Biography

 

Jeff Ethier was an ideal two-way lineman who anchored a powerful Shamrock team. A 6'1", 230 pound Guard, Jeff joined fellow Hall of Famer Andrew Emerson upfront to lead the way for a prolific Feehan offense stacked with a trio of Hall of Famers in the backfield: Scott Connelly, Jim Petrillo, and Brendan Deschenes. With Jeff clearing the way, the Feehan offense put up over 50 points 3 times in his junior and senior seasons, including a 54-14 win over Attleboro.

While he was a solid offensive lineman, Jeff was a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball -though he didn’t start off that way. He joined the freshman team around 5'6", 160 pounds at best. He bounced around between running back and linebacker until he grew into his natural offensive and defensive lineman positions. Jeff worked hard to increase his foot speed by working out with some of the exceptionally quick Shamrock athletes at the time on both the football and track teams - and it paid off.

With a potent combination of speed and strength (he was also a league champion shot putter), Jeff excelled at his defensive end position. He was able to control the edge and be a force in the run game, while also creating havoc in pass situations. Jeff had 3 sacks in one game against Durfee and was constantly forcing defenses to adjust to his pressure, creating opportunities for the rest of the defensive front.

Jeff’s senior season of 2000 proved to be a success in many ways for Bishop Feehan. The Shamrocks won yet another EAC championship and, while they ultimately fell short to Rockland in the Division 3 Super Bowl, Jeff was one of the key leaders to build a foundation which would run off 4 consecutive Super Bowl victories from 2001-2004. Jeff continued his playing career at Plymouth State where he was a 2 year captain and conference all-star.