Most professional football dreams aren’t routed through Army ROTC. They’re definitely not routed through a dome made of wood on the shore of Lake Superior. And they rarely come with a soundtrack that includes the 1984 heavy-metal mega-hit “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by German import the Scorpions. But kicker Rockne Belmonte — yes, his dad went to Notre Dame — is the exception. A ROTC cadet, Belmonte graduated from Northern Michigan in January after a senior season that included two field goals of 55 or more yards. A 58-yard bomb Oct. 13 against Grand Valley State — kicked inside…
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I’m always a sucker for stories that come from my home town, Boston, but this one is pretty neat. Andrew Shaughnessy is a 20-year-old kid in the Army for a couple years now. For a month after his recent deployment to Afghanistan, Shaughnessy performed more service, this time as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater, South Boston High School. Like many other inner city programs, Southie High’s football budget is minimal: low four figures, at best, and not allowing for many optional purchases, other than mandatory helmet reconditioning. Shaughnessy saw this, and he opened up his wallet: he…
Army football fans in search of an uplifting story from this weekend may have to shift focus a bit farther south than West Point. We’ve written about former Army Sgt. Daniel Rodriguez’s inspiring journey from the Afghanistan battlefield to the Clemson gridiron, but his story made the national spotlight over the weekend, airing on the “CBS Evening News.” Rodriguez talks about losing his best friend in battle, dealing with alcohol abuse after leaving the military and his quest to play big-time college football as a 5-foot-8, 175-pounder in his mid-20s. Last week, before his Clemson Tigers moved to 4-1 with…
The Associated Press WEST POINT, N.Y. – Senior Miguel Maysonet rushed for a career-high 220 yards and two touchdowns, and Stony Brook dominated Army 23-3 on Saturday to notch its first victory against the Football Bowl Subdivision. Kyle Essington finished 11-for-15 passing for 151 yards for the Seawolves (4-1, 0-0 Big South), and Kevin Norrell added 95 receiving yards in the wire-to-wire win. In the teams’ first meeting, Stony Brook held Army to a three-and-out on the game’s first series and marched 74 yards on four plays, including a 49-yard touchdown rush by Maysonet. The Seawolves recovered all four Army…
What Army fans need to know as the Black Knights head to ACC country in search of their first victory. Who, where, when: Army (0-2) at Wake Forest (2-1), Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Eastern. Army’s winless at Wake in five tries. TV: ACC Network (check here for stations in your area; Steve Martin and David Archer have the call). Also on ESPN3. Gambling is illegal in most states: Wake Forest is a seven-point favorite. Big play day? Wake is coming off a 52-0 demolition at the hands of ACC rival Florida State, ranked fourth in The Associated Press poll. Big plays…
While the other service academies started last weekend, Army fans had to wait for the 2012 season to begin. Tomorrow, that wait ends. The storied tradition (trust us, it’s storied) of West Point football returns for a 123rd season, kicking off on the West Coast. Here are the basics: Who, where, when: Army at San Diego State (0-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern. TV: NBC Sports Network (Paul Burmeister and Rod Woodson on the call). Gambling is illegal in most states: San Diego State is a 6.5-point favorite. Senior leaders: Army quarterback Trent Steelman enters his fourth season as a starter,…
Yet another completely natural, not-at-all-staged football photo from the 1950s: In 1958, Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik debuted the “Lonely End” formation, in which Bill Carpenter would split out up to 30 yards from his teammates, staying out of the huddle and generally giving opposing defensive coordinators fits (football junkies can get a breakdown here). That bit of offensive trickery helped Army to an undefeated season (8-0-1), wins over Notre Dame and Navy, and a fitting cap to the Blaik era at West Point. But none of that would’ve happened without Pete Dawkins. Dawkins, pictured above, a senior and West…
Four quick hits to start the week before kickoff: 1. Irish saving on airline tickets. Notre Dame senior running back Cierre Wood, the projected starter for the Irish after topping 1,000 yards on the ground last season, was suspended Sunday for the first two games of 2012, including Saturday’s contest against Navy in Dublin, according to multiple reports. Wood will sit because of unspecified rules violations and will be joined on the sideline by reserve defensive end Justin Utupo, also out for unspecified reasons. But that’s nowhere near the full list. Also suspended for Dublin are quarterback Tommy Rees and…
Let’s huddle up for a quick appreciation of Army coaching legend Earl “Red” Blaik: Blaik, a member of West Point’s Class of 1920, was known as “colonel” because he retired at that rank in the reserves. As a civilian, he coached the Cadets to a 121-33-10 record over 18 seasons, from 1941 to 1958, included three national titles. He coached three Heisman winners. He mentored an NFL legend. He led a struggling, undermanned program through World War II and into national prominence. And he survived an honor-code scandal in 1951 — involving dozens of players, including his son — that…
Three-time All-American. Heisman Trophy winner. College Football Hall of Famer. Three national titles in three unbeaten seasons. And despite a legendary career running the football for Army, a photographer still asked Glenn Davis to pose like this: Pictures can be deceiving — Davis’ damage came on the ground, with an eye-popping 8.3 yards per carry over his career — an NCAA record. He was “Mr. Outside” to Felix “Doc” Blanchard’s “Mr. Inside,” giving Army a 1-2 Heisman-winning punch in the backfield that dominated college football. Davis ranks third all-time in rushing yards at West Point behind Mike Mayweather and Carlton…