Great Way to End the Season

There was an interesting stat that was sent to me today and in the NCAA strength of schedule evaluations Bridgewater College actually had the schedule that was rated 5th nationally out of 239 teams. Using Opponents winning % (which was .632 and Opponents/Opponents winning % which was .592) that combination put BC’s schedule at #5 nationally. You could tell in the games that we played there was seldom any margin for error, andit was interesting to see that in writing, mathematically.

As frustrating as Saturday’s game must have been for players, coaches and fans sitting in the stands for the first 54 minutes, anyone who left early got cheated. Although that final 30 seconds doesn’t fix all of the problems, it was a great way to send our senior group out. The gatherings at Memorial Hall and the Victory Bell after home victories is really one of the great traditions we have revived here at BC. Hang around some Saturday to see it next fall, it will be worth your time to share this moment. The Bell was rung 22 times by the Seniors who dressed out on Saturday, it was a sweet sound.

Returning to the locker room after doing my media things after the game, it was nice to see a lot of the Senior group just hanging around taking their time to exit. There was certainly no rush to take the pads off the last time. On game days at home I ask all of the dress squad at our pre-game meal, devotional and into the locker room to dress up and wear shirt and ties. We dress to up because Saturday is a big day for this group. In the locker room on Saturday, Will Davis, our Senior kicker, came up to me and said “Coach here I want to give you the tie you loaned me years ago.” He added, “It has the same knot you tied in my freshmen year.” I had forgotten the tie (although it was a nice one) and regret that Will had not paid attention to the lesson I had given him as a freshmen on how to knot ties. I told him he could keep or dry-clean the tie.

But the tie represented a bigger picture. Saturday’s scoreboard that shined so brightly in the last five seconds of that game, but that will fade with time. Its’ value is one game away from being diminished. In our business it is the relationships that will hold worth.

- Coach Clark

Tough Saturday at W&L

It was a difficult Saturday in a game that was scored more like a tennis match than a football game. There was no question the 4th quarter intercepted pass of Anthony Carter in the end zone was a critical point. Much like the missed PAT in 2010, that took a scoring possession from us against their defense that much like ours was on their heels. The off safety made a great play from W&L to come across the field and tip the ball away from Nick Wimer who was open. Two bounces later it was in their cornerback’s hand diving in the end zone. Sometimes it does not bounce your way. Only half my quote made it into the Daily News Record this morning. After the game and in our normal Sunday evening meeting I did state to the players that our season now has an “Ending” that is defined by a calendar. We cannot alter that, but we will have complete control on the “Finish” of the 2011 campaign. Our coaches and players know the difference between the two. Take Guilford out and there is not a whole lot of difference in the other six ODAC teams right now. We will have to play every week at a high level and although the 2011 season cannot be defined by a championship right now, its’ most important statement will be the finish this group chooses to give it. Beat Emory and Henry.

- Coach Clark

Finding The Magic Wand

Sometimes you are defined by how you manage opportunity and sometimes it is by how you manage disappointment. BC football will see the latter this week. Our fumble at the 1 yard line, a missed chip FG, and a bad interception had a 17 point influence on a game where every opportunity mattered. Our offensive plan was to play slow it down, control the clock football and we were able to set the pace of game. Limiting HSD to 65 plays and less than 26 minutes of possession time was a plan well executed, but in this type of plan every scoring opportunity is magnified. Leaving those cards on the table hurt. Both sides of the ball played with great energy and when that effort is paired with execution this team will be pretty good. We need consistent performance across the board and I reminded the team last night now is not the time to press or freelance; but rather to play hard and fast and trust the system.

Coach Trevathan, the old sage who helps coach our kickers, told me after the game that “Mike when you have been someplace long enough, you have seen it all.” He is right. I have been part of long losing streaks and runs of incredible good fortune in my time here.

He added, “And right now you are at that phase where you are grinding and wondering when that “Magic Wand” is coming back where the bounces and calls all go your way in the tight games.” That is just how I felt Saturday, but he added and I shared with the kids, “You do not wait for it to come back, you WORK it back!” That work will begin Tuesday morning. We’ve agreed to do the extras we did in preparing for HSD every week and make that the norm.

We are done sharing losing. Beat Guilford.

-Coach Clark

Winning Despite Losing

Sometimes football and life is defined by managing opportunity and other times it is defined by managing disappointment. After last Saturday we need to find out if this team can do the latter. Good teams in a perverse way find a way to let losing make them better. I tell our kids never to accept losing; but be tough enough to learn from it. There's no question the Ferrum game got away from us in the 2^nd half. When you are minus three in the turnover battle, and give up 6 explosion plays (runs, passes, or returns) that is a double negative that will lead to defeat at any level. Working in the Red Zone on offense and playing deep balls in the passing game on defense will be a big emphasis in practice this week. We only have one more opportunity before conference play begins to smooth out the kinks and correct problems that will keep us competing at Championship level. Last week our team was wet wood; where nobody in any phase stepped up and gave us the spark we needed to compete with a Ferrum team that was playing at a high level. We are plenty capable of winning Saturday versus the Apprentice School, how we win will be important too.

On a personal note, I have already won big once this week. There's a picture of a potential BC recruit for

whoever is sailing this ship in 18 years over to the right. Celebrating your children’s children is a great joy in this life. My daughter Megan who is a BC graduate on Monday toughed out a win for the Clark family, my hope is the Eagles on Saturday will provide the Family Weekend crowd at Bridgewater with a winner too.

Victories on the Open Date

Although an early open week is not a coaches’ preference, timing is good for BC as we try to nurse back a handful of frontline players who could not have played in a game this Saturday.
The loss of Jacob has put the QB battle to rest and it is painful to see unfair things happen to a young man who has worked so hard to help make this team better. The players have the weekend off, and on Monday we begin the final two weeks of what we refer to as our pre-season run. Key conference games are on the road this season, and going on the road to beat an athletic Ferrum College team will provide this team with the right challenge in September. We're fortunate to have won the last two weeks and it will be good to see if the group is mature enough to attack and correct our weaknesses in our Ferrum preparation. The return of Anthony Carter should boost our running game and with the reps of Carlos Gonzalez increasing during practice, his accountability and performance should improve. Being +2 per game in the turnover department has been huge, and although a lot of our statistics relative to the conference teams are low, the big stat (2-0) is safe through the weekend.

I have never been beaten by “Open Date” in my career and look forward to a Saturday away, but will be excited to return on Monday morning. Spoke to Bob Colbert yesterday and congratulated him on a big win last week. I hope by their performances we will find out that Saint Vincent and Shenandoah by years end will turn out to be quality wins for BC.

-Coach Clark

Real Value

Thanks to the Stone Station crew who so graciously hosted the returning players and coaches from the decades of Champions last Saturday prior and after the BC vs. Saint Vincent contest. Although game obligations kept me from the morning gathering, it was a great post game event for me to quickly see so many of the young men who made me such a good coach in that era. More importantly, it was a thrill to see that so many of them were doing so well in their lives beyond football. When you stay in coaching in one place long enough, your former players come back as friends. There is a level of satisfaction there that is tough to describe.

We were fortunate to have won Saturday. Our kids held together when things looked bleak and there was no question that BC was the team on the field that was used to winning. Competing against friends is always tough to do. St. Vincent is one of the few college football teams I actually make a point to see how they do on Saturdays. I think with their QB performing at a high level, they will be a successful Division III team as the year progresses. The line of scrimmage advantage we talked about needing was a push with them at best. Being able to spend time with Coach Colbert and his extended family after the game reminded me of the post games spent together during the those Championships runs. Although we could not both be a “Winner” on Saturday, it was an honor to share a post-game toast led by 81 year old Aunt Marie with the Colbert and Clark clans and all of our former players that were celebrating “Friendship” not victory. Victory and Defeat are both temporary imposters. It is the friendships with fans, fellow coaches, and former players that define the real value in what we both do and have done. Thanks for rallying and continuing to share this great ride with me.

- Coach Clark

Preseason Camps Ends; Hutchinson Named Quarterback

Camp ended today and although missing the opportunity to play Christopher Newport yesterday was tough on our preparation, we felt the inter-squad work we did gave us a decent chance to evaluate kids in a competitive environment. In camp we have managed to stay healthy for the most part with our upper class kids. The team has Saturday night and Sunday off, and it is time away that everyone needs at this point in the season.

The quarterback position involved close competition and the performances of Jacob and Carlos did not give me the easy no-brainer every coach hopes for. It was a tough call, but our plan will be to start Jacob Hutchinson against St. Vincent next Saturday. He has strengths as a player and a good command of our offensive system that will give us a chance to be successful on the offensive side. We plan to have a role for Carlos in the game plan too and certainly before the season is over this team will need to use his arm in situations to be successful. I met with the players this morning and I would hope their response to both “good and bad news” will be to keep competing and improving. Although both kids have been in college programs for 4 years, neither has much game experience, and in the next 4 non-conference games their leadership needs to help us mold an offensive identity before Conference play begins.

Look forward to greeting all of the returning players from the Decade of Champions back to campus next Saturday. Check out Monday’s post on the Web-site and the Bridgewater Football Team Facebook page for a review of details.

Go Eagles.

Football Camp at Bridgewater Opens Today

The kids report today and although it is fire drill to get things ready for around 140 players it is nice to be forced to morph into a football coach. Over the last two weeks my staff multi-tasks and marking laundry loops, chasing down undelivered equipment, and painting lines on three practice fields provides us all with what I refer to as Division III moments. It humbles you at times, but the players returning and the energy they will hopefully bring get to turn us into college football coaches again. With school being pushed back, we will get unfettered access to prepare our team over the next three weeks. Done right, it can give us an advantage going into the September 3rd game with Saint Vincent. Tim Leister does a great job on the video updates through camp, use the website or our Football Facebook page to stay in the loop.

In January of 1995 I remember standing at the Exxon Station in downtown Lexington talking to Gary Fallon who had just finished his 17th year at Washington and Lee University. I was out of work and asked him at the time his opinion of a career shift to Division III that was my only option to stay in college football. Gary who played at Syracuse and coached both there and at Cornell prior to coming to Lexington told me, “Mike, do not think at times it will not be humbling. You will wonder why other people you know in coaching are making the big money. You will ask why they are on TV and getting asked to speak at all of the clinics, be prepared at times it will be hard.” I had all of those feelings particularly in my early years and occasionally now on a day where the collateral duty overwhelms us. But Gary added, “But Mike I have been my own boss for 17 years, I raised three daughters in a great community and I’ve coached and influenced some great kids who come back and are now my friends. I can’t say I would have said it earlier, but I am 55 now, and I look back and say I didn’t miss a thing.” I took the job at BC and about a month later Gary Fallon died of a heart attack in his sleep.

I turned 55 this summer and year 17 starts today at Bridgewater Football for me. Although I plan on staying healthy, I could go tomorrow and not have been cheated in this life. I believe Gary Fallon that day was a plant by God for me to hear. I have told his wife that on several occasions. In some sense I have morphed into Gary Fallon: Shared his experience 55 miles up I-81, and like Gary if asked I could honestly answer now, “That I have not missed a thing.” Go Eagles. MClark

Summer Ball's Around the Corner

We are five weeks removed from the players reporting date on August 13th. In Division III where we are also the support staff we stay busy managing the details that will allow things to run smoothly in August. The complete coaching staff returns to work on August 1st and we are able as a group to use that two week period to finalize the plans that will hopefully lead to great success in the fall. We had a strong academic performance in the Spring Term and in Summer-I and not a single athlete will be lost for academic shortfall. This is particularly noteworthy in that at BC an athlete can be eligible by NCAA standards, but not have met school GPA levels necessary to play. Congrats to this group and the staff of Student Academic Support who pushed these kids to these efforts.

Next week we will be announcing the plans that are being set in the fall to honor decades of teams at the five regular season home games scheduled this fall. It will begin on September 3rd where the teams of the 2000’s will gather commemorating the 10th anniversary of BC’s Stagg Bowl appearance. At games in the fall the teams from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s will be featured and honored in the game programs and events surrounding BC Saturdays. Be sure to check BC websites and Facebook pages so those dates can be saved. We hope a large group of people will get a chance to prove you are always an Eagle.

Go BC!

My Take on Pay for Play

Stepping out of my normal Bridgewater Football update I am going to use this as a forum to get an opinion and information out relative to the “Pay these Players” ideas that have hit a lot of the national media outlets. Mind you I am not a Division I “Hater” having played and coached for 14 years at that level. I am well aware of the differences in Saturday afternoon at Bridgewater vs. Blacksburg (I have coached at both) in the Fall. BCS Football does make millions of dollars for their respective programs, I believe there is some hidden guilt in the million dollar coaches club, but the notion that Division I football players are unable to eat hamburgers or go on dates because of stretched finances needs to be looked at a bit closer.

It is a fact that both men’s football and basketball because of the demographic they deal with will deal with a higher level of needy students than men’s Lacrosse or women’s Soccer at the division I level. However, one issue that is never added to the discussion is that a need based student who qualifies for Federal Pell Grant money receives that money in addition to being on a Full Scholarship. That scholarship includes tuition/fees/room-board/books and at BCS schools more “Swag” (warm-ups, shirts, shoes, gear) that you could wear, give away, or sell (see Ohio State) in your time there. These grants could be as low as $555 per year (Family of 4 w/1 child in college income under 50k) or up to $5,550 per year (Family of 4 w/1child in college income under 20K). To me a budgeted young man can go out a time or two on this stipend. Actually it is our tax dollars that helps these kids with the incidentals involved in their college experience. In addition, the NCAA itself provides need based opportunity grants to needy student athletes at any level to help them with some of the hidden, sudden, and necessary expenses involved with college. These grants involve paperwork, and it is usually the NCAA institutions at the higher levels that have administrative staff to focus on these that pull in the lion’s share of this money. Any student (Scholarship or not) would be able to take out Federal Stafford Loan up to $5,500.00 (Interest deferred if you are poor) which could be used to cover total cost of education.

Think back about 6 years ago where Legislation was passed allowing scholarship student athletes to work while being on scholarship. This was the financial problem solver then, but ask any ACC or SEC coach if they have kids working part-time during the school year and be prepared to get that “how stupid are you..Yea right.” stare. If a school abides by the mandatory time limits that the NCAA dictates on the activity of scholarship athletes that job in itself pays anywhere from $26.00 to $52.00 per hour (out of state) according to a Penn State study. I have a nephew who co-ops as a 4^th year Mechanical Engineering student at Ohio State who wished he earned that much.

Education is an investment in you and the college experience should be a springboard where some personal equity in it (even if that includes a loan) is not a bad thing. I do not deny any accountant could go to Virginia Tech and figure out that the football program makes millions and these players are a critical part of that. However, those millions support almost every other program that also involves a lot of scholarship athletes whose sports will never have revenue generating potential. Think of the Title IX implications if cash starts going out. From a Federal point of view there is no value difference in the Quarterback or the Setter in Women’s volleyball.

As a college freshman in 1975 I was in the last class that every month with my full scholarship got a $25.00 “Laundry Money” check as it was called then to cover incidental expense. On that Friday in the off season we also gave blood for $15.00 and the next two weekends were set. I was a middle income full-scholarship athlete (there are a lot of them out there) and I do not remember using the money for laundry. To think that cash to athletes will prevent another Ohio State or solve cheating issues which unfortunately will always be around is naïve. There is a little glass in everybody’s house at all levels of college football and money to players at the BCS level is a Pandora’s Box. Although it is debatable at times we need to keep the education component hooked in college athletics. I see kids at my level who are just as passionate and committed as those at the BCS level. They were not big or fast enough at the high school level to get the opportunity to play, get educated, and set you up for life with your college experience debt free. There really is very little entitlement at the Division III level which is one of our strengths. To get them to spend for this opportunity we have to sell the college experience as a game changing investment for life. This is also true at the BCS level and its’ added value should be sufficient in addition to the scholarships without the cash.

- Coach Clark

Spring Practice in the Books

Spring ball finished last week and we are in the process of finalizing recruiting and holding our end of year meetings with returning players. April practice showed promise, but also showed the gaps that have to be filled for BC to be successful in 2011. Final Strength Testing numbers have about 25% of team performing at a competitive award level. Our team goal is 40% of the roster at Award Strength level so significant summer work will have to be done. In Division III where the majority of this work is done away from campus, it will take real commitment and discipline from our group. We did have six new additions to our Super Iron Eagle Level of strength. LBs Chris Wholey, Brandon Barrow/ DL- Tyler Thompson, John Brilliant/ FB- Nick Wimer and DB Orlando Bryant. Leigh Bradley renewed at Super Iron level at WR. Top spring 40 yard dash results were turned in by Leigh Bradley, Julius Delbridge and Orlando Bryant who showed that explosive strength and speed partner up. We hope the younger athletes take notice.

The QB position is always front and center with Football, but our final decision on who will replace Hagan Driskell will be made in preseason camp. Although the skill kids get high volume and quality work in the spring it is difficult to make this final call without the pressure of going against full defenses who are actually hitting back. It would be difficult to analyze a boxer after watching him hit the speed, heavy bag, and jump rope. When the people in the fight swing back at you; that is when real mettle shows. The structure of Division III spring ball (No pads, no contact) does not give us this opportunity. Mobility will be a non-negotiable trait and I do believe the in house players in bits and pieces have ability that will allow us to successfully compete in the fall. Spring has allowed us to indentify weaknesses, the maturity to work on these over the summer could be what gives a player an early edge.

With health and summer development we could have both experience and some depth on both lines of scrimmage entering the '11 season. Never underestimate the quiet impact on games that is played out on the line of scrimmage. I believe this will be important particularly on the defensive side of the ball where the perimeter must be rebuilt somewhat. From a coaching perspective, we will take some time in May and make preliminary plans for August. It is very important here that we play to our players strength and put new people in positions where they can play hard.

I avoid recruiting comments in the spring although our class is in its’ final stages of recruitment. There are always a handful of key kids we are chasing in May and by Memorial Day this phase of our operation should be complete. Skill kids were a high priority and as a group I believe we have gotten athletic kids at RB, WR, and in the Secondary who will bring good versatility to the program. The more flexible a recruit can be from a position standpoint, the quicker his chance to have impact.

Will Davis really did quality work in Place-kicking this spring. As a rising Senior, his kicking game over the past two seasons has had both ups and downs. It was great to see pressure kicks being made at the end of work-outs. Much like the QB, nobody was rushing so the jury is still out, but we made progress in this critical phase.

On a side note I spoke to Tyler Beiler and although he was disappointed at not being a late round draft pick it has been said that a top free-agent often times is in a better position in that he can pick the right spot to take his shot. It is difficult in that under the lock-out, NFL teams are not allowed to contact the players in that Free-Agent pool at this time. Although he and his agent are aware of who needs WR help, and what teams had the most pre-draft contact and interest in him, at present they are prohibited from communicating. It is a waiting game now. When things get settled we do believe he will get his shot.

We will look to do a live chat in mid-May to discuss upcoming season and summer plans. The amount of time we have to prepare is equal to every opponent on the schedule. In Division III there are a lot variables that are out of our control. The choice to outwork your opponent is one we get to make on a daily basis.

~ Coach Clark

Spring Workouts Just Around the Corner

Monday we will begin the Non-Traditional days allowed in football (Spring Practice). Although the set-up in Division III will never be confused with the padded Spring Practice structure of Division I, it still represents a great opportunity for us to evaluate and develop some of the talent we have in our program.

By NCAA Division III rules if we make physical testing mandatory in the off-season it has to be counted as a practice opportunity . This is a high priority for us, and the first 4 days in week #1 are dedicated to strength, running, and jumping tests. This testing allows us to see who has improved and developed college level strength. Based on these results, the staff makes our first depth chart evaluation as per where players stand at their position.

We have to balance things off with our track program where many of our skill kids are the sprinters and jumpers for Coach Stevens. Our heaviest team work is placed in the week after the ODAC Track and Field Championship. On most of our post testing days, we will have position meetings and mandatory weight sessions where the kids can now get hands on instruction from our coaches. Throughout the days that are declared for practice there will be a lot of individual skill sessions scheduled by the staff for small teaching sessions run by position coaches. Many skill sessions start at 6:30 am in the morning or are fitted off of players academic schedules.

From a staff prospective our goals are really three fold in this period. Teach fundamentals in football without the pressure of having to prepare to win a game. Introduce the base schemes that are used on the Offensive and Defensive side of the ball and most importantly identify the kids who are committed to the program. In this period, with things being mandatory we get the chance to convert the ones whose off-season work falls into that “sometimes committed” category. No question we need to expand our core group of kids who are in the ALWAYS COMMITTED group. It will be difficult to compete without this development, and as coaches we value the access we get to our team over the next 16 days.

~ Coach Clark

Coach Hunt Accepts UFL Job

This week Robert Hunt announced that he would leave BC to move back into professional football with the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. The Nighthawks are going to be led by Joe Moglia who is also founder and CEO of TD Ameritrade. We will miss Robert and perhaps his final contribution to the program can be a stock tip sometime next season. Anytime a staff member leaves, we look at it as an opportunity for us to make the program better.

Certainly in Scott Lemn we had an easy replacement solution at offensive line. In Scott, we will be able to keep an excellent young coach around BC football for the 2011 season. In these situations, established players have to make a new impression and earn new credentials at their position. Kids who might have been evaluated as back-ups a year ago get a chance to start with a clean slate. Both circumstances if attacked right, allow the collective group to get better.

We look for offensive line play in 2011 to be a key ingredient in our ability to be successful. Between Coach Healey, Coach Johnson, and myself, all of whom have some defensive line experience, we will cover that group during our spring ball work in April. A new Defensive Line Coach will be hired in early summer to prepare to lead an experienced group of kids in the fall.

Entering my 17th season at BC, I look forward to getting somebody on campus who has seen it done differently. New ideas are not a threat, they give the organization a chance to self-evaluate and often times grow for the better.

~ Coach Clark

Don't Let the Edge Slip Away

In every season there are those “Trench” times where if you are not careful the routines that get set in place can take away your edge. Athletics needs to involve that “Edge” on a daily basis to have players reach their true potential. Although the Division III model is about participation at its core, even the NCAA statement uses the term “Passionate Participation.”

I shared the following with our group as we move through the cold trenches that February brings at BC. I think the thoughts could have broad based application in directions going way beyond sports. It is in that transfer of principle that our kid’s sports experience will have its’ greatest value.

Most athletes know the right thing to do. Ask yourself the following?
1- I "Always Commit"
2- I "Often Commit"
3- I "Sometimes Commit"

In Phase I the buzz of the Spring Semester starting has begun to wear off. Now is where your discipline must pay off. Whether it be weights, speed class, weekend recruiting assistance, or your classroom obligations remember to respond to what you have committed to, not to how you might feel at the moment.
There is a behavior trap out there and it is called "Just this one time!" AVOID IT. It will swallow you up.

-Coach Clark

Another Loss in BC Family

Mixed recruiting on Saturday with a celebration of a great life at the service for Waddell Howard, the father of Stephen Howard, who passed away last week. When a "Coming Home Service" includes "When the Saints Come Marching In" and "Everlasting Life" on the saxophone, God shines even in the pain of the moment. I have always felt in the difficult times it is Faith, Family, and Friends that pull people through, but with the three untimely deaths the BC family has dealt with recently, I would like to add Team to that group.

In the last couple of months when needed, the BC team has shown up when it had nothing to do with football. I remember asking Stephen the Monday after the Randolph Macon game if his Dad who was in the hospital at UVA was able to pick up the game on radio. That game Stephen intercepted a pass and ran it for a touchdown (not the norm for a Defensive End). Stephen replied that his Dad could not get reception, but his brother JR. who is in the Air Force (stationed in Colorado) had the game up on the computer stream and with his cell phone was able to let his father listen and stay updated on his phone in the hospital room. Welcome to the 21st century, where a computer in Colorado can let a father in a Virginia hospital on his cell phone share his son's touchdown. It is an image I will always remember.

We will begin Spring Semester on Wednesday. The team will come together again and I hope they realize that the collective effort, discipline, and sacrifice being a good teammate demands forges a bond that goes beyond Saturday's in the fall. If you pay the price, the support that comes with it can be broad based and long term. I have seen it recently.

~Coach Clark

The Real Value in Coaching

Photo by former teammate and artist, Vince Turner

In coaching last week, Jim Harbaugh from Stanford parlayed a great season with the Cardinal into a bidding war between 2 major colleges and NFL teams for his expertise. Rich Rodriguez was payed 2.5 million not to work and a former NFL coach turned Network analyist apparently turned down an "insulting" 4 million dollar offer to get back on the sideline. I got to speak at the funeral of a 30 year old All-American whose life was cut tragically short. From a coaching perspective, my week had the greater value.
I hold no resentment toward the coaches who operate at the 7 figure level. More power to them! If BC offers to compensate me at that level I'd take it and continue to work hard. However, in Glen Burnie MD on Friday I saw a value in the College football experience that cannot be bought.
In the service for Davon Cruz over 25 of his former teammates came back (2 from Florida) to support his family in a time of need. An artist teammate who could not make it drew a portrait that was shipped up and signed. Guys who worked for Marriott provided $25.00 rooms in properties they run. A former college President sat on the altar in that packed church out of respect for a student he had to pursue to ensure he finished the education his mother was promised. After a 2 1/2 hour Pentecostal service where the spirit held sway, a couple of coaches who shared both success and failure with this group 10 years ago took them to lunch where with wives, families and friends we connected as a team again. Davon much like he did as a player, brought the best out in his teammates and coaches.
When you stay somewhere 17 years in coaching there is a connection that extends beyond the field. My players know where to find me and I get a thrill seeing them move on so successfully with their lives. Walking into that church a young women shook my hand and said she was a former Eagle. I corrected her in that "You are always an Eagle!" I spent time Friday with a group of people that reminded me of that with their actions. Go BC

- Coach Clark

Coach Clark on the Passing of Davon Cruz

At my age I could have been called home yesterday and not have been cheated in this life. The tragic loss of Davon Cruz (in a car accident) on January 1st reminds us again that although God is good, sometimes life just sucks. He had a smile that could light up a room and as a player he brought Division I ability to the Division III level. Anytime the words "All-Time" follow your name, you know you had impact in a program. As the All-American TB on our 01' Stagg Bowl team, Davon was a key player in our success. We need to keep Carmen (his mom) and the rest of his family in our prayers.

In his time with us we shared both highs and lows. The walls of Nininger Hall are covered with pictures of #15. His nickname was the "Mule" for the load he carried and delivered on teams who changed the image of BC football. I always appreciate the players in our program who are tough people and play hard. Davon was one of these players. We are better here because of his efforts and the standards he helped shape. Always an Eagle, let's look for ways to be a good teammate to Davon and his family at this tough time.