Trio treasures family & football memories

“It’s unreal to think that my dad and grandfather all changed
in the same clubhouse as I do. We drank from that same water hose. I feel like they are always there with me.”
Methuen High senior Adam Avedisian

By John Molori
MethuenLife Writer

On Nov. 14, the Methuen High School Football program will hold an Alumni Night at Nicholson Stadium. All former Ranger players are invited to attend and be introduced to the Senior Night crowd. No family will be better represented than Methuen’s Avedisian clan.
Since 1921, when Kachadoor Avedisian established his farm, Avedisian Farm and Greenhouse has been a Methuen landmark on Salem Street. On this farm, however, the sweetest crop has been a family held together by tradition, love and, yes, football.
Kachadoor’s son Richard “Dick” Avedisian played linebacker at Tenney High School and graduated in 1954. His son, Steve, was a rugged lineman and member of the Methuen High School Class of 1982. Steve’s son Adam is a senior special teams ace on the current Ranger squad. The trio stands as a wondrous example of how family and football can mesh perfectly.
“I played 8th grade, 9th grade and sophomore year for head coach Jack Barry,” explains Dick, now 73 years old. “I started at the Searles Building, but we were the first class to graduate from the new Tenney High School.
“Coach Barry was good with the kids. He didn’t put a lot of pressure on you. I played linebacker and alongside some great players like Dave Mellor, Eddie Cooney and Joe O’Brien.”
Dick played against some of the best teams in local football history. His time on the field predates the current Merrimack Valley Conference: “We were a .500 team. Central Catholic always had great teams with (former Methuen and Greater Lawrence Tech coaching legend) Bob Rosmarino and players like that. We played Hudson, Mass., Andover, which was known as Punchard then, and Newburyport. I enjoyed the friendships and the camaraderie.”
Steve Avedisian, 43, echoes his father’s thoughts: “The biggest thing I miss is the camaraderie. Football taught me discipline. (Former Ranger mentor) Larry Klimas was a hard-nosed guy and he gave us a great life experience. You have to work hard to achieve your goals.”
Coach Klimas passed away in 2002, but his legacy lives on in former players like Steve: “Larry was so well-respected by coaches and players. Like him or not, you respected him. He commanded respect. He was a hard-line guy, but was fair. He always went the extra mile for his players.
“We were 8-1-1 my junior year and 7-3 my senior year. I played with guys like Mike Jozokos, Mark Bardwell, Dave Shaw, Al Abraham, Dave Colizzi, Dave Bamford and Mark Murray. They were all tough kids.”
Bardwell went on to block for 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie at Boston College. Avedisian attended Plymouth State College (Class of 1986) where he blocked for All-American Joe Dudek, a Sports Illustrated cover boy and 1985 Heisman hopeful.
Says Steve, “Football taught me that you have to get yourself up and out of bed every day and get to work. It instills good values. The harder you work, the greater the rewards. That’s what I try to relate to my son.”
Seventeen-year-old Adam Avedisian agrees: “I’ve learned so much from my dad. He was an unbelievable lineman and played in college. We have so much in common. We both love NASCAR, cars and football. I am basically my dad in a smaller package.”
Adam is fortunate to have two generations of role models. He states, “My grandfather always told me not to be afraid to hit someone in football. I am very close to him and have worked on the farm with him my whole life. I see kids who come from broken homes, kids who are beaten by their parents, good kids whose parents don’t care at all. My family has worked hard to bring me up the right way, and I think I turned out OK.”
That would be an understatement. Adam has provided tremendous leadership for a 2008 Ranger revival.
“Our team has improved so much,” says Adam. “Even when we were freshmen, people said that we would be the class that would turn things around. So far, we are proving them right.
“I’m only 5-6 or 5-7 and 150 pounds. I’ve never been a full-time starter. I’m a special teams player and I take pride in that. My hard work has paid off. I never played as a freshman. Sophomore and junior years I played a little more, and this year, I never leave the field.”
Adam has a perspective that belies his young age: “I have a lot of respect for (ex-Methuen) Coach Glenn Gearin. He is a great guy and I’d play for him anytime. He wrote me a letter of recommendation for college. Coach (Pat) Graham is great too. Sometimes, when I’m out on the field, I look around and all I see are friends everywhere. This is what I’ll remember when I’m 40 or 50 years old. I go to war with my buddies every week. You only get that in football.”
It is clear that this is a family based on unity and support and, like the family business, it all started with a gentleman named Kachadoor.
“My family needed me to work on the farm,” explains Dick. “But my father encouraged me to play football and came to all the games. He was a hard-working guy. The farm was his life and he had it hard. He also worked in the mills to help make ends meet.”
The phrase “Like father, like son” definitely applies here. Says Steve, “My dad never took away my opportunity to play. He always encouraged me, even if it created more work for him on the farm. All of his friends used to tell me how good a player my dad was. They’d say he hit people like a truck. My one wish is that I could have seen him play.”
The Avedisian motto of effort and loyalty has been passed on through the generations.
“I tell Adam that he can try any sport, but he has to give his best effort,” relates Steve. “He has worked hard to get in shape and stay in shape. He is with a good group of kids that have a lot of talent. With all the losing, it was hard to see the kids’ faces after games.