On April 2, Malvern Prep students and their fathers caught a glimpse into the life of a professional football player, as Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jon Runyan shared stories from his successful career and offered some of his tips for success to the overflow crowd at the annual Father-Son Banquet held in the O’Neill Sports Center on the Malvern campus.

Runyan has honored as the 2008 recipient of the Malvern Prep Fathers’ Club Leadership Award, given each year for “commitment to Christian values, for involvement in the community and for leadership in all areas of life.” Past award winners include Pro Bowl kicker David Akers, St. Joseph’s head basketball coach Phil Martelli and Temple head basketball coach Fran Dunphy ’66.

During his speech and the succeeding question and answer session, Runyan encouraged the Malvern students to try their best to remain positive and to not get pulled down by negative energy.

“You can’t let one aspect of life affect the other things; learn how to deal and move on,” Runyan said. He also shared some of the qualities that he felt were key to being successful in any area of life. “Set high goals, take risks, work hard, believe in your abilities,” he said. “Lead by example with confidence and integrity.”

Runyan is a 13-year veteran of the NFL, who has played offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles since 2000. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and has started 176 consecutive games. Dedicated to service, Runyan is also the co-chair of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. He has donated time and money to various charitable efforts, including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and hosts an annual golf outing to benefit prostate cancer research.

Addressing why he is so involved in charity, Runyan, stressed the importance of character and love. “Character is what you do when no one else is looking,” he said. “I truly believe that we are here to help each other.”

The Fathers’ Club also awarded their Annual Loyalty Awards at the banquet, honoring Fathers’ Club President George Pease with the Father Loyalty Award and senior Fran McGill with the Student Loyalty Award.

A record 561 guests attended this year’s banquet.

View more photos from the banquet in the Photo Gallery.