Remembering Rudy
From hitchhiking to practice as a freshman at Richards to being a longtime assistant at Shepard and Reavis, Bajorek was a one of a kind
Rudy Bajorek’s physical appearance aligned more with a biker, not someone who dedicated 40 years to coaching high school football and helping shape the minds of teenage boys into responsible young men.
His hair stretched down his back, often tucked neatly in a ponytail.
His goatee extended below his chin. He walked the sideline more often with a sneer than a smile.
But as the old saying goes, never judge a book by its cover.
The 64-year-old Bajorek, who died May 26 of cardiac arrest, was proof positive of that.
The man had a heart of gold. Shepard graduate Brian Toner, who works for the Cook County sheriff ’s police, played linebacker for three seasons under Bajorek.
His former coach’s impact was immeasurable.
“His look was the opposite of who he was,” Toner said. “He was calm but authoritative. As a player, you didn’t want to let him down. Along with my dad, Rudy laid the floor boards and shaped me into the man I am. He cared about his guys.”
Bajorek, who was a standout defensive back at Richards in the early 1970s, spent 30 seasons as an assistant coach at Shepard and the last 10 at Reavis.
He was on Don Webster’s staff at Shepard for nine seasons. Their paths crossed initially when Webster was a first-year teacher and coach at Richards and Bajorek was a wide-eyed freshman.
“I was driving to my first day of football practice,” Webster recalled. “Two kids were thumbing for a ride on 111th Street. I picked them up. One of the kids was Rudy. I asked them where they were going. They said football practice at Richards. They get out and said, ‘Thanks.’ I said, ‘You’re welcome. I’m going in with you.’
“They were shocked. Rudy was 14 years old at the time. I coached him all four years at Richards and he was on my staff at Shepard. I knew him for 50 years. It’s so sad. He was a good human being.”
Webster was one of the pallbearers at Bajorek’s funeral.
So was current Shepard boys basketball coach Tony Chiuccariello, who started his career on Webster’s staff with Bajorek.
Chiuccariello and Bajorek resembled the odd couple. The baby-faced Chiuccariello was clean cut and quiet — and still is.
“Rudy constantly gave me grief,” Chiuccariello said. “But once you got to know him, you loved the guy. If you would have told me back then that we would have developed this long-lasting friendship, I would have said you were crazy. We were complete opposites.”
When Chiuccariello didn’t have an assistant coach for a few years on the basketball team, Bajorek would offer his time to help.
No strings attached. That was Rudy. “He had a huge heart,” Chiuccariello said. “And he loved kids.”
So much in fact that he spent his career as a physical education teacher at
Bannes Elementary School in Tinley Park.
The guy with the long hair and goatee devoted more than 30 years teaching kindergarten through fifth grade.
Again, don’t judge a book by its cover. Nick Bax took over in 1996 as head coach for Webster.
Just 26 at the time, Bax made certain to keep Bajorek.
“Rudy said to me, ‘Whatever you need, I’ll do,’” Bax said. “He was loyal, a voice of reason. He was a father figure, a role model and said all the right things. The kids loved him.”
Bajorek didn’t have any kids of his own, but he was engaged to be married to Sherri Marshall, who has three children.
He was excited about starting the next chapter of his life with his new family, according to Chiuccariello. Until his life unexpectedly ended. I had the good fortune to get to know Bajorek through the years.
He was genuine. A straight shooter. A free spirit. He loved football and cared about his players.
Shepard graduate Jon Cleveland starred at running back on the 2000 and 2001 teams. He remembered Bajorek as one of a kind.
“It didn’t matter if you played offense or defense, he would go out of his way to help you,” Cleveland said. “We all loved him. He treated me like a son. Rudy will always be in my heart.”