Sept. 25, 2009
It was a cool, overcast afternoon two Saturdays ago when the Navy football team opened the home portion of their 2009 schedule against the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech. The gloomy skies seemed to match the gloomy mood of the Navy faithful, when Phillip Livas returned a punt 85 yards to give the visitors from Ruston a 14-0 lead after only six minutes. With dusk approaching and a persistent threat of rain, the skies didn't get any brighter; the mood within the stadium, however, did. The Mids fought back behind a relentless defense and Marcus Curry's 124 yards rushing, holding Louisiana Tech scoreless the rest of the way and securing a 32-14 win. Treating fans to a victory is a good way to start any home campaign, but it feels especially good this season as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of that home: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. And celebrate we should.
It might sound a little strange, but the stadium, as the epicenter of the Navy football world, has had a significant impact on my life. Many people that enter the Naval Academy bring with them the sporting allegiances of their formative days, becoming Navy fans only after arriving on the banks of the Severn. That wasn't the case for me. My father is an Academy graduate-- class of 1974-- so I was fortunate enough to grow up as a Navy fan. While my friends cheered for their local stars, my heroes were named Grizzard, McBeth, and Van Matre. When his career eventually brought him to the Pentagon, my father decided we were close enough to Annapolis to buy season tickets. As excited as I was at the time, I could not have imagined how that decision would change my life.
Our seats were on the upper deck of the Gold side, next to the megaphone-wielding, rollicking Class of 1958. It was from here that I saw my first Brigade march-on parade, and heard the blast of the cannon. From here, I laughed as my Tomcat-pilot father critiqued the flyby each week, and where I felt the joy of seeing 4,000 uniformed midshipmen erupt with every Navy touchdown. After the game, it was on to one of the dozens of impromptu class reunions taking place in the parking lot, as my father and I tailgated with the same friends and classmates that, years earlier, marched side by side with him on that very field. It was then that I knew I wanted to be a part of the same experience. Perhaps there are nobler reasons to attend the Naval Academy, but I didn't need any more convincing. Soon I was the one marching onto the field, cheering the team, tailgating with friends, and receiving my commission--all in the shadow of the tall, white building born from the hard work of Morris Gilmore and Eugene Fluckey five decades ago.
My story is probably not unique. Indeed, any Academy graduate might understandably feel a connection to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, although being an alumnus is hardly necessary. To appreciate what the stadium brings to Annapolis, one could simply be a football fan, happy that Navy's marquee games no longer have to be moved out of town. In the primordial days of college football, the Midshipmen played at Thompson Stadium, a rambling set of wooden bleachers located on the site of what is now Lejeune Hall. The 12,000-seat facility was an ideal venue when it opened during the college game's semi-organized, barnstorming infancy in 1912: on the Yard, situated between Bancroft Hall and the seawall. However, as the game became more popular and Navy became a bigger factor on the national scene, the Midshipmen played more and more home games in Baltimore in order to handle the increased ticket demand. By 1958, Navy rarely played more than a game or two in Annapolis each year, and in fact would occasionally skip Thompson Stadium altogether. That would begin to change in 1959, when Navy football would finally get a suitable Annapolis home.
And what a home it has been. There are larger stadiums in college football, but none would make a more perfect setting for Navy football. These are the grounds that hosted Bellino, Staubach, McCallum, and McCoy. This is the canvas on which gridiron artists like McNallen, Byrne, Moeller, and Campbell crafted their finest performances. This is where John Cartwright connected with Rob Taylor with less than a minute remaining to lift Navy over Penn State. This is where Eric Rutherford had the game of a lifetime--11 tackles, 4 sacks, a blocked field goal, and a forced fumble-- to lead Navy over second-ranked South Carolina. This is where Joey Bullen hustled onto a wet and windy field at literally the last second to nail a 46-yard field goal that sent Air Force packing. This is also where, over the years, Annapolis has been given a taste of some of college football's most notable people: coaches like Lou Holtz, Joe Paterno, and Dick MacPherson; past luminaries like John Cappelletti, Doug Flutie, Larry Csonka, Ty Detmer, and Tony Dorsett; even more modern NFL stars like LaDanian Tomlinson, Tiki Barber, Phillip Rivers, and Jay Cutler. Annapolis has seen some big-time football over the last 50 years; games that, without Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, would have been moved elsewhere.
While the stadium's main tenant is Navy football, it has brought far more to the community-- everything from high school football to the Olympics. The post-renovation stadium is the finest lacrosse venue in the world. The Bilderback-Moore Navy Lacrosse Hall of Fame takes visitors through the rich, 100-year history of Navy lacrosse. The playing surface, sightlines, comfortable seating, media accommodations, and sheer size of the stadium make it ideal for hosting NCAA men's lacrosse quarterfinal games. Of the 25 largest regular-season crowds in NCAA men's lacrosse history, eight were in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The site also played host to the 2005 Women's Lacrosse World Cup and the 2005 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship. Professional lacrosse has gained a foothold in Annapolis as well, with the Washington Bayhawks moving to the stadium last year. Major League Lacrosse played its championship in Annapolis in 2009, and will continue to do so through 2011. In 1984, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium hosted six matches in the Olympic soccer tournament, including the group stages of eventual gold medalists, France, and bronze medalists, Yugoslavia. It seems incredible... Annapolis as an Olympic venue, made possible by the stadium we celebrate.
By the time the stadium reached its 40th anniversary, though, it wasn't so apparent that its 50th anniversary would be something to look forward to. Outside of a new locker room complex and scoreboard, the stadium had changed little since its opening in 1959. Chet Gladchuk, who oversaw renovations of Houston's football and basketball facilities during his tenure as AD, set out to bring Navy's aging coliseum into the 21st century. The playing surface was lowered seven feet, enabling the addition of seating closer to the field. Aluminum benches were replaced by modern, chair-back seating. The hill was moved closer to the action, and seating was installed in both end zones. Luxury boxes were also added, and the old press box was torn down and replaced. A total of $40 million was put into the multi-phase, three-year project. The end result was the finest facility of its size in the country.
"They've done a nice job," remarked head coach Ken Niumatalolo. "Chet and the foundation have done a great job getting money to renovate the stadium. Our stadium is as nice as any in the country. It's not the biggest stadium, but as far as elegance, class, and intimacy, it's as nice as they come."
According to Niumatalolo, the renovations also had an additional benefit.
"The Mids are a lot closer to the field. It's become a real advantage for us at home. Hopefully we can continue to win and try to get as many people as we can to make it a 12th man, because it definitely helps us."
Perhaps the most successful element of the stadium renovation was the enhancing of its function as a genuine memorial. The facility's most conspicuous feature has always been the list of battles lining the seating bowl. The sacrifice of Sailors and Marines from World War I to the present day are commemorated in names like Coral Sea, Yankee Station, and Desert Storm. As part of the renovation, the lettering used to spell out these battles was replaced with bolder, more prominent characters to draw the eyes of spectators. A memorial plaza was also created atop the north end zone hill, featuring arches dedicated to remembrance of battles, and the deeds of several Naval Academy classes. My personal favorite feature of the renovation was the relocation of the stadium's donation plaques to the plaza, listing the businesses, naval units, and even rival schools who felt that a memorial stadium for the Naval Services was a cause worthy of their support.
It's the function of the stadium as a memorial that resonates the most with today's team.
"To me the stadium represents the Naval Academy; The Navy, Marine Corps... Just what this whole place is about," said Niumatalolo. "Yeah, we're a football team, but ultimately they're going to serve our country... They're going to be Navy and Marine Corps officers. So when you see that stadium and what it represents, it helps bring back to reality what these kids are really here for. To play football is one thing, but there's a bigger cause, a bigger purpose."
Nobody on the team understands that purpose better than senior defensive end Cameron Marshall, a former Marine sergeant that completed two tours in Iraq.
"That stadium stands as a reminder that the people who go here and graduate from here aren't athletes first. They were born to serve first," said Marshall. "When you look up and you see Guadalcanal and Marianas, and think about those guys and what they gave for their country, it makes it a very special and unique place to play football. It has a dual meaning to it every time you walk on the ground there."
While he mentions two battles fought and won by his Marine predecessors, Marshall hopes to eventually see a more personal connection.
"I'd like to get Fallujah and Ramadi put up. I don't know if they're going to because they have Operation Enduring Freedom, but that would be special for me if they eventually get down to doing that. Maybe someday my brothers might be remembered in that stadium. That would be really special for me."
Offensive team captain Osei Asante stresses the importance of giving maximum effort every time the team takes that field.
"That's something that we establish every year, even when we're there for scrimmages. That is hallowed ground. Some great players have passed through there."
Many of those great players will be returning to Annapolis throughout the season, when the Naval Academy honors them as part of the stadium's anniversary festivities. The team that played in that first game will be there to see the Mids take on Western Kentucky, 50 years to the day from their 29-2 win over William & Mary. The first 5,000 fans will receive commemorative posters, and the team will be wearing throwback uniforms that evoke memories of 1959. It will undoubtedly be an event to remember. If you go, make sure to stroll around the old stadium a little more than usual. Take a look at the arches. Read the plaques. Reflect on the battles. Appreciate the tremendous facility we share, what it stands for, and the players that call it home.
And get ready for another great 50 years.
