North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week finished his football career on top

Saeed St. Fleur wants a say in how the Bergen Catholic state championship rings are designed.

“Coach and I have to look into that,” he said.

It only seems fair since the Crusaders senior running back played a huge role in the Crusaders 11-1 season and 45-0 win in last Friday’s Non-Public A state final against Don Bosco. Days later, St. Fleur is still smiling.

“Nobody worked harder than us,” he said. “We watched the film [from the first game] and we knew what we had to do and fix the mistakes we made. We knew we just had to get that game.”

Growing up in Roselle, the 5-foot-11 St. Fleur played basketball and football, following in the footsteps of his oldest brother.

In football, St. Fleur was a defensive tackle and tight end before being switched to running back when he was 12. That made him happy. He always wanted the football.

“There is something about getting in the end zone,” St. Fleur said.

He was attracted to Bergen Catholic because of the school’s athletic and academic reputation, but he got off to a slow start. The family was moving, so he was two weeks late for football practice entering his freshman year. When he got there, he found a tough environment.

“I was like the fourth-string running back,” St. Fleur said. “I thought they hated me. I thought they didn’t like me, I got yelled at a lot. I just had to work.”

By the time the games started freshman year, St. Fleur was in the starting line-up, showing his powerful style and deceptive speed. Sophomore year was a struggle as COVID hit and St. Fleur gained weight up to 220 (he’s 205 now), thinking he needed more strength but instead finding it slowed him down. He played JV but dedicated himself to make an impact on varsity.

Last year, St. Fleur teamed with Crusaders star Ryan Butler to create a fierce 1-2 punch in the backfield that helped Bergen Catholic to a state title. He gives a lot of credit to Butler for helping him on his path.

“Every practice, I would see what he did,” St. Fleur said. “He set the tone for everyone. He was that workhorse. He was a true leader and a real example of what to do.”

The Crusaders entered the year unproven at quarterback but with a dominant defense. St. Fleur carried the load early on while everyone else got their footing.

“I knew I needed to step up way bigger than I did the year before, especially because I knew the offense and it was more dynamic than ever,” St. Fleur said. “I knew I had to step into some big shoes and show the whole state what I could do. I knew what I could do, but I had to prove it to everyone else.”

The Delaware commit and the rest of the Crusaders left no doubt in their win Friday night. St. Fleur said the team went back to school after the game and spent hours celebrating and taking pictures. Now, the conversation turns to those rings and what they will look like. If it wasn’t for St. Fleur, they wouldn’t be having the conversation.

Saeed St. Fleur

Sport: Football

School: Bergen Catholic

Class: Senior. Age: 17

Accomplishment: St. Fleur ran 18 times for 163 yards and two scores, and also hauled in a touchdown pass as the Crusaders rocked Don Bosco, 45-0, to win the Non-Public A football title.

Also nominated: Josiah Guzman of Dumont and Ayden Jones of Hackensack for football.