14 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • DECEMBER 2019
COVER FEATURE
LIKE UNCLE, LIKE NEPHEW: HOW JIM METZGER
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The concept of success has found
deep meaning for Rob Pannell of
Smithtown, one of the best professional
lacrosse players to ever grace
the game.
As a standout with Cornell University
and later with the New York Lizards,
Pannell set records and streaks that
not only defined the game of lacrosse
at the time but also showed the nation
what caliber of talent Long Island had
to offer. He has even been described
by lacrosse experts as “the Michael
Jordan of his game.”
That idea of long-lasting, record-setting,
and fulfilling success wasn’t
instilled by coach pressure but rather
from seeing his uncle, Jim Metzger
live a life that many would consider to
be outstanding. Metzger’s influence
on Pannell early on came through
the “fun uncle” approach, according
to Pannell, who noted the excitement
he would feel when a well-dressed
Metzger would pull up with his fancy
car in the driveway.
“He loves lacrosse more than I do,”
Pannell says of his uncle’s passion
for the game, noting that he never
realized Metzger’s longtime playing
capabilities. “It’s incredible. I’ve
learned a lot from him.”
Now CEO of the Garden City-based
Whitmore Agency, a leading insurance
group, Metzger’s success
is also one cradled in many days on
the lacrosse field. Metzger was an
All American at Hofstra University,
though he cut his career short as a
personal decision. Metzger isolated
himself from his passion for lacrosse
for the longest time after that —
roughly 25 years away from the sport
he loved so much.
“I lost that connection until I really
began watching my nephew play,”
Metzger says.
It was only as his nephew became
more and more committed to the
sport in high school that Metgzer
rekindled his love of the game with
the intent of guiding Pannell down a
path of success.
“Rob wasn’t recruited much in his
early high school days,” Metzger
says, noting that Pannell “went from
good to great” from his junior to senior
year at Smithtown High School,
putting up a record 130 points that
season in the process.
But Pannell’s senior year breakout
was almost too late for him to be
scouted by colleges, according
to Metzger. Taking the advice of
his uncle, Pannell put in a year at
Deerfield Academy, where he again
set program highs during his short
tenure before finally reaching the Ivy
League.
“I felt compelled to become involved
because I saw his outstanding ability,”
Metzger says.
That ability shined during Pannell’s
first season with the Big Red. Pannell
became the Ivy League’s rookie of
the year and set Cornell University’s
rookie record for points in a season,
boasting a team-high 67 points while
also being the highest-scoring freshman
on the year as a first team All
Ivy-Leaguer.
Meanwhile, Metzger was there for it
all as he “suffered” through the highly
intense excitement that Pannell’s
collegiate career brought.
“I would make the trip up to Cornell
by myself for his games and I couldn’t
be around anyone while I watched,”
Metgzer says, noting he would go to
empty sections of the stands to watch
his nephew’s high-stakes games.
“Watching Rob plays brings back all
the excitement that I felt when I did.”
Nothing was more wild for Pannell or
Metzger that freshman year. That’s
when Pannell and his 16 postseason
points led Cornell to the 2009 NCAA
championship, where the team fell
10-9 against its state rival Syracuse
University. Though Pannell or the Big
Red didn’t capture a national championship,
that year was a telling one
for the future his career had in store.
“He has a work ethic that I never
had,” Metzger says of his standout
nephew.
That work ethic showed on and off
the field. Playing in the Ivy League,
Pannell learned early on that just
being talented on the field
wasn’t enough to notch
total success for
the years to
come.
“You’re in there to get an education,”
Pannell says, noting the mandatory
study hours he had to commit to as a
D1 athlete in the Ivy League.
“Everyone should have an Uncle Jim in their
lives,” says Rob Pannell.
L. to R.: Lax All-Star Rob Pannell and his
uncle, The Whitmore Agency Chairman
and CEO James Metzger.
(Photo by Bruce Adler)
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