Joel Cordoba catches a 61-yard TD pass from Kamai Lowery Credits: Joel Plummer
PLAINFIELD, NJ — Plainfield football wide receiver Joel Cordoba is the Athlete of the Week for September 30 through October 6 due to his three touchdown performance against Franklin on Friday.
This is not Cordoba's first time as Athlete of the Week, as he received the honor last year. It's also not his first time scoring three touchdowns, as Cordoba, who also plays varsity basketball, previously scored four in a win against North Hunterdon last season.
Joel began playing football at five years old. Tall as a kid, Joel played wide receiver before a stint at running back in middle school. Then a growth spurt sent him back to wide receiver. He stands at 6'1" today.
Coming from a football family, he grew up watching his older brothers play the game he has grown to love. One brother, Josue, now plays Division I football for the Kent Golden Flashes after signing last year. Joel will join his brother on the same college team next season.
“I'm very excited to have the opportunity to play Division I ball at the next level,” Cordoba told TAPinto Plainfield. “It’s always been a dream of mine and I feel blessed to be accomplishing it. But it's not the end goal!"
Joel plans to play safety or nickelback in college but is willing to do whatever the team needs from him. “I’m versatile to play any side of the ball or any position in the backend to linebacker,” he said.
Late last month, Cordoba found himself on the field at Met Life Stadium, as he received the Latino-American Youth Honors Award from the New York Giants.
“It felt very special to be noticed in New Jersey by the Giants, and it was a fantastic opportunity to be part of—and a blessing,” said Cordoba, who family originates in Panama.
Plainfield Cardinal Joel Cordoba (R) was honored on September 26 during a Giants game at Met Life Stadium (via Joel Cordoba, Twitter)
Meanwhile, Joel Cordoba is taking things one game at a time, and is proud of his Friday performance. “It felt really good to score three touchdowns, especially with one being a pick six,” he said, referring to the touchdown from an interception. “You don’t have three touchdowns very often, so it was a blessing.”
If the Plainfield Cardinals are to make the playoffs, every game from here on out in a must-win. Joel is ready for the task.
“We have multiple team and captain talks about how we need to focus up and put all the egos away and win as a team for our brothers,” said Joel when asked how the team will maintain its focus. “The focus starts from the captain and the seniors and goes down to the younger guys.”
Part of a talented trio of senior receivers, Joel Cordoba looks towards sophomore Tymire Huff, junior Dayyan Beverly, and freshman Jaisaun Lee as among the underclassmen who can fill those shoes next year, when he's playing in Ohio.
The Athlete of the Week is produced by TAPinto Plainfield in conjunction with the Plainfield Public Schools Athletic Department, whose Director is Daniel Cone, Assistant Director Corey Tucker.
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