Boston College Athletics
Football Seniors Help Re-Establish Tradition
December 17, 2014 | Football
On December 27, 22 Boston College players will officially be part of their final game in maroon and gold.
Their legacy was a special topic this week as the Eagles ran through bowl-related practices, took finals and wrapped up the semester before heading to New York City.
"They are a great group of guys," head coach Steve Addazio said. "It's a resilient group that came here when things weren't so good. They stuck with it and hung in there ... It's wonderful to see them experience success and they have a great deal of pride.
"BC guys, they have a lot of pride in being here. There's a lot of tradition here in Boston College football. Being here when winning wasn't happening was not easy for them. Now, they want to leave this program better for the future," Addazio continued.
Senior linebacker Sean Duggan said, "We take a lot of pride in where we are. A lot of people were doubting us, saying it would be a rebuilding year, and it's pretty awesome to be part of the turnaround and lay the next brick which Coach Addazio started here.
"The program is going in a great direction now. You always want to leave the program better than where it started. I think we all take a lot of pride in continuing the winning tradition that Coach Addazio started here," Duggan continued.
Addazio's tradition is the BC tradition, which the senior leaders are formalizing and re-enforcing each time they hit the practice field until December 27.
"The young players in our program right now are wide-eyed because they see the older guys getting all pumped up," Addazio said. "That's a really important piece of it, as well. You want them to understand the significance of playing these styles of games.
Sophomore running back Myles Willis agreed with his coach's assessment.
"We have great senior leaders that remind us where we came from and remind us that these things are not given and you have to work hard on them. As long as you remember the past, we need to make sure we don't repeat it."
And while all the non-seniors associated with the program point to those set to play their final game as a key lynchpin this season, those same seniors point to a different group: the one that came before them.
"Last year's seniors did a good job of building a foundation," senior wide receiver Josh Bordner said.
The Eagles enter the New Era Pinstripe Bowl next Thursday with the same record - 7-5 - with which they had headed to the 2013 Independence Bowl. But this year's crop of seniors wants to leave the program to the next group in better shape than in which they take leadership.
"I think it would be a great testament to what the seniors before me have done and all their hard work," senior defensive back Dominique Williams said. "The best way to pay respect to them is to get this eighth win because it started with them. It's something that can help this next crop of seniors next year. If we get this eighth win it'll carry over to next season.
Addazio's senior leaders have lived through the ups and downs of BC football since arriving at The Heights. With just a week left until their collegiate careers end, they're legacy is one of honor, re-building tradition and cultivating the Eagles' culture.
"What we try to do is keep reminding them of that. We demand of them in practice, as well. That's a good problem to have. It's like anything else ... It's our job to make sure they appreciate the great things that are happening on the backs of a lot of people. Hopefully they pay that forward to the future classes and you develop a culture that's built on success. That's the goal," Addazio added.
