Paul Knight (’75)
Paul Knight was the most outstanding soccer player in the history of Glen Rock
High School, a fact that was notably recognized by The Bergen Record when it
selected him to its All-Decade Team in 1980 and then to its All-Century Team in
2000.
In 1971 Paul became the first freshman to start on a Glen Rock varsity soccer team. During his four years playing for Coach Bill Carbone, the team won four Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League championships and two Group 2, Sectional Championships. In his junior and senior years, he was the team’s defensive and offensive leader (and its Co-Captain in his senior year). At the end of each of those seasons, he was named to the First Team, All-County (by The Bergen Record), First Team, All-Suburban (by The Ridgewood News) and First Team, All-B-PSL. In his junior year, he was named to the First Team, Groups 1 & 2, Section 1 of All-State and Second Team, All Groups, Section 1 of All-State. In his senior year, he was named to the First Team, Group 2, All-State and Second Team, All Groups, All-State, making him one of New Jersey’s Top 22 players. Most significantly, as noted above (but worth repeating), in 1980, The Bergen Record selected him for its All-Decade Team and, in 2000, it selected him for its 22 man All-Century Team.
Paul played collegiate soccer at Philadelphia Textile. The team qualified for the Division 1 NCAA Tournament in both his junior and senior years and advanced to the NCAA Division 1 Final Four in 1978 (before losing to Indiana University). Paul was drafted in the first round by the Pennsylvania Stoners of the American Soccer League. He was also drafted by the Detroit Express of the North American Soccer League. Paul also played three years of semi-pro soccer in the New York/New Jersey area.