Jenkins Named 2025 Zunic Award Recipient
10/3/2025 9:21:00 AM | Football
Carl Jenkins '88 is this year's recipient of the Zunic Award, and will be honored during Syracuse's game against Pitt on Oct. 18.
Presented by the Syracuse Football Club, the Zunic Award was created in 2001 to honor Mike and Judy Zunic, who died tragically on July 18, 1989 when a United Airlines plane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. The pilot, anticipating landing difficulties, requested if some strong passengers would volunteer to give up their seats and sit at the exit doors to assist passengers in the event of an emergency. Mike and Judy gave up their seats in first class to sit at one of the doors. They both died in the crash and those in the Zunics' original seats survived.
Mike Zunic was a four-year starter at linebacker and earned a bachelor's degree (1981) and master's degree (1982) in speech communication from Syracuse.
Jenkins, who is from Yonkers, N.Y., was a linebacker for the Orange, and was a member of the Orange's unbeaten team in 1987 as a senior.
After graduation, Jenkins returned to Yonkers, where he has worked as a special education teacher and coach for more than 25 years. In addition to his role as a teacher, Jenkins co-founded The Imani Foundation with his wife, Tonya. The foundation has brought joy to children around the holidays for more than a decade, providing holiday gifts and hosting an annual Christmas breakfast for children in need. The organization also supports vital community organizations like the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center in Rockland County and The Nyack Center.
A proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Carl continues to give back through countless community initiatives. He is a recipient of the Yonkers Hometown Hero Award and was honored in 2022 for more than two decades of unwavering dedication to his hometown.
He also proudly supports My Brother's Keeper, a national initiative focused on uplifting young Black men and preparing them for successful futures.
Past Zunic Award Recipients
2001: Mr. and Mrs. Zunic, Frank Maloney, Gene Grabosky '60 (posthumous)
2002: Pat '88 and Kari Kelly, Roberta DeLeone
2003: Jim DaRin '77
2004: Joshua Frase
2005: Jim Rooney
2006: Rockette Pirro Brunetti, Horace Landry
2007: Sylvia Mackey, Chris Ingram '89 (posthumous)
2008: Robin Griffin '72, Carlmon Jones, Ron Page '74
2009: Bill Coghill '72, Norm Mordue '66
2010: Jim Jerome '76
2011: John Lally '82
2012: Tim Byrne '87 (posthumous)
2013: Pat Killorin '66
2014: Dick Beyer '53
2015: Frank Conover '91
2016: Tom Hermanowski '70
2017: J. Michael Anderson '77
2018: Rob Long '12, G'14
2019: Dan Conley '95
2021: John Lusardi ' 92
2022: Dick Murphy '67
2023: Rusty Mills '74
2024: Dennis Hartman '81
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Presented by the Syracuse Football Club, the Zunic Award was created in 2001 to honor Mike and Judy Zunic, who died tragically on July 18, 1989 when a United Airlines plane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. The pilot, anticipating landing difficulties, requested if some strong passengers would volunteer to give up their seats and sit at the exit doors to assist passengers in the event of an emergency. Mike and Judy gave up their seats in first class to sit at one of the doors. They both died in the crash and those in the Zunics' original seats survived.
Mike Zunic was a four-year starter at linebacker and earned a bachelor's degree (1981) and master's degree (1982) in speech communication from Syracuse.
Jenkins, who is from Yonkers, N.Y., was a linebacker for the Orange, and was a member of the Orange's unbeaten team in 1987 as a senior.
After graduation, Jenkins returned to Yonkers, where he has worked as a special education teacher and coach for more than 25 years. In addition to his role as a teacher, Jenkins co-founded The Imani Foundation with his wife, Tonya. The foundation has brought joy to children around the holidays for more than a decade, providing holiday gifts and hosting an annual Christmas breakfast for children in need. The organization also supports vital community organizations like the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center in Rockland County and The Nyack Center.
A proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Carl continues to give back through countless community initiatives. He is a recipient of the Yonkers Hometown Hero Award and was honored in 2022 for more than two decades of unwavering dedication to his hometown.
He also proudly supports My Brother's Keeper, a national initiative focused on uplifting young Black men and preparing them for successful futures.
Past Zunic Award Recipients
2001: Mr. and Mrs. Zunic, Frank Maloney, Gene Grabosky '60 (posthumous)
2002: Pat '88 and Kari Kelly, Roberta DeLeone
2003: Jim DaRin '77
2004: Joshua Frase
2005: Jim Rooney
2006: Rockette Pirro Brunetti, Horace Landry
2007: Sylvia Mackey, Chris Ingram '89 (posthumous)
2008: Robin Griffin '72, Carlmon Jones, Ron Page '74
2009: Bill Coghill '72, Norm Mordue '66
2010: Jim Jerome '76
2011: John Lally '82
2012: Tim Byrne '87 (posthumous)
2013: Pat Killorin '66
2014: Dick Beyer '53
2015: Frank Conover '91
2016: Tom Hermanowski '70
2017: J. Michael Anderson '77
2018: Rob Long '12, G'14
2019: Dan Conley '95
2021: John Lusardi ' 92
2022: Dick Murphy '67
2023: Rusty Mills '74
2024: Dennis Hartman '81
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