Dr. Stephen Cowan, who is proud University of Cincinnati football alum, is also very proud of being a big part of Paul Robeson All-Star Classic in June where he works along with longtime Bloomfield High School coach Mike Carter, who is seen at old Foley Field. In bottom photo, trio of the Robeson Classic's original trailblazers get together. From left, are Dr. Cowan, Ken Trimmer of Caldwell and the late Larry Schumacher, who was tremendous coach at schools including Essex Catholic. (SC photos)

Fantastic Foursome Were Key In Establishing Robeson Classic

By Mike Lamberti for sidelinechatter.com

When it comes to high school football, especially on the Essex County gridiron, their names are etched in greatness.

Collectively, the late Larry Schumacher, Dr. Stephen Cowan, Ken Trimmer and Mike Carter have made contributions to the game, that can't possibly be imagined.

And now, as the foursome's 'baby' celebrates a special anniversary this coming June 11, it seems a good time to reflect on a special All-Star football game, put together by four amazing coaches, and men.

The aforementioned 'baby' is the Paul Robeson All-Star Football Classic, which will be played on Tuesday, June 11, on Doc Ellis Field at Belleville High School’s Municipal Stadium with a 7 p.m. kickoff. 

The game will be played – officially - for the 30th time this year. There were two years, 2020 and 2021, that the Robeson game was not played, due to the pandemic. 

The game honors the legacy of Paul Robeson, a man who not only excelled on the gridiron a century earlier, on the collegiate and professional level, but was also an American bass-baritone concert artist, and actor.

When Mr. Robeson was awarded an academic scholarship to what was then Rutgers College, in 1915, he was the college's only African-American student. He was twice named a consensus All-American in football, and earned class valedictorian.

Later, he would play football professionally with the Akron Pros and Milwaukee Badgers, in the early 1920s. Mr. Robeson passed away in 1976.

Fast forward to 1993, and the inception of the Paul Robeson All-Star Football Classic, a high school game in June, featuring players from Essex County, as well as neighboring counties. Today, the East-West game consists of standout senior players, from Essex, Union and Hudson Counties playing against all-stars from Passaic, Morris and Sussex Counties.

The game began under the tutelage of Cowan and Schumacher, with Carter and Trimmer coming aboard the following year.

At the time, Carter was a relatively new head football coach at Bloomfield High, a position he continues to hold today, as he prepares for his 34th year at the helm. Only Bill Foley has coached football at Bloomfield longer, and the stadium is named after him.

Trimmer had a long and distinguished career spanning 53 years at James Caldwell High School, as an educator and coach. He would retire as a teacher in 2010, but stayed on as head football coach through the 2016 season, a job he had held since 1993 when he took over the reins from his mentor, the late Andy Durborow.. 

During his run as Caldwell's head coach, he led Caldwell to 20 playoff appearances. The Chiefs won three state sectional championships under Trimmer's leadership, including back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998.  

While he retired as Caldwell's head coach after the 2016 season, his coaching talents didn't stop there. Trimmer would go on to be an assistant coach for seven more years at Caldwell University for that school's sprint football program.

He also continues to coach at James Caldwell High School, as an assistant girls basketball coach on Amanda Keenan’s staff.

In addition to being one of the founders of the Robeson Classic, Trimmer is also one of the leaders for the annual Phil Simms N.J. North-South All-Star Classic, which is held during the same time period as the Robeson game, in June with the 2024 Simms Classic kicking off at 5 p.m., Sunday, June 9, at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium

Schumacher attended Essex Catholic High School in Newark, and then went on to play football at the University of Notre Dame, beginning in 1965. He would be a starter at linebacker for the Irish by his sophomore year and was later named a defensive team captain, making him the first African-American to be so honored at Notre Dame.

He would be an assistant coach at Notre Dame in 1970 and then returned to his New Jersey roots where he would enjoy a tremendous career as a high school football coach for five schools, including East Orange High. 

Schumacher would also serve as the East Orange Recreation and Cultural Affairs Director, and was lauded by many for his tireless work for the youth of the East Orange community. 

Coach Schumacher passed away in 2010.

Schumacher and Dr. Cowan attended Essex Catholic during the same era, but the two would become close friends in 1993, with the advent of the Robeson Classic.

Cowan is a retired principal in the East Orange school system, and was once a star for East Orange's state championship team.  

After leading East Orange High to a state championship on the gridiron in 1967, Cowan played four years of college football at the University of Cincinnati. In a marvelous career for the Bearcats, Cowan was the first rusher in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season, gaining 1,197 yards in 1969. 

He later played flanker, where he was the team's second-leading receiver and concluded his career as the University of Cincinnati's all-time leading rusher with 2,033 yards.

In 2001, Cowan was inducted into the University of Cincinnati's Athletic Hall of Fame.

And, of course, he has a marvelous educational background. 

Carter often says it was Schumacher and Cowan who founded the Robeson game, with he and Trimmer joining in the following year.

But it's well understood now the four have – indeed - made the game something special.

Carter sometimes breaks out laughing when recalling the early days of the Robeson Classic.

"Larry (Schumacher) and Ken (Trimmer) would have these arguments," said Carter. "You had to be there; it was classic. But, in the end, everything would work out, because we were all there for the same reason, to make it a special night for the players."

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Ken Trimmer of Caldwell is always more than happy to take the time to promote the Robeson Classic, and Dr. Stephen Cowan, seen with Dexter Lovell during past Classic at Robeson Stadium in East Orange, is also a big part of keeping the annual all-star game vibrant. The 2024 game will be played on Doc Ellis Field at Belleville's Muncipal Stadium June. 11th.

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