New York Jets Player Matthew Mulligan Visits Hightstown High School

New York Jets tight end Matthew Mulligan visited Tuesday to recognize the school for its winning entry in the Eat Right, Move More program.

Hightstown High School was a 2010-’11 winner in the program, but school assemblies were postponed due to the NFL lockout, said Lynne Richmond, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

Through the Eat Right, Move More program, which is in its sixth year, students in New Jersey schools are encouraged to make healthy eating choices and be physically active.

"It’s a tremendous honor for our high school students," said East Windsor Township Mayor Janice Mironov. "Keeping meals healthy and being active are among the most important things we can do in our life. To start doing it so early, and to make it part of a long, healthy life is to be commended."

Schools who entered their dining programs in the contest were judged according to a criteria promoted by the Healthier U.S. School Challenge Program. Breakfast and lunch menus were judged in the contest, as well as the school’s dedication to student nutrition and physical activity levels.

During the two assemblies held Tuesday, Mulligan talked to students about his grueling workouts, including his first day of training camp. Compared to his physical level of fitness now, he said he was relatively out of shape. He entered training weighing 260 pounds and lost 12 pounds of water weight after the very first practice.

Mulligan, 26, also said he played soccer and basketball in high school, not football.

He told students he steers clear of two of his favorite foods, sweets and chicken wings, and chooses healthy pre-game foods, such as pasta and salad. Mulligan also carried a bottle of water throughout the presentation and said he always makes sure to drink plenty of fluids.  

“You must drink water all the time,” Mulligan said. He also noted that because of his high activity level, he consumes 5,000 to 8,000 calories during six meals throughout the day.

“Nobody in this room can do that without moving a lot more than you are doing,” Hightstown Mayor Steven Kirson said of Mulligan’s calorie intake.

Aside from learning about Mulligan's player's history and fitness regimen, students were challenged to answer trivia questions about the athlete to win hats, footballs and programs autographed by Mulligan.

Mulligan said students are lucky to have a school program that develops healthy meals for them, and said the Jets chefs cater eating programs to each individual athlete.

“You have to put into your body what you want to get out of it,” Mulligan said. “It might not always taste good, but it will do you good in the long run.”

Hightstown High School Principal Alix Arvizu said she was pleased with the school’s honor, noting that the assembly was a fun way for students to kick off the new school year.

A lot has been done to improve the dining program at the high school in the past year, including hiring Mike Savin as the new chef, and building a new cafeteria, said Diane Tomori, director of Dining Services at East Windsor Regional Schools. New menus include healthy portions of leafy greens and whole grains, while rotating menus of Meatless Mondays, Asian cuisine, Mexican food and pasta to make lunch more interesting and healthy for students, she said.

Five New Jersey schools were chosen as winners in the 2010-’11 East Right, Move More program. Netcong Elementary School won the grand prize of a $5,000 school kitchen makeover, and the school’s representatives were honored at a Jets game, according to a news release. Other winning schools include Haledon Public School of Haledon; P.S. #25, Nicolaus Copernicus School in Jersey City; and Oak Street School in Lakewood.