Malden High football captain Jerrell Calixte honored by Malden Fire Dept.

Tornado senior lineman receives first-ever ‘True Grit’ Award from Chief Froio and Malden Fire Dept.

By Steve Freker

It was not being named captain before his senior year. Not making some key tackle or a “lineman’s dream” interception. It wasn’t even starting both ways as a junior in Malden High’s first game ever played at Fenway Park just over a year ago. None of those.

Here is Jerrell Calixte’s most memorable experience as a four-year Varsity Football Player for Malden High School: “I had played Pop Warner in my former city, in Somerville, and I liked it until they said I could not be a running back. I was always bigger than the other kids on my team, but I loved to play running back, getting away from tackles and scoring touchdowns.

“I stopped playing when they tried to switch me to a lineman because of my size,” the Malden High senior football co-captain recalled.

Fast forward about a year and a half. Jerrell and his family moved to Malden. COVID-19 wiped out the freshman fall of 2020, and he started what looked like a short-lived Malden High football career in September of 2021. “It was my sophomore year and it was the first week of school. I had gone to a couple of football practices and I decided it just wasn’t for me,” Calixte said, “so I quit.”

Fortunately for Calixte, Malden Head Coach Witche Exilhomme was not having any of that. “He [Coach Exilhomme] came to the school and started looking for me. I will always remember – he came right up to me and started telling me all the reasons why I should play football,” Calixte said. “He never even asked me why I wanted to quit the team.”

“I guess he did not see my reasons as being important at the time,” the Malden High senior said. “He was right. Now I can see that. Everything he said was true.”

Calixte went back to practice that afternoon, and he has not looked back since. Two years later, the big 6-3, 270, two-way tackle has gone from questioning his football future to building his case to football recruiters at the Division 2 and Division 3 collegiate level.

“He did a complete turnaround, in school particularly, and he has become a real leader both on and off the field,” said Malden Public Schools Director of Physical Education and Athletics Charlie Conefrey.

On the field, Calixte was one of Malden’s most consistent players – and most positive, leadership-wise – despite the ups and downs of an overall tough season that did not always go the way it was expected. “It was not a season that went smoothly most of the time, but Jerrell kept going and kept working,” Conefrey said, “and he kept encouraging his teammates. That means everything in a demanding sport like football.”

Calixte also made Honor Roll grades on his First Quarter report card. “That was the most important, we are very proud,” his mother, Sharon, said.

For his superlative performance in some trying times, Calixte on Tuesday afternoon was presented a major award, given in an inaugural setting for the first time: the 2023 “True Grit” Football Award, presented by Malden Fire Chief Steve Froio, on behalf of the Malden Fire Department. Chief Froio made the presentation personally at the Malden Central Fire Station on Salem Street, right across the street from Malden High School. Chief Froio, himself a former Malden High football captain, Class of 1990, coincidentally, was this year’s “honored alumnus” guest speaker at the traditional “Burning of the Cleat” ceremony at the last practice of the 2023 season in November.

“We wanted to keep building that great relationship we have here in the city of Malden between the Fire Department and the youth of Malden,” Chief Froio said. “This was another way to do that and we will make this an annual award.”

“We are very pleased to have such a fine young student-athlete as Jerrell Calixte as our first recipient,” the Chief added.

In attendance at the ceremony Tuesday was Jerrell Calixte and his mother, Sharon, brother Travis, sister Talia and his aunt, along with Conefrey, assistant football coach Alishaan and Recreation Department Coordinator Joe Levine, who has been instrumental in forging meaningful relationships between the city’s public safety department and the youth and school players and teams of Malden.

“I am very grateful to the Malden Fire Department and Chief Froio for honoring me with this award,” said Calixte, who also received a new Apple tablet as well as the inaugural “True Grit Award” plaque for his football contributions. “I appreciate Coach Witche, Coach Alishaan, Mr. Conefrey, Joe Levine and of course my mom and my family, friends and everyone who has helped me along the way.”

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