Never Forget: For Anthony Pecorella & Nick DeGennaro Memories of Sept. 11 Hit Close to Home

Saturday, September 11, 2021, marks the 20th anniversary of the most deadly terror attack in United States history. 

For the past 20 years, our country has vowed never to forget the victims and the unspeakable violence that occurred that day in New York City. And that vow extends to the Maryland football family. 

Virtually everyone alive during that time has a story about what they or their family was doing on that day. It hits closer to home for two Maryland football players, punter Anthony Pecorella and wide receiver Nick DeGennaro, who are native New Yorkers. 

“What happened that day has affected everyone, but it’s different if you’re from New York,” DeGennaro said. “If you’re from New York you know someone who died. You know a firefighter who died. They say ‘Never Forget’ but if you’re a New Yorker you literally can’t forget.”

DeGennaro was an infant that day, having just been born earlier that year. He was living with his family on Staten Island. While he does not remember the day himself, he knows the story as well as if he did. 

His entire family, like most Americans, watched the horror unfold live on television. His family was shaken to their core as One World Trade Center and Two World Trade Center, commonly referred to as the Twin Towers, collapsed right before their eyes.

“My mom always tells me just how much she cried that day,” DeGennaro said. “It was such an emotional moment and I can’t imagine watching it all happen in real time.”

Head coach Michael Locksley was an assistant coach for Maryland at the time and remembers hearing that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. 

Saddened by the events, Locksley had no idea that this wasn’t an isolated event. As he and the other Maryland coaches sat down to work, they began to realize just how significant the event was. 

“I don’t think it’s a day that anybody who lived through it will ever forget,” Locksley said. “One of our assistants came in and told us that a plane had hit a building in New York and we were mainly just confused. Then an hour later one of our running backs came in and said a plane hit the pentagon and that we were under a terrorist attack.”

Locksley understood the moment's gravity and knew that he had to make sure that both his immediate family and football family were okay. 

“All of us had families,” Locksley said. “None of us knew what to make of this act of terrorism other than to be there for our players. I just remember the lines being busy and we were trying to get in touch with our players to make sure that their families were okay. Man, what a day.”

While both DeGennaro and Locksley have connections to that day, neither are as personal as the Pecorella family. 

Anthony Pecorella Sr., Anthony's father, worked on Wall Street and frequented the World Trade Center, stopping inside on a near-daily basis, whether to get a cup of coffee in the morning or to talk to his friends inside the building. 

Thanks to the birth of Anthony and his twin sister Alessia, their father wasn’t there that day. The patriarch of the Pecorella family was still on paternity leave after the birth of his children and was asleep when the attacks happened. 

Anthony, his mom, and his sister were safe in Connecticut at their grandparents' house. But they made the drive to Malverne, New York, so they could be together as a family. 

Close friends of the Pecorella family were on the scene that day, including Daniel Suhr, who has been identified as the first firefighter to die that day in response to the attack on the Towers. When he arrived at the base of the Twin Towers, Suhr died after someone from the top of the building jumped and landed on him. 

Courtney Walcott was another close family friend and was inside when one of the buildings was hit. The first plane hit the North Tower above where Walcott was. Instead of evacuating, the financial systems manager sprung into action and escorted other civilians out of the building. 

Walcott was ushering people down to the 60th-floor elevators and would then go back up to get more people to safety. When Walcott went back in to rescue more people, he was never seen again.

Every time the Pecorella family travels to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, they lay a flower next to the names of their fallen friends as a showing of love for committing the ultimate sacrifice.

A visibly emotional Anthony struggled to tell all these stories of the bravery of fellow New Yorkers, but he feels more than just sadness. He feels a deep sense of pride. Pecorella is proud of the resolve and the character the people of New York City showed that fateful day.

While Anthony Sr. wasn’t at Ground Zero that day, the immediate Pecorella family, unfortunately, didn’t come away completely unscathed.

Anthony’s uncle and godfather, Joe, was a firefighter in New York City and was one of the first responders on the scene after the towers were struck. He continued to work on the pile of rubble for six months afterward.

Joe only had one day off during those six months. It was only ten days later for Anthony’s christening on September 21. Not even 9/11 could keep Joe from being there for his young nephew. 

While he survived that day, Joe developed several health issues, including a stutter after inhaling extensive amounts of toxins. Anthony calls his uncle every year on 9/11 and talks with him about that day and what Joe means to him. 

“He’s someone I hold near and dear to my heart,” a teary-eyed Pecorella said. “[During the Howard game] I want to pay my respect to him and all the firemen, first responders and average Joe’s we lost that day.”

For the Maryland football family, it’ll be an emotional day for them and those in attendance when the team takes on Howard University. 

For two teams located around one of the areas that were attacked, Locksley is honored to share the stage with the Bison.