Joe Romeo was born to a lacrosse family. Since his father Joe Sr. and uncle Mike - who was an All-American at the University of New Haven - both played at Comsewogue High School, it was in his blood to do the same.

Romeo, a goalie, was playing organized lacrosse by the time he was 8 years old, and by the time he reached the varsity squad at Comsewogue as a sophomore, he was very skilled. He was a three-time All-County selection and won the Enner's Award in 1990 as a senior.

At the time, his father made him go to the local library to look up who Ray Enners was and what his name stood for, which was courage and leadership, of course. Though Romeo admits he was a sympathetic recipient of the award, his actions of caring for his ailing brother K.C., who was suffering from leukemia, are still commendable to this day.

Romeo was constantly at Sloan Kettering in New York City, donating blood platelets for his brother, looking out for his own flesh and blood. He'd make the commute during school days and still have enough energy to practice and play games with his team.

Like many Enners winners, when asked what his best high school moment was on the lacrosse field, Romeo recalls a loss. Ward Melville beat Comsewogue in the Suffolk County finals his senior year in 1990, but it was the first time the Warriors were ever in the championship.

"We went up against the machine called Ward Melville," he says. "As a team we had played together for three years. Going into my senior year I really matured grew into myself. Personally it was the best year I ever played."

After high school, Romeo stayed somewhat local and went to Nassau County Community College, where he played two seasons and was an All-American as a sophomore in 1992, helping lead the team to the JUCO national championship where it lost to Herkimer County, 9-8.

"It was the best decision I ever made," he says about attending Nassau. "I didn't feel like I was ready for that next level."

With the help of his father, he made the decision to play at Hofstra the following two seasons. He was still commuting into the city to see his brother, so it was a logical decision. Reunited with Andrew Carlson, a teammate of his and an All-American at Comsewogue, Romeo played two seasons with the Flying Dutchmen. His brother K.C. passed away in 1994.

Today, he works with his father and uncle at their family's insurance company in Patchogue.