College football is mostly played on Saturdays, yet the work student athletes put into their teams fills up eight days a week. For senior political science major Lamar Francis, four years of film analyzing, practice, and team bonding is about to end.
Francis and 12 other seniors put on their pads for the last time against the Skyhawks of Stonehill on Nov. 3. While the Setters have only won two games in three years, Francis and his teammates will remember watching countless hours of film on every opponent they faced.
“When I’m watching film I look for three things: holes, tendencies, and strengths,” Francis said. “I look for things in the opposing offense that we may have to concentrate on. For example, one team could be good at running short routes while another runs long routes. Since every team has weaknesses you have to take advantage of it; you want an idea of what an offense is going to do in this situation.”
When the student athletes were not watching film, there was a good chance Francis and his teammates were going to their 6 a.m. lifts or their 8 a.m. practices. And for Francis, it was that constant dedication to the team that may have been lost on the other students.
“It is the constant grind of sacrificing and balancing your work and social life every day,” Francis said. “I think the hardest part that people don’t think about is the lack of sleep, lack of free time, and balancing work every day.”
For Francis, the greatest memories of Pace football come from the “team bonding” exercises that occurred before the school year started. Francis said that the camaraderie that was developed over the four years lead to him making friends who shared the same experiences.
“There are certain things that we can talk about that we understand, that nobody else will ever fully understand,” Francis said. “There are some things that we’ve gone through that other people haven’t – good and bad.”
Between all the “team bonding” there was one event in the collegiate career of Francis that defined his experience at Pace. During Francis’ sophomore season the team lost teammate Danroy Henry.
“When it happened, the two feelings that come to mind right away would be depressed and shocked,” Francis said. “DJ was beloved for his personality, kind heart, and football prowess.”
While most of the Setters experienced the shadow of death taking one of their own, the team went through the five steps of grieving together. While nothing could bring Henry back, the team grew closer because they all suffered the same pain.
“You had more people around you who understood how you felt on a constant basis,” Francis said. “Everybody was more worried about taking care of each other than taking care of themselves.”
The graduating seniors will take away far more than a horrid win-loss record from their time at Pace. For Francis and his teammates, the bonds they formed through common experience will stand with them when they walk across the stage in May to get their diplomas.