Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Barnjak ’24:
On September 7th, Gian Paul Gonzalez visited the students at Kellenberg Memorial High School to share the story behind his famous motto “All In.” Gonzalez is best known for being the huge inspiration to the Giants that led to their Super Bowl victory in 2012.
All 2,700 Kellenberg students had the chance to see Mr. Gonzalez speak. The auditorium was filled to capacity as usual for guest speakers. Ordinarily, the remaining students might view via their classroom video equipment. However, with temperatures in the high nineties on that Thursday, a last minute administrative decision was made to outfit the cafeteria and gym with video equipment so that students could watch in the comfort of an air conditioned space.
He spoke on how he has lived his slogan, “All In,” through personal experiences. He said, “When you go ‘All In’ you start to find out who are your true friends and who are those you have simply walked the hallways with.”
Gonzalez said, “All In is not a slogan, but a lifestyle each day.” It is one thing to say it, but to live it is another. Fr. Daniel Griffin and Gian Paul both chose the Annunciation as their opening prayer for the assembly, because Mary’s “yes” to God is a prime example of being “All In.” This mindset doesn’t only pertain to sports or school work, but also our faith.
Gonzalez’s slogan has not only influenced major corporations, but also Kellenberg Memorial. Whether it is on the field or in the classroom, it is a huge part of Kellenberg’s mentality. Fr. Dan even mentioned it in his homily he gave at the school wide mass on Thursday, September 21.
A former NCAA First Team All-American forward from Montclair State University, Gonzalez scored nearly 1,400 points in his 3 year career and played in the NBA Summer League.
But Gonzalez turned down professional basketball contracts to continue his work with at-risk youth. He has seen this problem first hand in Union City, where he teaches high school history. He is the founder and executive director of Hope & Future, an organization dedicated to using athletics and physical fitness to share a message of hope and striving for excellence in inner-city public schools and juvenile jails.
Gonzalez has been featured on ESPN, as well as had notable appearances on Fox News and CNN. His inspirational talks have made him an internationally renowned speaker for the NBA, NFL, English Premier League, MLS and Fortune 500 organizations.
