After Robert Facey Jr. was notified of his 2022 Hall of Fame induction, he said: “It’s so humbling if I made a little contribution to Berlin football and an honor to be in such prestigious company.”

Facey, a 1979 graduate, was modest, but mistaken. He was an immense contributor in Redcoats’ football history. He had 3,079 career rushing yards – including 204 against Avon as a sophomore. He had a game-high 161 with runs of 75 and 40 called back by penalties in a heartbreaking 20-16 loss to Hand- Madison in the 1977 Class M championship. He was a two-time All-Northwest Conference fullback and captain his senior season.  All were accomplished in only 24 starts after his family had moved from New Britain to Berlin before his sophomore year.

“My first year as Berlin’s coach was Bob’s first at Berlin,” said Al Pelligrinelli, the program’s winningest coach. “He may not have been the fastest, but he had skills and instincts to avoid tackles. It might be a fake, change of speed or bam and boom for yards.”

Pelligrinelli’s wing-T was fullback-fueled by Facey. Though defenses usually knew who was carrying the ball, they seldom could corral him.

Facey’s unique background probably helped him.  As a youth, he often faced older, bigger boys on a New Britain sandlot field at Fairview Cemetery. He said it was a “nice grassy field, one of the best in town.” Not only did he have to avoid aspiring tacklers, but also some granite headstones.

Facey’s love of football continued for many years after high school. He helped start the Berlin Midget Football Program as a head coach, 1980-82 he was the New England Crusaders semi-pro team’s backfield coach, head coach of the Berlin Bears and later was a member of the Bears Youth Football & Cheer executive board.

He also was an official from 1990-2016 for the Central Connecticut Association of Football Officials, member of the Northern Connecticut Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame and an executive board member 1992-2017, president of the NFF and CHF 1998-2000, an official in every college division from 1995-2002, president of the CCAFO in’ 14 and a CCAFO observer of officials. “Officiating and playing well, I’ve enjoyed and still enjoy everything about football since I first played it,” he said.