To the players and coaches in “America’s Game,” presented by USAA, pride, service and leadership are fundamental.
Pride. Service. Commitment.
Those were among the values echoed by players and coaches throughout Media Day on Dec. 3, leading up to the Army-Navy Game, presented by USAA.
Landon Robinson, a Navy defensive lineman, was recruited via social media during the onset of COVID. Now, he plans to be an officer in the Marine Corps.
“Throughout that process, that's where I really fell in love with the idea,” Robinson said of choosing the Naval Academy over 30 other Division I offers. “You play great football. It’s great academically. And it's really going to develop me more as a person and as a leader in the future. It's a 40-year decision, not a four-year decision. It's truly an honor to be here and truly an honor to have the opportunity to serve my country.”
Army linebacker Kalib Forner is looking forward to wearing the special uniform paying tribute to the service branch’s 250-year history.
“When we put on the uniform and represent a unit, the men and women who have served in that unit take great pride in that,” he said. “But this year we're representing the Army as a whole, the veterans of the Army, the people that currently serve in the Army. It means a great deal for us to represent the entire Army for this game.”
Tune in to watch America's Game on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. Eastern on CBS. The American Legion is the first veterans service organization to sponsor the game in its 126-year history through an Associate Level Sponsorship.
It’s conceivable during the Army-Navy Game that one William V. Campbell Trophy finalist will tackle another. Or the former will sprint past the latter for a long run.
Andon Thomas, an Army linebacker, and Blake Horvath, Navy’s quarterback, are among the 16 finalists for the Campbell award, often referred to as the “Academic Heisman.” This year’s recipient will be announced Tuesday before the Dec. 13 Army-Navy clash.
Thomas has a 3.98 GPA and is studying chemical engineering with a goal to eventually return to West Point to teach the subject. Even though he grew up in a military family, Thomas wasn’t interested until he visited West Point during the summer before his senior year.
“I just knew it was right in my heart, my soul,” he recalled. “After talking to people, I committed shortly thereafter. It's been a great blessing. Being able to play football at the highest level is truly a blessing. But also playing for something more meaningful, playing for the United States Army and being able to serve after is tremendous.”
West Point is a hard place, Thomas said.
“One thing I've really learned coming to the academy is being able to ask for help and being vulnerable,” he explained. “You can't do West Point by yourself. I've been able to ask my peers, mentors, coaches, officers, teachers, literally everyone who's been able to help me.”
Horvath, who has a 3.69 GPA, is studying operations research and plans to be a Navy pilot.
“It's really special to not only be recognized for what's done on the field, but off the field as well,” he said. “I think my parents are more proud of that than anything. My mom and dad have always preached to me to be a better person than you are an athlete.”
Horvath demonstrates leadership on the field, in the classroom and will eventually in the Navy.
“It's really special to represent something that's bigger than ourselves, bigger than just our team,” he said. “We're representing the whole Navy and really the whole Marine Corps on top of that. Being able to represent them is really special for our team and so we hope that we represent them well.”
Forner’s twin brother, Liam, also plays for Army. Their family has a long military history. Both parents are Navy veterans and their grandfather received a Purple Heart for his service in the Vietnam War.
“It is pretty awesome looking back and seeing my family history, from my grandfather to my parents who were both enlisted in the Navy,” he said. “And to finally join that line of sacrifice, commitment and service, it's very special.”
This year, Navy enters the game ranked 23rd in the nation with a 9-2 record while Army is 6-5. But records don’t matter in this historic rivalry. The most recent example being last year as Navy upset Army, 31-13, when the Cadets were ranked 22nd in the nation.
“In college football, this one's special, it's unique, it's different,” Navy head coach Brian Newberry said. “For me, it's an honor and privilege to coach in the game, to be a part of it first and foremost. But it's an opportunity to shine a spotlight on our players. The stories show what these guys do on a daily basis, show who they are and how they do things. An opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on the Army, the Navy, Marine Corps, our armed forces.”
Army coach Jeff Monken agrees.
“It's a great source of pride for all of us, for coaches, for the players to be able to represent our men and women who serve and have served for 250 years, defending the freedoms of this nation,” he said. “It really is an honor and a privilege. This is really a special game.”
- News