Army West Point Athletics
Football Game Notes: The Fordham Game
August 28, 2015 | Football
The Army West Point football team will open its 2015 season Friday night under the lights at Michie Stadium. Kickoff against Fordham is set for 7 p.m. and CBS Sports Network will televise the game live to a national audience.
Army second-year head coach Jeff Monken, coming off a 4-8 campaign in his initial season, will rely on a roster that includes 77 freshmen.
The Black Knights posted wins against Buffalo (47-39), Ball State (33-24), Connecticut (35-21) and Fordham (42-31) in Monken's first season.
Army is 95-27-3 all-time in the first game of the season and has won its last two home-openers.
Army does return 25 players who started at least one game last season, including 12 on offense.
While Larry Dixon, Terry Baggett, Raymond Maples, Angel Santiago, Tony Giovannelli and Trenton Turrentine have been lost to graduation, quarterback A.J. Schurr and running backs Aaron Kemper, Matt Giachinta and Joe Walker have experience in the triple-option offense. John Trainor, a wide receiver as a freshman, has been moved to running back to add depth.
Schurr, a senior and Ahmad Bradshaw, a sophomore, have been competing for the starting quarterback job. Schurr played in 12 games with two starts in 2014. He ran for 320 yards and three scores and completed 12-of-28 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown. Bradshaw has not taken a college snap.
On defense, Army returns its top four tacklers from last season. Jeremy Timpf made 117 stops, Josh Jenkins 64, Andrew King 63 and Chris Carnegie 54 a year ago. Timpf and King will be the starting inside linebackers with Carnegie and Jenkins in the secondary.
The Black Knights will have to replace defensive line stalwarts Joe Drummond, Richard Glover and Mike Ugenyi. Senior T.J. Atimalala and sophomore John Voit are expected to see an increase in snaps.
Army does return the bulk of its special teams units. Kicker Daniel Grochowski, punter Alex Tardieu and long snapper Connor Farley all return for their senior season. Grochowski was successful on 6-of-13 field goals last season and averaged 57.3 yards per kickoff. Tardieu punted 44 times for an average of 39.3 yards per boot. Eighteen of his punts were inside the opponents' 20 yard line and six were 50 yards or longer.
PLAYING WITH HEAVY HEARTS
Sean Callahan, 12, who the Army football team adopted through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, passed away on August 22. Head coach Jeff Monken, his staff and the upperclassmen attended his services in Mahopac, N.Y.
"Our entire program is saddened to hear about the passing of our teammate, Sean Callahan," Monken said. "Sean was the toughest young man you would ever want to meet. He taught our players and staff so much about overcoming adversity, about working hard and about enjoying life. He became part of the Army football brotherhood. We are grateful we had the opportunity to spend time with Sean and his terrific family and we will value the lessons he taught us. Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with Sean's family at this terribly difficult time."
Callahan joined the Black Knights in June of 2014 in conjunction with the New York Yankees HOPE Week and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
Callahan, who suffered from brain tumors, had a locker with the Black Knights and attended every home game during the 2014 season as well as the contest at Yankee Stadium. He was a vital part of the annual team awards banquet, helping Monken distribute the awards.
During the annual Black-Gold Spring Game, Callahan was voted the game's most valuable player after he ran for a 73-yard touchdown on the first play of the contest setting off a wild celebration that included him being carried off the field as players chanted his name. He also ran for a 75-yard touchdown to conclude the scoring in the game.
ABOUT THE RAMS
Fordham went 11-3 in 2014, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs where a loss to New Hampshire ended its season.
The Rams, under fourth-year head coach Joe Moorhead, were picked to win the Patriot League and return a host of talent from a postseason squad in 2014, including 46 letterwinners.
Chase Edmonds was selected as the league preseason offensive player of the year after winning the Jerry Rice Award as the top NCAA FCS freshman last season. He ran for 1,838 yards and 23 touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 121 yards in his rookie campaign.
Linebacker Stephen Hodge was picked as the league preseason defensive player of the year. He missed all of 2014 with an injury and posted 124 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and five sacks the year prior.
HELMET STICKERS
The Army football team will continue to honor the U.S. Army this season, wearing helmet stickers for the below divisions.
9/4 Fordham: 1st Infantry Division
9/12 at Connecticut: 7th Infantry Division
9/19 Wake Forest: 82nd Airborne
9/26 at Eastern Michigan: 2nd Infantry Division
10/3 at Penn State: 101st Airborne
10/10 Duke: 25th Infantry Division
10/17 Bucknell: 1st Armored Division
10/24 at Rice: 1st Calvary Division
11/7 at Air Force: 25th Infantry Division
11/14 Tulane: 3rd Infantry Division
11/21 Rutgers 10th Mountain Division
12/12 Navy: Players will wear specific stickers
CLASSROOM SUCCESS
The Army football team continues to excel in the classroom. The team improved its grade point average .13 points in the spring, raising the team GPA to the highest it has been since 1977.
SCHEDULE CHANGE
Army will use Monday as its day off this season and will practice on Sunday. In Monken's first season, the team utilized Sunday as its mandated off day.
125 YEARS OF ARMY FOOTBALL
Army football be celebrating 125 years during the 2015 season. Game program stories will highlight the years of the Black Knights with a special commemorative cover for the Bucknell contest.
Army began playing football in 1890 and shows a 661-498-51 all-time record.
This year is also the 92nd season that the Black Knights have called Michie Stadium home.
BLOGGING ALONG
Junior linebacker Andrew King will offer a blog during the season, called King in the Middle, providing insights into the Black Knights. King's entries can be found at www.GoArmyWestPoint.com.
BLACK AND GOLD NFL
A trio of Army football players continue their National Football League dreams.
Collin Mooney, a 2009 graduate, is a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Mooney, a fullback, spent two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, before moving to Atlanta.
Alejandro Villanueva, a 2010 West Point graduate, is with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Villanueva served two tours overseas before being invited to Philadelphia Eagles camp. He spent last season on the Steelers practice squad and is trying to make the roster as a backup offensive lineman. Villanueva was used as a tight end and defensive lineman at Army.
Trent Steelman, a 2013 graduate, was invited to the Baltimore Ravens' camp as a wide receiver.
THE CAPTAINS
Senior fullback Matt Giachinta and junior linebacker Jeremy Timpf have been named team captains for the 2015 season following a vote by their teammates in the spring.
Timpf is the first underclassmen to hold the role since Stephen Anderson in 2009.
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Army West Point head coach Jeff Monken has also instituted a team leadership council. The group includes players from all four classes and includes frequent meetings with Monken and staff to determine team issues like uniforms, discipline and goal setting.
The 2015 Leadership Council includes: Jeremy Timpf, Matt Giachinta, Chris Carnegie, A.J. Schurr, Kelvin White, Matt Hugenberg, Andrew King, Joe Walker, Scott Washle, John Voit, Calen Holt, Luke Langdon and Darnell Woolfolk
SUMMER LEADERS
Members of the Army West Point football team are not only finding success on the gridiron and classroom, but also in military training as well.
Joshua Boylan and Justin Fahn were recently recognized for their hard work during separate summer training sessions.
Boylan, an offensive lineman from Tyler, Texas, was named the most outstanding cadet for Cadet Field Training. Fahn, a linebacker from Bristol, Tenn., received similar honors for Cadet Leader Development Training.
Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy participate in training to instill the foundational military competencies necessary to win in a complex world while inspiring for professional excellence.
Summer training is focused on being proficient as a soldier and as a member of the team, solving tactical problems, understanding roles of officers and non-commissioned officers, demonstrating effective leadership and demonstrating courage, character, integrity and toughness.
Cadet Field Training (CFT) is a three-week session while Cadet Leader Development Training (CLDT) lasts two weeks.
Most Outstanding Cadets are selected by their assessments on highest scores for patrols for CLDT and who received the highest marks on tasks and scores for CFT.
CFT is designed to train, mentor, and assess basic leadership skills focusing on Troop Leading Procedures (TLPs), effective communication, and tactical decision making in order to develop competent and confident small unit leaders capable of operating in an uncertain and rapidly changing environment. In a series of tactical scenarios that reflect the Decisive Action Training Environment, cadets rotate through leadership positions which provide the cadet with a common experience to further enhance their leadership ability to solve difficult tactical problems, lead under stress and develop the technical proficiencies expected of 2nd Lieutenants.
CLDT assesses juniors and seniors abilities to lead under stress, solve tactical problems and demonstrate proficiency in individual, leader and small unit tasks. The training and assessment contributes to each cadet's development as a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in their service.
Cadet Field Training is a three-week program of instruction that emphasizes general military skills, individual preparedness training, preparations for extended field operations, and leading, participating in, and conducting small unit tactical operations. The purpose of CFT is to develop, train, test, and validate specific tasks; prepare cadets to assume duties as non-commissioned officers in the Corps of Cadets; instill the warrior ethos in each cadet; and inspire each cadet to professional excellence through physically- and mentally demanding training.
FIRST AND GOAL
Army West Point head football coach Jeff Monken and his staff were among the counselors that participated in Lauren's First and Goal Foundation football camp at Lafayette College over the summer.
More than 2,100 athletes were on hand for the one-day high school camp and a bevy of coaches, including the Army West Point staff, provided instruction.
Army West Point assistant coach John Loose is the founder of Lauren's First and Goal Foundation. His daughter, Lauren, was front and center when Michigan head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the campers. Monken was last year's featured speaker and is an honorary foundation board member.
Lauren's First and Goal Foundation's mission is to fund pediatric brain tumor research and patient services and assisting families living with the disease. More than $114,000 was raised at the 12th annual Pennsylvania camp. Another camp was also held in Ohio at Otterbein University where Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was the featured speaker.
"We want to thank Jim Harbaugh for bringing his entire staff and sharing a great message with the campers, families, coaches, volunteers and fans," said Loose. "I also want to thank our major sponsors, the Marines, Coordinated Health and Schutt Reconditioning, for their generous sponsorship at the Pennsylvania camp. We also couldn't do this without the many local businesses that provided critical in-kind donations and support, the Lafayette College football staff and community for their tremendous support over the last 12 years, and the hundreds of loyal and dedicated volunteers that come back to help year after year."
Lauren's First and Goal Foundation has awarded $1.46 million to pediatric research, patient services and families since 2004.
THE CLASS OF 2019
Approximately 1,270 cadet candidates, including 280 women, 425 minorities, 17 international cadets and 13 combat veterans began Cadet Basic Training this summer.
The incoming class was selected from a pool of 16,000 applicants. The 280 women represent 22 percent of the class. Minority enrollment, roughly 33 percent, includes 189 African-Americans, 93 Asian-Americans, 119 Hispanic-Americans and 10 Native Americans.
The Class of 2019 includes cadets from every state in the nation and 17 international cadets entering the class under the sponsorship of their respective countries. The countries represented include Bangladesh, Guyana, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Malaysia, Pakistan (two), Panama, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Upon graduation, these cadets will return to their respective countries as officers in their armed forces.
NEW TURF
Michie Stadium has new turf for the 2015 season. The playing surface at the historic stadium was replaced over the summer.
Michie Stadium had FieldTurf Revolution installed as well as new branding reflecting the Black Knights' new logo.
FieldTurf Revolution, the result of innovative science, engineering and technology provides a soft, strong monofilament fiber with extraordinary durability and longevity. A three-layer infill system and state-of-the-art SureLock coating method are underneath the turf.
Michie Stadium will have limited permanent markings on the surface, allowing for an easy transition from football to men's lacrosse to women's lacrosse. All three sports use different line markers and with the new field, lines will be painted on for specific competitions.
BOWLING IN 2015
The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Army West Point's primary bowl affiliation for the 2015 season, has announced the game will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 23. Kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
The Black Knights will compete in San Diego against a team from the Mountain West.
The afternoon kick-off time is a first for the bowl game and will be followed by a massive fireworks display.
Army West Point is looking to make its first bowl game appearance since beating SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2010.
The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl is celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2015.
GAME DAY IS BACK
For the second consecutive year, ESPN's College Gameday will broadcast live from Philadelphia prior to the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Saturday, Dec. 12.
ESPN's signature college football show will air from Philadelphia, Pa., the site of the 116th Army-Navy Game presented by USAA.
College Gameday, with host Rece Davis and analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard, are expected in Philadelphia for the show.
College Gameday was at West Point, N.Y., on Sept. 27, 2003, prior to the Black Knights' game against South Florida. Lightning and heavy rains in both Connecticut and West Point cut the show short. The set was arranged between Doubleday Field and the library on Patton Field.
Last December the show made its Army-Navy debut from the inner harbor of Baltimore, Md.
Â
SPECIAL TEAMS
The last time Army scored a special teams touchdown was against Temple on Sept. 29, 2007. Corey Anderson returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a score and Jeremy Trimble returned a punt for an 85-yard touchdown opposite the Owls.
Army has gone 451 kickoffs and 332 returns and 334 punts and 121 punt returns without a score.
SUMMER TRAINING
In 2014, Army altered its summer training, moving up the time the players spend in the field and allowing the team the opportunity to take a class and train in the summer.
Traditionally, players took leave and participated in summer military training. Now, training starts around the time of graduation and players gather at West Point for school and training, forgoing their leave time.
CLASS MOTTO
One of the duties of the new cadets is selecting a class motto. That motto, selected during Cadet Basic Training, is displayed during March Back on a large banner during the 12-mile return to West Point. The Class mottos are
2019 So Freedom Will Reign
2018 So Others May Dream
2017 With Honor We Lead
2016 For Those We Lead
12TH MAN
Army has retired four numbers and does not issue number 12, a number reserved for the Corps of Cadets as the 12th man.
Numbers 24 (Pete Dawkins), 35 (Felix "Doc" Blanchard) and 41 (Glenn Davis) have been retired for Heisman Trophy winners, while Joe Steffy's number 61 is also retired.
ARMY/CBS SPORTS NETWORK
Army West Point is in its sixth season of an exclusive television agreement with CBS Sports Network that ensures all Black Knights home football games are broadcast live on national television.
In January, Army and CBS Sports announced a five-year agreement that runs through 2019. As part of the agreement, most of the Black Knights games will be played in the afternoon. It also calls for CBS Sports Network to broadcast neutral site contests where Army is the home team.
OFFICER PLAQUE
As the Army football team enters the field, one of the long traditions is to touch the Officer plaque. A team member holds the plaque aloft and the players reach up as they are passing by.
The plaque states: "I want an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point football player." Gen. George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army during World War II, made the statement at the Pentagon when he needed an officer to train and lead a ranger-type battalion on a secret mission.
SUPERINTENDENT
Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen, Jr. became the 59th Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on July 17, 2013.
Lt. Gen. Caslen graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1975. He earned master's degrees from Long Island University and Kansas State University.
Caslen earned varsity letters as a member of the football team in 1973 and 1974 as an offensive lineman.
Previous to this assignment, Lt. Gen. Caslen served as the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq. His prior deployments and assignments include serving as the commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the command that oversees the Command and General Staff College and 17 other schools, centers, and training programs located throughout the United States; commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and commanding general of the Multi-National Division-North during Operation Iraqi Freedom; Commandant of Cadets for the U.S. Military Academy; Deputy Director for the War on Terrorism, J-5, The Joint Staff; Assistant Division Commander (maneuver), 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized); Chief of Staff, 10th Mountain Division (Light); Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force Mountain during Operation Enduring Freedom; Commander, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Chief of Staff, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Senior Brigade C2 Observer/Controller, Operations Group, Joint Readiness Training Center; Commander, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Light); Executive Officer to the Deputy Commander in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy; J-3 in Honduras for Joint Task Force Bravo; Brigade Operations Officer, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Lt. Gen. Caslen's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters. He has earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and is Airborne, Air Assault, and Ranger qualified.
THIS WEEK IN ARMY FOOTBALL
The first "This Week in Army Football" radio show will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.
Head coach Jeff Monken will join Assistant Athletic Director for Multi Media Rich DeMarco as well as an assistant coach and former player.
The show is held at the "relocated" First Class Club which has been moved to the Class of '63 Lounge at Eisenhower Hall. For the 2014 season, fans can attend the show in the former Benny's Lounge, on the third floor of Eisenhower Hall in Crest Hall.
Food and beverage specials, the opportunity to ask questions of the Army head coach and prizes will all be offered.
For those fans unable to make the show live, WALL 1340-AM and WEOK 1390-AM will air the show and a video stream will be offered at www.GoArmyWestPoint.com.
Â
SPIRIT LUNCHEONS
 The first Spirit Luncheons, presented by USAA, will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Â
Lunch will be held at the West Point Club at the U.S. Military Academy and begin promptly at noon with food service beginning at 11:15 a.m. Head coach Jeff Monken and selected players and coaches will be part of the program. Tickets are $10 in advance (845-938-5120) or $12 at the door.
RULE CHANGES
A few rule changes will be in effect for the 2015 season, courtesy of the National Football Foundation
Crew of Eight Officials: Based on an approved experiment by the Big 12 Conference, the rules now allow for eight officials. The eighth official, the center judge (with the letter "C" on the uniform), is positioned in the offensive backfield opposite the referee.Â
Non-Standard Overbuilt Facemasks Are Illegal: This is a facemask characterized by greater weight and closer spacing between the bars. Use of the facemask is a safety issue as opponents can easily get their fingers caught in the tight space. The NFL outlawed this facemask a few years ago.Â
Illegal Equipment: Player is Out for One Play: Up until now, if the officials noticed that a player was wearing illegal equipment, the team was charged one of its three timeouts. The new rule is that the player must leave the game for at least one play and may not return until the equipment is made legal. His team may burn a timeout to keep him from missing a down, but the equipment must be corrected before he is allowed to play.Â
Pregame Warm-Ups: Teams Guaranteed Access to the Field: By the new rule, the teams are now guaranteed that they may remain on the field for pregame warm-ups until at least 22 minutes before the opening kickoff. The committee was concerned that teams were being forced to leave the field early because of other pregame activities, and thus were having to spend too much time in the locker room before the kickoff. The new rule may be suspended for a given game by prior mutual agreement of the teams.
Resetting the Play Clock When the Ball is Not Ready for Play: When the play clock begins its count from 40 seconds, on rare occasions the officials will have difficulty getting a new ball from the sidelines. In such a case after some period of time, the referee will stop the game clock and signal for the play clock to be reset to 25 seconds. In previous years, this was done after 20 seconds had elapsed. This has been changed to 15 seconds, to prevent too much time from running off the clock. This happens very seldom, but there must be a rule to deal with it.Â
Helmet off Defensive Player: Play Clock Set to 40 Seconds: When a player's helmet comes off, the game clock is stopped, and the player must leave the game for one play. In past years, the play clock has been set to 25 seconds. Last year, however, there were a few situations near the end of a half where this happened with more than 25 seconds on the game clock; this forces the offense to have to snap the ball one more time when they were trying to run out the clock. So now the play clock is set to 40 seconds when a defensive player loses his helmet, and still to 25 seconds when it is a player on offense. This is also consistent with the rule for stopping the game due to an injured player.Â
Pushing or Pulling an Opponent off the Pile: Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Player safety continues to be a major emphasis of the rules committee. This new rule addresses player action at the end of a fumble play, for example, when several players are scuffling for the ball in a pile. Starting in 2015, if a player forcibly pulls or pushes an opponent off the pile, he is to be charged with unsportsmanlike conduct. Here's why this is important: if a player is flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct twice in the game, he is automatically disqualified after the second offense. The committee believes this will be a major deterrent to this kind of action, which can lead to more trouble and potential injury.Â
Sideline Warning Returns: An important point of emphasis for the rules committee and the officials is keeping the sidelines clean. This means that players and coaches are not allowed in the restricted area---the space between the sidelines and the coaches' box and team area. For a long time, the first infraction led to a sideline warning, with no yardage penalty. After a few years the rule was changed to assess a five-yard penalty for the first offense. Now, we are returning to the warning for the first infraction. No yardage penalty will result until the second offense.
Instant Replay: Blocking During an On-Side Kick May Be Reviewed: One of the important rules about kickoffs is that the kicking team is not allowed to touch the ball until it has gone ten yards, unless a receiver touches the ball first. After it has gone ten yards, either team may get the ball. A rule that is not so well known is that the kicking team may not block until they are eligible to touch the ball. The instant replay official (IRO) has always been able to review whether the kick is touched. Starting in 2015, the IRO may also review whether the kicking team blocks before being eligible to touch the ball; if they do, it is a foul. The rules committee feels that because of the enormous potential for the kicking team to get possession of the ball as the result of blocking too early, the IRO should be able to review this play and possibly "create a foul" from the replay booth.
Army second-year head coach Jeff Monken, coming off a 4-8 campaign in his initial season, will rely on a roster that includes 77 freshmen.
The Black Knights posted wins against Buffalo (47-39), Ball State (33-24), Connecticut (35-21) and Fordham (42-31) in Monken's first season.
Army is 95-27-3 all-time in the first game of the season and has won its last two home-openers.
Army does return 25 players who started at least one game last season, including 12 on offense.
While Larry Dixon, Terry Baggett, Raymond Maples, Angel Santiago, Tony Giovannelli and Trenton Turrentine have been lost to graduation, quarterback A.J. Schurr and running backs Aaron Kemper, Matt Giachinta and Joe Walker have experience in the triple-option offense. John Trainor, a wide receiver as a freshman, has been moved to running back to add depth.
Schurr, a senior and Ahmad Bradshaw, a sophomore, have been competing for the starting quarterback job. Schurr played in 12 games with two starts in 2014. He ran for 320 yards and three scores and completed 12-of-28 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown. Bradshaw has not taken a college snap.
On defense, Army returns its top four tacklers from last season. Jeremy Timpf made 117 stops, Josh Jenkins 64, Andrew King 63 and Chris Carnegie 54 a year ago. Timpf and King will be the starting inside linebackers with Carnegie and Jenkins in the secondary.
The Black Knights will have to replace defensive line stalwarts Joe Drummond, Richard Glover and Mike Ugenyi. Senior T.J. Atimalala and sophomore John Voit are expected to see an increase in snaps.
Army does return the bulk of its special teams units. Kicker Daniel Grochowski, punter Alex Tardieu and long snapper Connor Farley all return for their senior season. Grochowski was successful on 6-of-13 field goals last season and averaged 57.3 yards per kickoff. Tardieu punted 44 times for an average of 39.3 yards per boot. Eighteen of his punts were inside the opponents' 20 yard line and six were 50 yards or longer.
PLAYING WITH HEAVY HEARTS
Sean Callahan, 12, who the Army football team adopted through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, passed away on August 22. Head coach Jeff Monken, his staff and the upperclassmen attended his services in Mahopac, N.Y.
"Our entire program is saddened to hear about the passing of our teammate, Sean Callahan," Monken said. "Sean was the toughest young man you would ever want to meet. He taught our players and staff so much about overcoming adversity, about working hard and about enjoying life. He became part of the Army football brotherhood. We are grateful we had the opportunity to spend time with Sean and his terrific family and we will value the lessons he taught us. Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with Sean's family at this terribly difficult time."
Callahan joined the Black Knights in June of 2014 in conjunction with the New York Yankees HOPE Week and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
Callahan, who suffered from brain tumors, had a locker with the Black Knights and attended every home game during the 2014 season as well as the contest at Yankee Stadium. He was a vital part of the annual team awards banquet, helping Monken distribute the awards.
During the annual Black-Gold Spring Game, Callahan was voted the game's most valuable player after he ran for a 73-yard touchdown on the first play of the contest setting off a wild celebration that included him being carried off the field as players chanted his name. He also ran for a 75-yard touchdown to conclude the scoring in the game.
ABOUT THE RAMS
Fordham went 11-3 in 2014, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs where a loss to New Hampshire ended its season.
The Rams, under fourth-year head coach Joe Moorhead, were picked to win the Patriot League and return a host of talent from a postseason squad in 2014, including 46 letterwinners.
Chase Edmonds was selected as the league preseason offensive player of the year after winning the Jerry Rice Award as the top NCAA FCS freshman last season. He ran for 1,838 yards and 23 touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 121 yards in his rookie campaign.
Linebacker Stephen Hodge was picked as the league preseason defensive player of the year. He missed all of 2014 with an injury and posted 124 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and five sacks the year prior.
HELMET STICKERS
The Army football team will continue to honor the U.S. Army this season, wearing helmet stickers for the below divisions.
9/4 Fordham: 1st Infantry Division
9/12 at Connecticut: 7th Infantry Division
9/19 Wake Forest: 82nd Airborne
9/26 at Eastern Michigan: 2nd Infantry Division
10/3 at Penn State: 101st Airborne
10/10 Duke: 25th Infantry Division
10/17 Bucknell: 1st Armored Division
10/24 at Rice: 1st Calvary Division
11/7 at Air Force: 25th Infantry Division
11/14 Tulane: 3rd Infantry Division
11/21 Rutgers 10th Mountain Division
12/12 Navy: Players will wear specific stickers
CLASSROOM SUCCESS
The Army football team continues to excel in the classroom. The team improved its grade point average .13 points in the spring, raising the team GPA to the highest it has been since 1977.
SCHEDULE CHANGE
Army will use Monday as its day off this season and will practice on Sunday. In Monken's first season, the team utilized Sunday as its mandated off day.
125 YEARS OF ARMY FOOTBALL
Army football be celebrating 125 years during the 2015 season. Game program stories will highlight the years of the Black Knights with a special commemorative cover for the Bucknell contest.
Army began playing football in 1890 and shows a 661-498-51 all-time record.
This year is also the 92nd season that the Black Knights have called Michie Stadium home.
BLOGGING ALONG
Junior linebacker Andrew King will offer a blog during the season, called King in the Middle, providing insights into the Black Knights. King's entries can be found at www.GoArmyWestPoint.com.
BLACK AND GOLD NFL
A trio of Army football players continue their National Football League dreams.
Collin Mooney, a 2009 graduate, is a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Mooney, a fullback, spent two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, before moving to Atlanta.
Alejandro Villanueva, a 2010 West Point graduate, is with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Villanueva served two tours overseas before being invited to Philadelphia Eagles camp. He spent last season on the Steelers practice squad and is trying to make the roster as a backup offensive lineman. Villanueva was used as a tight end and defensive lineman at Army.
Trent Steelman, a 2013 graduate, was invited to the Baltimore Ravens' camp as a wide receiver.
THE CAPTAINS
Senior fullback Matt Giachinta and junior linebacker Jeremy Timpf have been named team captains for the 2015 season following a vote by their teammates in the spring.
Timpf is the first underclassmen to hold the role since Stephen Anderson in 2009.
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Army West Point head coach Jeff Monken has also instituted a team leadership council. The group includes players from all four classes and includes frequent meetings with Monken and staff to determine team issues like uniforms, discipline and goal setting.
The 2015 Leadership Council includes: Jeremy Timpf, Matt Giachinta, Chris Carnegie, A.J. Schurr, Kelvin White, Matt Hugenberg, Andrew King, Joe Walker, Scott Washle, John Voit, Calen Holt, Luke Langdon and Darnell Woolfolk
SUMMER LEADERS
Members of the Army West Point football team are not only finding success on the gridiron and classroom, but also in military training as well.
Joshua Boylan and Justin Fahn were recently recognized for their hard work during separate summer training sessions.
Boylan, an offensive lineman from Tyler, Texas, was named the most outstanding cadet for Cadet Field Training. Fahn, a linebacker from Bristol, Tenn., received similar honors for Cadet Leader Development Training.
Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy participate in training to instill the foundational military competencies necessary to win in a complex world while inspiring for professional excellence.
Summer training is focused on being proficient as a soldier and as a member of the team, solving tactical problems, understanding roles of officers and non-commissioned officers, demonstrating effective leadership and demonstrating courage, character, integrity and toughness.
Cadet Field Training (CFT) is a three-week session while Cadet Leader Development Training (CLDT) lasts two weeks.
Most Outstanding Cadets are selected by their assessments on highest scores for patrols for CLDT and who received the highest marks on tasks and scores for CFT.
CFT is designed to train, mentor, and assess basic leadership skills focusing on Troop Leading Procedures (TLPs), effective communication, and tactical decision making in order to develop competent and confident small unit leaders capable of operating in an uncertain and rapidly changing environment. In a series of tactical scenarios that reflect the Decisive Action Training Environment, cadets rotate through leadership positions which provide the cadet with a common experience to further enhance their leadership ability to solve difficult tactical problems, lead under stress and develop the technical proficiencies expected of 2nd Lieutenants.
CLDT assesses juniors and seniors abilities to lead under stress, solve tactical problems and demonstrate proficiency in individual, leader and small unit tasks. The training and assessment contributes to each cadet's development as a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in their service.
Cadet Field Training is a three-week program of instruction that emphasizes general military skills, individual preparedness training, preparations for extended field operations, and leading, participating in, and conducting small unit tactical operations. The purpose of CFT is to develop, train, test, and validate specific tasks; prepare cadets to assume duties as non-commissioned officers in the Corps of Cadets; instill the warrior ethos in each cadet; and inspire each cadet to professional excellence through physically- and mentally demanding training.
FIRST AND GOAL
Army West Point head football coach Jeff Monken and his staff were among the counselors that participated in Lauren's First and Goal Foundation football camp at Lafayette College over the summer.
More than 2,100 athletes were on hand for the one-day high school camp and a bevy of coaches, including the Army West Point staff, provided instruction.
Army West Point assistant coach John Loose is the founder of Lauren's First and Goal Foundation. His daughter, Lauren, was front and center when Michigan head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the campers. Monken was last year's featured speaker and is an honorary foundation board member.
Lauren's First and Goal Foundation's mission is to fund pediatric brain tumor research and patient services and assisting families living with the disease. More than $114,000 was raised at the 12th annual Pennsylvania camp. Another camp was also held in Ohio at Otterbein University where Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was the featured speaker.
"We want to thank Jim Harbaugh for bringing his entire staff and sharing a great message with the campers, families, coaches, volunteers and fans," said Loose. "I also want to thank our major sponsors, the Marines, Coordinated Health and Schutt Reconditioning, for their generous sponsorship at the Pennsylvania camp. We also couldn't do this without the many local businesses that provided critical in-kind donations and support, the Lafayette College football staff and community for their tremendous support over the last 12 years, and the hundreds of loyal and dedicated volunteers that come back to help year after year."
Lauren's First and Goal Foundation has awarded $1.46 million to pediatric research, patient services and families since 2004.
THE CLASS OF 2019
Approximately 1,270 cadet candidates, including 280 women, 425 minorities, 17 international cadets and 13 combat veterans began Cadet Basic Training this summer.
The incoming class was selected from a pool of 16,000 applicants. The 280 women represent 22 percent of the class. Minority enrollment, roughly 33 percent, includes 189 African-Americans, 93 Asian-Americans, 119 Hispanic-Americans and 10 Native Americans.
The Class of 2019 includes cadets from every state in the nation and 17 international cadets entering the class under the sponsorship of their respective countries. The countries represented include Bangladesh, Guyana, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Malaysia, Pakistan (two), Panama, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Upon graduation, these cadets will return to their respective countries as officers in their armed forces.
NEW TURF
Michie Stadium has new turf for the 2015 season. The playing surface at the historic stadium was replaced over the summer.
Michie Stadium had FieldTurf Revolution installed as well as new branding reflecting the Black Knights' new logo.
FieldTurf Revolution, the result of innovative science, engineering and technology provides a soft, strong monofilament fiber with extraordinary durability and longevity. A three-layer infill system and state-of-the-art SureLock coating method are underneath the turf.
Michie Stadium will have limited permanent markings on the surface, allowing for an easy transition from football to men's lacrosse to women's lacrosse. All three sports use different line markers and with the new field, lines will be painted on for specific competitions.
BOWLING IN 2015
The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Army West Point's primary bowl affiliation for the 2015 season, has announced the game will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 23. Kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
The Black Knights will compete in San Diego against a team from the Mountain West.
The afternoon kick-off time is a first for the bowl game and will be followed by a massive fireworks display.
Army West Point is looking to make its first bowl game appearance since beating SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2010.
The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl is celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2015.
GAME DAY IS BACK
For the second consecutive year, ESPN's College Gameday will broadcast live from Philadelphia prior to the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Saturday, Dec. 12.
ESPN's signature college football show will air from Philadelphia, Pa., the site of the 116th Army-Navy Game presented by USAA.
College Gameday, with host Rece Davis and analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard, are expected in Philadelphia for the show.
College Gameday was at West Point, N.Y., on Sept. 27, 2003, prior to the Black Knights' game against South Florida. Lightning and heavy rains in both Connecticut and West Point cut the show short. The set was arranged between Doubleday Field and the library on Patton Field.
Last December the show made its Army-Navy debut from the inner harbor of Baltimore, Md.
Â
SPECIAL TEAMS
The last time Army scored a special teams touchdown was against Temple on Sept. 29, 2007. Corey Anderson returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a score and Jeremy Trimble returned a punt for an 85-yard touchdown opposite the Owls.
Army has gone 451 kickoffs and 332 returns and 334 punts and 121 punt returns without a score.
SUMMER TRAINING
In 2014, Army altered its summer training, moving up the time the players spend in the field and allowing the team the opportunity to take a class and train in the summer.
Traditionally, players took leave and participated in summer military training. Now, training starts around the time of graduation and players gather at West Point for school and training, forgoing their leave time.
CLASS MOTTO
One of the duties of the new cadets is selecting a class motto. That motto, selected during Cadet Basic Training, is displayed during March Back on a large banner during the 12-mile return to West Point. The Class mottos are
2019 So Freedom Will Reign
2018 So Others May Dream
2017 With Honor We Lead
2016 For Those We Lead
12TH MAN
Army has retired four numbers and does not issue number 12, a number reserved for the Corps of Cadets as the 12th man.
Numbers 24 (Pete Dawkins), 35 (Felix "Doc" Blanchard) and 41 (Glenn Davis) have been retired for Heisman Trophy winners, while Joe Steffy's number 61 is also retired.
ARMY/CBS SPORTS NETWORK
Army West Point is in its sixth season of an exclusive television agreement with CBS Sports Network that ensures all Black Knights home football games are broadcast live on national television.
In January, Army and CBS Sports announced a five-year agreement that runs through 2019. As part of the agreement, most of the Black Knights games will be played in the afternoon. It also calls for CBS Sports Network to broadcast neutral site contests where Army is the home team.
OFFICER PLAQUE
As the Army football team enters the field, one of the long traditions is to touch the Officer plaque. A team member holds the plaque aloft and the players reach up as they are passing by.
The plaque states: "I want an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point football player." Gen. George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army during World War II, made the statement at the Pentagon when he needed an officer to train and lead a ranger-type battalion on a secret mission.
SUPERINTENDENT
Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen, Jr. became the 59th Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on July 17, 2013.
Lt. Gen. Caslen graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1975. He earned master's degrees from Long Island University and Kansas State University.
Caslen earned varsity letters as a member of the football team in 1973 and 1974 as an offensive lineman.
Previous to this assignment, Lt. Gen. Caslen served as the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq. His prior deployments and assignments include serving as the commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the command that oversees the Command and General Staff College and 17 other schools, centers, and training programs located throughout the United States; commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and commanding general of the Multi-National Division-North during Operation Iraqi Freedom; Commandant of Cadets for the U.S. Military Academy; Deputy Director for the War on Terrorism, J-5, The Joint Staff; Assistant Division Commander (maneuver), 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized); Chief of Staff, 10th Mountain Division (Light); Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force Mountain during Operation Enduring Freedom; Commander, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Chief of Staff, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Senior Brigade C2 Observer/Controller, Operations Group, Joint Readiness Training Center; Commander, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Light); Executive Officer to the Deputy Commander in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy; J-3 in Honduras for Joint Task Force Bravo; Brigade Operations Officer, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Lt. Gen. Caslen's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters. He has earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and is Airborne, Air Assault, and Ranger qualified.
THIS WEEK IN ARMY FOOTBALL
The first "This Week in Army Football" radio show will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.
Head coach Jeff Monken will join Assistant Athletic Director for Multi Media Rich DeMarco as well as an assistant coach and former player.
The show is held at the "relocated" First Class Club which has been moved to the Class of '63 Lounge at Eisenhower Hall. For the 2014 season, fans can attend the show in the former Benny's Lounge, on the third floor of Eisenhower Hall in Crest Hall.
Food and beverage specials, the opportunity to ask questions of the Army head coach and prizes will all be offered.
For those fans unable to make the show live, WALL 1340-AM and WEOK 1390-AM will air the show and a video stream will be offered at www.GoArmyWestPoint.com.
Â
SPIRIT LUNCHEONS
 The first Spirit Luncheons, presented by USAA, will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Â
Lunch will be held at the West Point Club at the U.S. Military Academy and begin promptly at noon with food service beginning at 11:15 a.m. Head coach Jeff Monken and selected players and coaches will be part of the program. Tickets are $10 in advance (845-938-5120) or $12 at the door.
RULE CHANGES
A few rule changes will be in effect for the 2015 season, courtesy of the National Football Foundation
Crew of Eight Officials: Based on an approved experiment by the Big 12 Conference, the rules now allow for eight officials. The eighth official, the center judge (with the letter "C" on the uniform), is positioned in the offensive backfield opposite the referee.Â
Non-Standard Overbuilt Facemasks Are Illegal: This is a facemask characterized by greater weight and closer spacing between the bars. Use of the facemask is a safety issue as opponents can easily get their fingers caught in the tight space. The NFL outlawed this facemask a few years ago.Â
Illegal Equipment: Player is Out for One Play: Up until now, if the officials noticed that a player was wearing illegal equipment, the team was charged one of its three timeouts. The new rule is that the player must leave the game for at least one play and may not return until the equipment is made legal. His team may burn a timeout to keep him from missing a down, but the equipment must be corrected before he is allowed to play.Â
Pregame Warm-Ups: Teams Guaranteed Access to the Field: By the new rule, the teams are now guaranteed that they may remain on the field for pregame warm-ups until at least 22 minutes before the opening kickoff. The committee was concerned that teams were being forced to leave the field early because of other pregame activities, and thus were having to spend too much time in the locker room before the kickoff. The new rule may be suspended for a given game by prior mutual agreement of the teams.
Resetting the Play Clock When the Ball is Not Ready for Play: When the play clock begins its count from 40 seconds, on rare occasions the officials will have difficulty getting a new ball from the sidelines. In such a case after some period of time, the referee will stop the game clock and signal for the play clock to be reset to 25 seconds. In previous years, this was done after 20 seconds had elapsed. This has been changed to 15 seconds, to prevent too much time from running off the clock. This happens very seldom, but there must be a rule to deal with it.Â
Helmet off Defensive Player: Play Clock Set to 40 Seconds: When a player's helmet comes off, the game clock is stopped, and the player must leave the game for one play. In past years, the play clock has been set to 25 seconds. Last year, however, there were a few situations near the end of a half where this happened with more than 25 seconds on the game clock; this forces the offense to have to snap the ball one more time when they were trying to run out the clock. So now the play clock is set to 40 seconds when a defensive player loses his helmet, and still to 25 seconds when it is a player on offense. This is also consistent with the rule for stopping the game due to an injured player.Â
Pushing or Pulling an Opponent off the Pile: Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Player safety continues to be a major emphasis of the rules committee. This new rule addresses player action at the end of a fumble play, for example, when several players are scuffling for the ball in a pile. Starting in 2015, if a player forcibly pulls or pushes an opponent off the pile, he is to be charged with unsportsmanlike conduct. Here's why this is important: if a player is flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct twice in the game, he is automatically disqualified after the second offense. The committee believes this will be a major deterrent to this kind of action, which can lead to more trouble and potential injury.Â
Sideline Warning Returns: An important point of emphasis for the rules committee and the officials is keeping the sidelines clean. This means that players and coaches are not allowed in the restricted area---the space between the sidelines and the coaches' box and team area. For a long time, the first infraction led to a sideline warning, with no yardage penalty. After a few years the rule was changed to assess a five-yard penalty for the first offense. Now, we are returning to the warning for the first infraction. No yardage penalty will result until the second offense.
Instant Replay: Blocking During an On-Side Kick May Be Reviewed: One of the important rules about kickoffs is that the kicking team is not allowed to touch the ball until it has gone ten yards, unless a receiver touches the ball first. After it has gone ten yards, either team may get the ball. A rule that is not so well known is that the kicking team may not block until they are eligible to touch the ball. The instant replay official (IRO) has always been able to review whether the kick is touched. Starting in 2015, the IRO may also review whether the kicking team blocks before being eligible to touch the ball; if they do, it is a foul. The rules committee feels that because of the enormous potential for the kicking team to get possession of the ball as the result of blocking too early, the IRO should be able to review this play and possibly "create a foul" from the replay booth.
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LS
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
K
/ Football
LB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
SB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
P
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
RB
/ FootballJeff Monken Weekly Press Conference - September 16th, 2025
Wednesday, September 17
This Week in Army Football: Week 3 - North Texas
Tuesday, September 16
Army West Point Rugby vs Walsh University (12-SEP-25)
Friday, September 12
Army at Kansas State Recap
Thursday, September 11