Former Don Bosco Football Star Dillon Romain Dies

RAMSEY, NJ — Dillon Romain, a former star running back for Don Bosco Prep, has died.

A post on the Don Bosco Prep football program's Twitter page said Romain was "one of the best to ever run the ball for us. The DBP Football Family sends its condolences to the Romain family."

Romain, 28, was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year in 2008, NJ.com reported.

"He was a great kid," said Nunzio Campanile, Romain's offensive coordinator with the Ironmen, told NJ.com. "It's devastating."

Romain was a force on the football field.

"He had all the qualities you want," former Don Bosco coach Greg Toal told The Star-Ledger in 2009.

A Vernon native, Romain helped the Ironmen win three consecutive state group titles. He attended Blair Academy following graduation, and was named New Jersey Prep Player of the Year, according to his biography with the University of New Haven.

He was the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year at the University of Albany in 2010 when he rushed for 547 yards and scored six touchdowns, according to the New Haven biography.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com