Sajle/Greco scholarship awarded to NHS Senior Chris Kovacs

Nutley High School senior football player Chris Kovacs has been named the 2026 recipient of the Diane Greco Sajle/Ralph Greco Jr. Scholarship.

The annual award, presented by the Greco family in memory of the late Nutley High School graduates Diane Greco Sajle, Class of 1974, and Ralph Greco Jr., Class of 1966, is given to the football program’s Most Valuable Teammate.

The honor recognizes a player—selected by the NHS football coaching staff—who demonstrates leadership, compassion, and selflessness both on and off the field.

The scholarship carries a $6,000 award funded by members of the Greco family and close family friends, including Kate Sajle Rose, Dan Sajle, Connie Greco, Ralph S. Greco, Christy Greco Van Saders, Michael Greco, Anthony Greco, Dan Greco, Lauren Greco, Steven J. Greco, Jillian Greco Pisciotta, Alex Greco, Michelle Greco, Joe Greco, Gloria Greco Smith, Thomas Greco, and Glenn Villacari.

This marks the eighth consecutive year the Greco family has presented the scholarship to a Nutley High School football player. Established in 2019 by former Nutley High School head football coach Steve DeGregorio and Thomas Greco, the award was created to honor Diane’s memory and to recognize student-athletes who reflect her compassion, dedication, and selflessness toward family, friends, and community.

This year the scholarship was renamed to include legendary Nutley youth football coach Ralph Greco Jr., who passed away in December.
“Chris Kovacs is probably one of the better people I’ve ever coached,” Nutley High School football head coach Chris Helm said. “He’s always the first guy in the weight room and at practice, and he’s always the last to leave. He’s a special kid. He does everything you ask of him. He’s kind to everyone around him. He’s very smart and very hard-working.

“When I thought about it, there were a couple of kids on the team who were candidates for the scholarship. But especially this year, having been coached by Ralph Greco myself, I felt Chris was someone Ralph would have really liked a lot. He was worthy of it.”

Reached for comment after catching for the Nutley baseball team during a doubleheader, Chris Kovacs said, “I didn’t really expect it to be that much of an honor when Coach Helm first told me. I didn’t realize what the Greco family meant to Nutley football—what they were doing with the scholarship and what it meant to receive it—until Coach Helm explained it. It’s really surreal, and it really does mean a lot to me and my family.”

“This is a bittersweet year,” Tom Greco said. “We are still mourning the loss of my brother. But adding his name to the scholarship was never in doubt. No one loved Nutley football more than Ralph. He dedicated over 30 years of his life to coaching it. In fact, some of the nicest tributes we received came from his former players, all of whom played for him in the Nutley youth football program.”

“Ralph Greco was a very large part of why I got into coaching,” Helm said. “I’d see him up at Owens Field at his grandsons’ games, and so this is kind of a full-circle moment for me because I feel like not that long ago I was there on that field with Ralph smoking his cigars and coaching us. He taught us a lot about persevering. He got us to really believe in ourselves—that we could go out there and overcome anything. It’s something that I may not be conscious of, but I’m sure a part of him comes out when I’m speaking to our team. Even now he is still a part of Nutley football.”

“It’s fitting that this scholarship is named after Diane and Ralph,” Tom Greco said. “My brother and sister adored each other, and I am sure they were together looking down on all of us today, smiling.”