2008 Woodie Awards
Past Coaches Reflect On Football's History
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Sports
In the spring of 1970, Ray Tellier was a sophomore quarterback at UConn competing for a starting job in spring practice. But on May 5 that all changed.
The team captains demanded that the team stop spring practice and instead join the 8 million students nationwide who were "on strike" after the brutal killings of four Kent State students, who were shot by the national guard for protesting against America's invasion of Cambodia.
Tellier turned to Rick Robustelli, the team's starting quarterback, and said he didn't know what to do.
Neither did Robustelli.
Both came from football backgrounds. Tellier's father was a high school coach and Robustelli's dad, Andy, played for the New York Giants.
"I remember turning to him and saying 'Our dads will kill us if we don't go to practice,'" Tellier said.
And so they both suited up, but with very few others willing to do the same, Tellier's spring ended shortly and the annual spring Blue and White game was cancelled.
Fastforward 38 years, and Tellier is right back in the same position - except this time, he'll be able to take part in the Blue and White game.
Tellier, who went on to become the second winningest coach in the history of Columbia University, was named an assistant coach of the Blue team, and he couldn't hold back his excitement upon hearing the news.
"Coach Edsall's done such a terrific job taking the program to where he has," Tellier said. "I can't wait to just be a little part of it just for a day."
Tellier will serve as an assistant for his old head coach at UConn, Bob Casciola, who walked the sidelines for the Huskies from 1969-1972. It being his first coaching stint, Casciola described his time at UConn as a learning experience, and if that was so, he certainly learned a lot.
Casciola became the Executive Vice President of the New Jersey Nets and in 1991 was named Executive of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. In 2004, he received the National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award, which has also been handed out to Joe Paterno, Pete Rozelle, Vince Lombardi, and Wellington Mara. Casciola's accomplishments do not diminish his eagerness to coach the 2008 Huskies, however.
The team captains demanded that the team stop spring practice and instead join the 8 million students nationwide who were "on strike" after the brutal killings of four Kent State students, who were shot by the national guard for protesting against America's invasion of Cambodia.
Tellier turned to Rick Robustelli, the team's starting quarterback, and said he didn't know what to do.
Neither did Robustelli.
Both came from football backgrounds. Tellier's father was a high school coach and Robustelli's dad, Andy, played for the New York Giants.
"I remember turning to him and saying 'Our dads will kill us if we don't go to practice,'" Tellier said.
And so they both suited up, but with very few others willing to do the same, Tellier's spring ended shortly and the annual spring Blue and White game was cancelled.
Fastforward 38 years, and Tellier is right back in the same position - except this time, he'll be able to take part in the Blue and White game.
Tellier, who went on to become the second winningest coach in the history of Columbia University, was named an assistant coach of the Blue team, and he couldn't hold back his excitement upon hearing the news.
"Coach Edsall's done such a terrific job taking the program to where he has," Tellier said. "I can't wait to just be a little part of it just for a day."
Tellier will serve as an assistant for his old head coach at UConn, Bob Casciola, who walked the sidelines for the Huskies from 1969-1972. It being his first coaching stint, Casciola described his time at UConn as a learning experience, and if that was so, he certainly learned a lot.
Casciola became the Executive Vice President of the New Jersey Nets and in 1991 was named Executive of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. In 2004, he received the National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award, which has also been handed out to Joe Paterno, Pete Rozelle, Vince Lombardi, and Wellington Mara. Casciola's accomplishments do not diminish his eagerness to coach the 2008 Huskies, however.
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