"... I couldn’t help but think of how many people had helped me along the way. One of those people I wanted to personally thank for opening doors was Jimmy Raye. This book tells how some of those doors got pushed open. I’m sure you will enjoy reading about the journey!" - Tony DungyAir Force
Air Force is flying high with deep ball passes
Historically, an Air Force receiver gaining separation running a deep pattern hopes the Falcons’ quarterback can get him the ball. After all, triple-option quarterbacks play the position for their legs and instincts, not their arm. This year is different. Arm strength is the...
Personifying the Naval Academy image
Imagine the number of impressive future officers Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo has guided as football players and observed as leaders the past 12 years as the Midshipmen’s head coach.Each year he has a roster of 100-some players cycling through toward graduation. Then, factor in...
Birdow is soaring with Falcons at Air Force
Teven Birdow was 5-years-old when his father was sentenced to prison for a home invasion case in Oklahoma City. That left Teven set up for failure, like many American youths trapped into such circumstances, but his mother started him on another path. Jamie Rodrigues went without...
CJ Williams and unique family path to Navy
A Navy, Army and Air Force player often follows a family member to the one of the service academies, but C.J. Williams’ football path to Navy had a roundabout twist. His older brother L.G. Williams led him to Navy … without attending Annapolis.L.G was recruited by Navy as a...
Asberry ready for next task and pass play
Something is different hearing an academy athlete’s tone of voice during a phone interview. As an example, take my request this week to speak with an Army running back that was coming off his best game of the season. We spoke on a routine day – for a Cadet football player,...
Capra steadily rose up ranks to his opportunity
Micah Capra practiced dutifully yet watched on Saturdays from the sidelines his first two seasons. Now, though, he is another uncanny example among academy athletes that overcome their inexperience when called upon in the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series. Capra, an Air Force...
Doomsday predictions for option are premature
“The option is still revered at certain high schools, but – despite the zeal of some coaches – the once venerated scheme has been languishing at the college level for years. Now rule changes may doom it there too.” – Sports Illustrated, Oct. 8, 2018 issue. By Tom...
Bagnall busied himself into first CiC start
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series begins this week, although most of America thinks it starts and finishes with the Army-Navy Game that is annually staged as college football’s final regular season date. That egregiously overlooks the round-robin series involving Air Force...
McCain hero worth recalling at academy games
DURHAM, N.C. -- The world recognized John McCain as a fighter pilot, a decorated war hero, a U.S. Senator from Arizona and a presidential candidate, but the sports world knew the American icon that passed away Saturday at age 81 simply as a rabid fan. He liked to tell a story of...
The evolving triple option at Air Force
The service academies remain lumped together as triple-option offenses thanks to College Football Hall of Fame coach Fisher DeBerry. A generation ago he laid down the blueprint at Air Force on how to remain competitive with lightly recruited athletes. But take a closer look in...