In the world of college football, there’s not much better than the Georgia Bulldogs. And next season, when the Bulldogs take the field in front of 92,746 fans, there’s going to be a little piece of Lynn in the Southeastern Conference.
Joenel Aguero of St. John’s Prep, an All-American and 2022 MaxPreps Mass. Player of the Year, was honored Tuesday evening at Lynn City Hall by Mayor Jared Nicholson and the Lynn City Council.
His loved ones and other members of the community gathered to recognize “Just a Kid From Lynn” as the event was titled.
“It feels great. To be honest, I feel really welcome in the city now and it just feels amazing that I’ve got the whole city of Lynn behind my back,” Aguero said.
City Councilor Fred Hogan, a friend of the Aguero family who spoke first, said Aguero is “all Lynn.” The 6-0, 195 pound student-athlete was a member of Lynn Pop Warner, and his family was born and raised in Lynn.
“He’s always given a plug to the city of Lynn,” Hogan said. “We’re here today for a special moment in our say of Lynn history because a thing like this, or a person like this, doesn’t come along every year in the city of Lynn.”
Hogan coached in Lynn for nearly 25 years, and through all of the players he’s seen come and go, he said “this kid is very special” when talking about the wide receiver/defensive back.
Nicholson followed at the podium and highlighted Aguero’s hard work and sacrifice, adding he’s a great role model for kids in the city.
“You set the standards for what these kids are looking up to,” Nicholson said. “We know that you’re going places, and we want you to know the city of Lynn has your back.”
Aguero was the last to speak before pictures and hugs followed, thanking everyone in attendance for showing support.
The future-Bulldog is a lot of things. He was ranked a top-50 player nationwide after his freshman year at St. John’s Prep, knows what it’s like to be a Super Bowl champion at the high school level, and received nearly 50 Division 1 offers – 26 of them from FBS schools, referring to the top half of Division 1 college football.
But through all that, he said there were other things that “made me the person I am today.” Aguero highlighted his Lynn friends, coaches, and everyone surrounding him as his takeaways growing up in the city.
“I will continue to keep this city on the map,” Aguero said.
When asked what excites him about the Peach State, his answer involved bright lights and a smile on his face.
“I’m just excited to start my new life, to be honest, to play on the big stage,” Aguero said. “To go out there and just have fun.”
This season with the Eagles, and despite recording 600 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, Aguero made his biggest impact as a defensive back on a highly-impressive Prep defense. With him as the anchor, the Eagles allowed just 10.6 points per game this season, and shut out Springfield Central – a team that averaged north of 50 points per game – in the Division 1 Super Bowl.
Aguero may be heading to Georgia with a smile, but he means business on the turf, something the city of Lynn already knows.
“[I want to] win the Jim Thorpe Award, the best DB [defensive back] in the country, and I want to take that back to the city,” Aguero said.
