The MIAA and Agganis Family are teaming up to keep Harry Agganis’ legacy strong in high school football. The state championship trophies, which will be awarded at the conclusion of the eight state championship games at Gillette Stadium in December, will be named in Agganis’ Honor.
The Wednesday afternoon announcement hits close to home for Greg Agganis, Harry’s great nephew and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Agganis Foundation.
“This was a great honor for my uncle,” Agganis said. “It was a collaboration between the Agganis Foundation and the MIAA. It’s just another great honor for my uncle, along with the naming rights for the Boston University arena.
“It means a lot to us. Harry was pretty much the best high school student-athlete to come out of Massachusetts. This exemplifies who he was as a person, his character, his leadership abilities. He was inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame in 2016 with Doug Flutie, Dana Barros and Tom Glavine, and those are some great names.”
Agganis, a Lynn native, was a football and baseball star at Lynn Classical. Nicknamed “the Golden Greek,” Agganis chose to attend Boston University, giving him the chance to remain close to his mother. He was an All-American football player for the Terriers and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. But Agganis opted to play baseball and signed with the Boston Red Sox. He spent two seasons with the team before his untimely death in 1955 at the age of 26.
The Agganis Foundation was established shortly after his death.
“It has been around since 1955, so his legacy has continued since his death,” Agganis said. “The foundation has awarded over $2 million to North Shore student-athletes since then. It continues with the Agganis All-Star games.”
Agganis was inducted into the Classical’s Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. St. George Greek Orthodox Church established a basketball tournament in his honor in 1955.
The MIAA will also award a scholarship to one male and one female student-athlete in Agganis’ honor.
“This is what Harry believed in,” Agganis said. “Not only is this about the athlete, but also about what he represented as a person. There are a lot of great athletes that came out of Massachusetts. He died fairly young and he died a long time ago, but his legacy continues and I think that says a lot about his person.”
Classical Athletic Director Billy Devin said Agganis’ legacy remains strong on O’Callaghan Way.
“Everybody feels a connection, still, with him,” Devin said. “The kids walk past a portrait of him every day. Just to know that a state championship trophy will be named in his honor is a tremendous honor.
“He’s a legend and an icon in the city. I think it’s a testament that the champions will hoist a trophy that bears his name. I don’t think you’ll find a better person not just based on athletic ability but based on the person he was. It’s great for his family, the school and I’m very proud that the MIAA’s doing this.”
