, but mentally, the way they handle things," said Zdilla, who is now an assistant coach at Monmouth University. "Being the son of Joe Klecko helped, but that was only part of it. Dan has worked very hard and is a student of the game."

Klecko, who moved with his family to Colts Neck before the start of his sophomore year, made an impression on Zdilla from the start.

"From the first day he walked on the field at Marlboro as a sophomore, he was the best player on the field," he said. "No one can anticipate the level he’s at."

Zdilla saw plenty of signs of the level his talent and determination would take Klecko.

"No matter what the competition level he went against, he always rose to the occasion," he said. "He was the best player on the field."

Toiling through all the losing seasons, Klecko still shined. He was all-state at Marlboro. At Temple, he would become a First Team All-Big East defensive lineman and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

Despite playing on losing teams, Klecko is someone who is about winning. He’ll do whatever a team needs. This year, it required Klecko to display his versatility for the Patriots. In one game, a 38-30 win over Tennessee during the regular season, the 5-11 283-pound Klecko played nose tackle, defensive tackle, outside linebacker and blocking fullback (the last time he had run the ball was for Zdilla at Marlboro). He also played on the special teams. If this were baseball, he’d be a utility player. His ability to play wherever the Patriots needed him made Klecko a fan favorite and they voted No. 90 the 12th Player Award for the season.

"I came from a college program that didn’t have a lot of fan support," Klecko said after receiving the Shaw’s/Kimberly-Clark Patriots’ 12th Player Award. "It was great to come up to New England where there are fans like nowhere else in the country. It’s great."

Klecko’s versatility also impressed his father, which is saying a lot. Joe Klecko made the Pro Bowl at three different positions. He said he couldn’t recall anyone playing that many positions in one season. Over a career, yes, but not one season.

Joe Klecko and Zdilla both pointed to Danny’s humility as one of his great assets.

"Danny’s virtue is one that others don’t have today," said Klecko. "He’s humble. He’s not a self-promoter."

Zdilla pointed out that Danny is "a very humble kid who hasn’t forgotten his friends."

His friends know that No. 90 deserves to be playing in the Super Bowl. Sure, he was lucky that it was the Patriots who drafted him out of college, but he made his own luck through always rising above it all. His commitment to football has been tested every step of the way, and he has always answered the bell.