It’s tough to talk about Michael Poinsett without bringing a bag full of superlatives to use as descriptions.
What is Poinsett like on the football field?
“Coaching Mike,” said Bordentown High head man Skip Edwards, “was an awesome experience for all of the coaches.”
And in the classroom?
“Michael Poinsett is easily in the top five percent of mathematically gifted students that I have taught in my 22 years of teaching,” BRHS math teacher Beth Bokop said.
It’s no wonder Poinsett was the Scotties honoree at this year’s 61st Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Awards Dinner, hosted by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame on March 12 at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal.
But the distinction did not stop there. Aside from the $1,000 scholarship each senior player received; Poinsett won the biggest prize of all by claiming the $5,000 Jack Stephan Scholarship. For a linebacker such as Poinsett, it was like making a tackle while also causing a fumble and returning it for a touchdown.
“Winning my school’s scholar-athlete award was an honor by itself, and winning the $5,000 award took that honor to the next level,” Poinsett said. “Winning the award is a monument to all the hard work I have put into my four years of high school. The award serves as the finale of my 13-year football career as I begin the next chapter of my life.”
Michael is unsure where that chapter will unfold as he is still narrowing his college choices; but he plans to major in aerospace engineering, which “will allow me to use my skills in math and physics in an interesting and rewarding career.”
His abilities in that area are unquestioned. Poinsett is an A+ student with a weighted grade point average of 108.8 (out of a 100). He won an AP Scholar Award and the Principal’s Award of Excellence, and is a member of the school chess club. His course load featured nearly 10 Advanced Placement courses, including Bokop’s AP Calculus class.
“It is evident that mathematics is one of Mike’s strengths,” Bokop said. “He could frequently complete problems after seeing only one example. He is very intuitive and he was generally one of the first students to have the answer to questions throughout the class period. Mike is very insightful and he often had a different solution process than the rest of the class. He was able to analyze and evaluate problems that others found difficult.”
Poinsett is not only good at analysis, but pretty keen on exploration; at least when it comes to football. Entering his freshman year at Bordentown, Michael began researching some of the greatest linebackers in NFL history in order to model his game after them.
“I quickly became fascinated by how Lawrence Taylor could intimidate and terrify simply with his presence, and how Dick Butkus made every hit count,” Poinsett said. “I loved how Jack Lambert was so quick to read the offense and get to the football, and how Mike Singletary knew his defense like the back of his hand.”
Poinsett considers those Hall of Famers as having a big impact on his career. There are also those closer to home who have helped.
“I am lucky enough to have had coach Mac (Rich McGlynn) as my linebacker coach,” Poinsett continued. “He was able to harness my obsession with the linebacker position and turn me into a great player. I am also lucky to have had my father (Jim) coach me at the youth level. He constantly reminded me of the importance of a strong mentality. It is because of him that I am confident, aspiring, and relentless. He has led me to work hard, whether it be in the classroom or on the field.”
The work Michael put in on the field is reflected in his statistics. He was a four-year varsity starter who set the Scotties career record for tackles, sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles. He led Bordentown in tackles each of the last two years.
The coaches named him a captain as a senior and the honors were countless. Poinsett was a two-time All-Division selection; the Scotties Defensive Player of the Year and “Scotties” Award winner. He was a three-time 100 percent Award winner for never missing a practice, meeting or workout. He’s also part of the 1,000-pound Club in the weight room, and as a youth player for the Bordentown Bulldogs earned the Iron Man Award.
For the Poinsetts, Scotties football is a family affair. Jim and his wife Kelly are president and vice-president of the Huddle Club, and older brother Danny was Bordentown’s DelVal Scholar-Athlete in 2020. Their influence has inspired Mike to absolutely inhale the sport whenever possible.
“From the very first practice as a freshman to his last practice as a senior he was focused and intense as he prepared for the next game,” Edwards said. “Every day he stepped on to the practice field he gave 100 percent. He knows no other way while playing the game he loves so much.
“When I think of how much Mike has given to the Bordentown program through his career, I become overcome with satisfaction knowing I had the opportunity to play a role in his football game.”
Reflecting on his high school career, Poinsett is proudest of the fact he was part of a major turnaround in Scotties football; including its 2022 record-setting year of 10-1.
“Bordentown football has changed from a losing program to aMike Smith won the New Jersey Football Coaches Service Award. This goes to a person who has done so much for the game of football in our community. winning program during my four years,” he said. “This change is due to my coaches and teammates, and I am proud to be part of that change.”
Mike also takes pride in how he helps others, as he volunteers for the Give Back charity organization and the Bordentown Youth Football Clinic. Poinsett follows the lead of Scotties assistant Mike Smith, who won this year’s New Jersey Football Coaches Service Award, which goes to a person who has done a lot for football in the community.
“My favorite is volunteering for the youth clinic,” he said. “Kids of all ages from Bordentown come to the high school for a three-day clinic where they are mentored and coached by the high school coaches and players.
“I remember attending the clinic during elementary and middle school and am glad to now have had the opportunity to be part of it the last few years. I enjoy introducing the game of football to those who attend and hope they fall in love with the sport just as I did when I started playing at five years old.”
If there was one drawback to all the successes that Poinsett experienced, it was trying to find time to doze off or just kick back and watch TV in the fall.
“During football season my schedule is packed,” he said. “I would wake up at 6 a.m. for school and wouldn’t get home until 6:30 p.m. after practice. I would then eat, shower, and start homework from my AP classes which I would do until I fell asleep.
“Any bit of free time I got was spent watching film. While a lack of free time was tough, I never really minded it because I love the game of football so much. During the off-season, I continue to workout but have more free time and a more flexible schedule.”
Before taking advantage of any down time, however, Poinsett makes sure every I is dotted and T is crossed.
“His homework was always detailed and complete, and he would demonstrate his knowledge by asking specific questions about the homework,” Bokop said. “He would strive to understand why mathematical processes worked rather than simply getting the right answer.”
She was hardly alone in her praise.
“At Bordentown high school there isn’t a teacher who has one negative comment about this young man,” Edwards said. “Whenever Mike’s name is mentioned, the comments are always positive.”
Sounds like that bag of superlatives comes in handy.
Bordentown’s Michael Poinsett received the Jack Stephan Scholarship at 61st Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Awards Dinner, hosted by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame on March 12 in West Windsor.,
