90-Wide/Thursday Night Touchdown Club with Bishop McManus

Well done, Larry! Everybody, please take 3 minutes to watch the video. It is GOLD!

Major thanks to Jen Toland of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette for her coverage of this event: www.telegram.com/news/20191122/college-football-holy-cross-players-coaches-alumni-community-come-together-for-weekly-thursday-night-touchdown-club

This commentary and the TV 3 coverage displayed above have gone absolutely viral on social media. Amazing what can happen when stories of this sort that embrace and elevate Faith, Family, Football, and Friendship/Community are promoted in the midst of our chaotic and secular world. 

I want to specifically thank the public officials who attended and addressed the team. DA Joe Early, Worcester Chamber of Commerce CEO/President Tim Murray, and Worcester City Councilman and HC graduate Matt Wally were tremendous in their remarks. Early specifically has launched an internship program in his office for the Crusaders (special thanks to Whitey Moynihan for being the catalyst for that). Major props to the owners of Stronger Fitness (Whitey Moynihan, Frank Nash, Quinn Moynihan, and our HC MBB HOF legend Keith Simmons) for graciously hosting this event. 

Special thanks to Bishop Robert McManus for his incredibly gracious manner and distinction in speaking to the Crusaders and all those in attendance. What an honor to have the Bishop with us and convey his blessing brought back from Pope Francis himself. WOW!! 

The bulk of the credit for this event goes to our fabulous Head Football Coach Bob Chesney for his leadership and Whitey Moynihan '83 for his execution.  

A truly great night for Holy Cross, the Crusaders, and the City of Worcester. Everybody wins. Now speaking of winning, we have a game today . . .    

LET'S WIN!!    

College football: Holy Cross players, coaches, alumni, community come together for weekly Thursday Night Touchdown Club

WORCESTER — Holy Cross football coach Bob Chesney’s career brought him to the “Heart of the Commonwealth” seven years ago when he was hired at Assumption.

Chesney and his wife, Andrea, own a home in Worcester. Their children, Lyla, Hudson and Bo, attend Nelson Place Elementary School. Bo was born here.

“For me,” Chesney said, “calling Worcester home is important.”

Also essential, Chesney, who is in his second season at HC, believes, is integrating his players in the Worcester community.

“These guys call it home, too,” Chesney said, “but they don’t leave campus as much as you think.”

This fall, with support from the Friends of Crusader Football and spearheaded by Holy Cross graduates John “Whitey” Moynihan, Larry Doyle and Mark Cannon, the HC football program launched the Thursday Night Touchdown Club, an initiative that promotes camaraderie, community involvement and alumni connections.

Each Thursday night throughout this season, Chesney and a positional group visited a local restaurant — O’Connor’s, Volturno, Pampas Brazilian Steak House, Wicked Wings, Pepe’s, Quinn’s and Peppercorn’s among them — handed out tickets to an upcoming game and mingled with patrons, staff and owners.

“We’re all in our Holy Cross (logo) polo shirts,” senior running back Domenic Cozier said, “so when we walk in everyone is like, ‘Oh, that’s the Holy Cross football team.’ It’s nice having that support. People will come up to us and say, ‘Good luck this Saturday.’ Knowing the city of Worcester is rooting for us, we really like that. We really appreciate that.”

Moynihan, Doyle and Cannon reached out to fellow alums to fund the dinners, and Moynihan lined up the restaurants.

“It was great leadership on Bob’s part, ‘How do we formulate programs to connect Holy Cross football closer to the city?’ ” Doyle said, “and this Thursday Night Touchdown Club was his vision. Whitey executed here locally, I reached out to our alumni to raise some funds, and it’s been an incredible success. It’s tightened the bonds among the team and the alumni, but ultimately the college to the city community, and that’s fabulous.”

The Thursday Night Touchdown Club is another venue of the Holy Cross Gridiron Leadership Council’s “90-Wide” Mentoring Program that connects alums to current Crusaders and promotes the Friends of Crusader Football mission, “a commitment to excellence in winning on and off the field.”

The entire Holy Cross team gathered for the final Thursday Night Touchdown Club dinner this week, less than 48 hours before the Crusaders play for the Patriot League championship Saturday at Fitton Field. A win over Georgetown and Holy Cross claims the PL crown for the first time since 2009.

Stronger Personal Training, a fitness gym in Worcester owned by Frank Nash, Whitey Moynihan and his son, Quinn, and former Holy Cross basketball star Keith Simmons, hosted Thursday’s dinner — folding banquet tables were covered in purple tablecloths — and players enjoyed ribs, chicken and cornbread from The Coop Barbecue in Millbury.

“It’s nice to have the whole team here,” HC senior safety Corey Stefanik said. “It feels like family. It’s good to all be together.”

Special guests Bishop Robert J. McManus and Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., as well as Matthew Wally, District 5 city councilor and a Holy Cross graduate, and Tim Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, each addressed the team and offered encouragement for Saturday’s game and beyond.

Chesney said he has received a lot of positive feedback about the Thursday Night Touchdown Club from his players, restaurant owners and their patrons, the community and Holy Cross alums.

“We want to raise some awareness about the program and involve ourselves in the lives of people in the community,” Chesney said, “and hopefully they’ll involve their lives in ours as well. We have to win if we want the community involved, and we have to get out and get involved with them. We’ve done that; now we have to continue to try to win some football games. (Worcester) is a community I’m proud to be part of, and I hope it’s one that’s proud to be part of our team.”

—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @jentandg.

I know the use of the "Worcester's Team" (with video) played to mixed reviews in hoops. However, I hope to see it used more in the coming football season (and perhaps for a playoff game promotional video this year?).I am getting to like the way it sounds!