At East Meadow High, Ohrnberger was a three-year varsity player, a two-year captain and earned multiple honors, including All-Long Island and All-County. As a senior he won the Thorp Award as the most outstanding player in Nassau County. And though he hasn’t lived in East Meadow since, he said he still makes a point to visit for a couple of weeks every offseason.

After the Jets won the Nassau County Conference I championship in 2011, Mascia recalled, the team, coaching staff and alumni went to a restaurant to celebrate. “All of a sudden, the owner comes up to me and says, ‘One of your old players just called up,’” Mascia recalled. “I said, ‘Who?’

“He goes, ‘Rich Ohrnberger. He’s got the tab tonight.’”

Weeks later, East Meadow was awarded the Rutgers Cup — awarded by Nassau County coaches to the county’s top team — and the team hosted an alumni fundraiser to purchase rings for the players. “[Ohrnberger] flew in, came to the fundraiser,” Mascia said. “A lot of people would just write a check … he stayed for six hours with us, the entire night, and gave us a fantastic donation.”

This past season, Ohrnberger delivered the pre-game speech to the team before its Senior Day game against Baldwin on Oct. 26. “We are proud of his success and accomplishments on the football field, but what makes it even more gratifying is the type of person he is,” said East Meadow High’s athletic director, Kevin Regan. “Rich is a personable young man with a terrific sense of humor. He has developed a very positive reputation in our school and community.”

At Penn State, Ohrnberger capped his senior year with an appearance in the Rose Bowl. He also met his fiancée, Ann Naylor, a member of Penn State’s national champion volleyball team, there. “Until I win a Super Bowl or something,” Ohrnberger said, “she has the best championships in the house.”

The two plan to marry in June in Hawaii.