Oct. 16, 2003
Villanova tennis alumnus Jerry Prior III has been glued to the National League playoffs this season. Prior's interest runs deeper than just a loyalty to a team - its family, as his younger brother, Mark, is one of the top starters for the Chicago Cubs.
"Watching my brother play in the major leagues is awesome," said Prior. "I grew up, and still am, a big Padre fan, but I have quickly become one of the biggest Cubs fans out there."
Prior and his wife Colleen flew out to Chicago for games three and four of the division series against the Atlanta Braves. Mark pitched game three for the Cubs, earning a complete-game victory by scattering two hits and one run, while striking out seven.
"Wrigley was rocking, definitely the most intense sporting event I had ever been to," Jerry said. "It's hard to describe the excitement in the stadium, in the streets, and in the bars around the field."
The Cubs took the series from the Braves, three games to two, and advanced to face the Florida Marlins. Prior pitched in Chicago's 11-3 win over the Marlins in game two of the league championship series. Prior went seven innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs to get the victory.
Jerry said he has been following the Cubs all season long, and traveled out to the Windy City for a week in August when he and his family saw seven games in seven days. Their three-month old son, Connor, already had eight Cubs games under his belt by the end of summer.
The Priors grew up in San Diego and Jerry said because of the five-year age difference that there was not much of a sibling rivalry between the brothers. Jerry played tennis and basketball in high school, having given up baseball to concentrate on tennis.
"When Mark was in little league and again, when he was just starting high school, I think he was always comparing his achievements to mine," Jerry said. "He grew out of that in a hurry, as his baseball achievements began to compile. For a while, most people thought of him as Jerry's little brother. Now I'm thought of as Mark's brother."
When it came time to look at schools, Jerry's parents encouraged him to look at schools all over the country.
"I visited Villanova with my dad my senior year in high school, and just felt like this school was the right fit for me," Jerry said. "Believe it or not, there were five people from my high school in San Diego that went to Villanova."
"I got the best of both worlds, as I was able to continue playing tennis competitively, as well as see great BIG EAST college basketball," Jerry said. "Playing tennis at Villanova was probably my most rewarding experience there. I had great teammates, and we had a good time both on and off the court.
"The road trips were probably the most memorable, getting to go to Hilton Head, Bermuda, Miami. Plus all the traveling during the regular season packed in that athletic department van."
After Villanova, Jerry started working for Mount Lucas Management Corporation in Princeton, N.J. He is currently in charge of technology and programming, as well as research projects.
And of course, Jerry will continue to avidly watch his younger brother and the Cubs in their quest for the World Series.
