It was early September 1961 when first I walked down the cobble stone entrance to Mount Saint Joseph. Looking up you saw the old, somewhat intimidating, dark red, brick buildings that were the heart of the campus.
Several weeks before, I had reported to the lower fields where the summer football tryouts were being held. After a week of 90 degree heat and suffocating Baltimore humidity, I decided that Fall sports were not in my future.
In those days you did not get to choose your courses and the Honors Program required several years of Latin. After my first class in Latin, our teacher, Brother Regis, told me to stand up. He asked if I was playing on any football teams. My answer was a firm, “No, Brother.” He then ordered me to report to the Fresh-Soph football team practice at 3:15. I was stunned and came up with a raft of excuses to no avail.
At 6’1″ and 190 pounds I was probably the biggest freshman in the class of 1965. Virtually no one on that team had any football training, but we did have some raw talent including two future MSJ Hall of Famers. Brother Regis, a self-proclaimed “sports nut” was our coach assisted by Brothers Francis and Kent – two very big men.
The team started to gel and we began to build confidence in ourselves, but we were also getting cocky. Our first test would be a preseason game against a new Xaverian school in the Washington D.C. suburbs named Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Despite our talent and solid coaching, we fell behind early and lost by a touchdown we should have defeated handily. Instead of being embarrassed we got on the bus and started laughing and carousing like we had won.
Suddenly, Brother Regis stood up and said, “Stop the bus.” Everyone became silent. Brother knew we would be facing a very tough schedule. Poly and City College were Baltimore high schools that each had over 2000 boys and their varsity teams were often nationally ranked.
Brother Regis then delivered the “speech’ or the “talk” as it was known. His voice was loud and laced with a bit of anger and disappointment. His language was colorful and he did not mince any words. He noted that as a team we had an obligation to do our best both individually and collectively. We were told in life we would face numerous situations and decisions that would be far more challenging than a football game. Developing attributes like dedication, sacrifice and trust would serve us well now and after we leave the Mount.
We were very quiet during the rest of trip back to school. Something changed that day. We were a more cohesive team that put everything into our practices.
We had an undefeated season and became the MSA Fresh Soph Football Champions in 1961. The number of players on that team is diminishing rapidly. The ones who survive still fondly remember the “speech.” Looking back 65 years later, it was a great learning to begin our four years at Mount Saint Joseph.
Footnote
Sadly, the Xaverian Brothers are no longer at Mount Saint Joseph teaching and coaching, but their legacy lives in our heads and in our hearts. Brother Regis Moynihan, now in his 90’s lives at Xaverian House in Danvers Massachusetts with other retired Xaverians. He is the last surviving Brother who taught and coached us. Brother Regis considers his time at The Mount (1958-1964) to be some of the happiest of his life.
