Bergen County football standout stands his ground and plays for lost loved ones

RJ Ussher’s job is the least glamorous in football.

He’s the nose guard for the Westwood High School Cardinals, patrolling the A gap on both sides of the center. He gets hit on every play by at least one man, sometimes two, maybe even three. It’s his job to stand his ground and not give in.

Then there are the things you don’t see coming.

Since arriving in high school, Ussher has lost his father, Ron, a beloved family friend and an aunt. On his left arm he has three cardinal bird tattoos, one for each. On his right arm, he has a picture of him and his father in an embrace.

Sometimes in life, you don’t see things coming, but it’s still your job to stand there, absorb the punishment and find a way to keep moving forward. Ussher has found strength in the Westwood community and football program. Birds of a feather, you know.

“This place is special man, it’s a different place,” Westwood football coach Bobby Guy said. “We have people who really care about other people.”

Westwood plays in the Group 2 state semifinal Friday night at home against Bernards. Both teams are undefeated.

During warmups, Ussher will wear one of his dad’s shirts under his pads. It’s just one of the things he does to keep the memories alive.

Ussher credits his faith, saying he and his mother, Jeanine, pray every day. He knows that people have it worse elsewhere. He’s thankful for his uncle Rich Poggi, and Cardinals assistant Tommy Omelia for being there for him.

“They have always been there for me, always ready to talk,” Ussher said. “They are up at any time at night for me to call. They have been the best. They have been my shoulder to lean on for the last four years.”

Losing his father

Ron Ussher was deeply imbedded in Westwood youth sports. He was a teacher in Elizabeth, but found the time to coach his son RJ (Ronald Joseph III, officially) in wrestling, baseball and football.

RJ has memories of going to wrestling tournaments with his dad all over the tri-state area.

Then, just like that Ron was gone, right at the start of the pandemic in April 2020. He got COVID.

“It all happened in a span of 10 days,” RJ remembers. “He got sick and was in his room for two days, and then he was in the hospital, and a few days went by and he was on a ventilator, a few more days went by and he took his last breath.”

RJ couldn’t visit his father in the hospital. He never got to say goodbye.

“He was the biggest person in my life,” RJ said. “He was very funny and super easy to talk to.”

RJ wrestled as a freshman and sophomore for Westwood. He laughs now that he kept running into St. Joseph star Jimmy Mullen at heavyweight and couldn’t beat him. But since his father died, he hasn’t wrestled since.

Losing a friend

After his father’s death, RJ began to throw himself into football. He and his cousin Matt Poggi and former Westwood quarterback Ian Borgersen would push cars in the street and lift weights and ride bikes all around town.

RJ and the entire Westwood community suffered another loss when Will Borgersen, Ian's brother, died early in the 2022 season. The Ussher, Poggi and Borgersen families have been extremely close, and Will’s death is something they’re all still dealing with.

“Our families have always hung out and celebrated all the holidays together,” RJ said. “I was hanging out with Will a lot before he left to serve [in the military].”

RJ remembers being told of Will’s death while in school. He was struck speechless.

Ian Borgersen joined the Cardinals coaching staff for this season. After the Cardinals win over Rutherford, he was emotional when talking about his brother and the connections in Westwood.

“We went through some hard stuff,” Ian said before pausing. “For them to welcome me back like this, it truly is a family, and what this program has been about and what it will continue to be about. It definitely helps me personally. It’s been nothing but amazing.”

“I think he’s found his niche,” Guy said of Ian. “Having him come back here was very important for us. He’s struggled a little bit, but I think football is his home. You think about guys like Will and Ian and Nolan [who was a star at Westwood before playing at Boston College], and they’re just a great Westwood family, and to have Ian here with us, it’s very special.”

RJ suffered one more family tragedy a few months after Will’s passing when his Aunt Jackie died the week after Christmas. After that, RJ got the tattoo, leaving a permanent reminder to stand his ground.

Persevering through challenge

Things are going great for the Westwood football team right now. The Cardinals are ranked in the top 10 in the Statewide Public Top 20 rankings. They reached this stage last year only to lose to Caldwell.

“The goal is to be playing at Rutgers in two weeks,” said RJ, referring to the Group 2 state final.

RJ doesn’t score touchdowns. He doesn’t usually get his picture in the paper, but his contributions to the Cardinals are valuable.

“He means so much to us,” Guy said. “He’s been a starter for us since freshman year and he’s gotten better each year. We wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the things we do on defense without him. He does his job probably more than what we ask.”

RJ has no plans to play football in college, so these are the last football games of his life. But he’d love to stay around sports, maybe be a reporter one day.

“I love writing and talking about sports and expressing how I feel,” RJ said.

Everything you need to know about RJ is expressed on both arms. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and refuses to get knocked off his perch.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ football: RJ Ussher plays for lost loved ones