By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Like any good team, The Citadel is hoping to win games during the fall with their work in the summer.

nLast fall was a banner season for The Citadel. Co-champions of the Southern Conference, the Bulldogs won five straight league games, upset South Carolina in Columbia and made their first playoff appearance in nearly a quarter-century, upending Coastal Carolina on a dramatic game-winning field goal as time expired. History made, but hungry for more, The Citadel finished ranked 15th in the national polls.

n”Our expectations within these walls, within this locker room, they never change,” explained head football coach Brent Thompson, record-setting offensive coordinator for the Bulldogs the two years prior.

nFounded as the Military College of South Carolina in 1842, gridiron goals are just part of the program paradigm in Charleston. Football, at The Citadel, has a proud tradition; names like Frank Beamer, Paul Maguire, Stump Mitchell and Bobby Ross have roamed the sidelines. Roles and responsibilities, though, are unique. All undergraduate students, athletes included, are members of the Corps of Cadets, with some transitioning to direct military service.xc2xa0

nFrom the playing field to, potentially, the battlefield, certain traits do carry a crossover appeal. That symmetry is recognized and reinforced on the banks of the Ashley River. Like mortar to brick, a certain commitment connects teams, from years past, together for one cause. Playing football for the Bulldogs means playing for something bigger than yourself.xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0

n”Leadership is developed here,” Thompson stated. “It’s really the way they have been trained, the cadet student-athlete. They are talked to about leadership all throughout their academic curriculum, all throughout the corps of cadets, and when we get them here, we talk to them about it. It’s taking ownership of the program.”

nAs Thompson takes over for Mike Houston, gone to James Madison, he inherits a squad with key veterans who have already made their mark. That distinction, at the Citadel, is multi-faceted. As rosters change, responsibilities don’t. Bulldog players are always aware of those that came before them and the powerful benchmark that has long been set.xc2xa0

n”The school itself is known for producing principled leaders, people that are officers in the military or heads of companies in the business world,” nodded linebacker Tevin Floyd.

nThe Citadel experience is a tie that binds. Here, teamwork is a time-tested tradition.

n”You have to make sure you hone that mentality and get everybody on the same page. Get people to follow you,” Floyd continued. “Make sure you are doing the right things for everybody else to see, because, after this year, you’re going to be gone. “You have to make sure you leave that long-lasting legacy.”

nThis is a place that prides itself on toughness. Oftentimes, The Citadel is undersized compared to its’ opponent, a possible disadvantage that has never been seen as such on campus. That grit isn’t just limited to the football field, as the rigors of student-life are considerable given the academic and physical status quo. Staying disciplined and focused is vital.

nLooking back to last season, finding that balance helped The Citadel absorb college football’s ups and downs. While some teams get caught in the ebb-and-flow of chasing momentum, the Bulldogs, competing at a national level, were strong at the core.

n”I just try to stay as calm as I can in heated situations for our guys. Be someone they can lean on. Be that steady hand for them when things get tough,” added quarterback Dominique Allen. “It’s not all about the ‘rah-rah’. A lot of it, for us, is with your actions.”
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nLike any good team, The Citadel is hoping to win games during the fall with their work in the summer. With an unwavering focus on improving upon last year, and a to-a-man understanding that past accomplishments ensure nothing for the future, The Bulldogs have hit the reset button on the record books. As they work towards a critical season-opener at Mercer, Thompson’s team is earning its own reputation with sweat equity.xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0

nProgress, for the Citadel, will require more persistence and fight; it’s a process the Bulldogs know well.

n”You have to be the one in here working your butt off every day, be the one finishing the reps like they are supposed to be finished or be the one going out and making the play when nobody else is wanting to. You have to be that guy who is willing to do the most, go the furthest, and push his body to the limit in order for your team to be successful,” Allen concluded.

nAt The Citadel, formation doesn’t come after a huddle, it comes before day-break. That commitment carries in the heart and mind. The Bulldogs enter this season as one of the national favorites in the FCS; win or lose, their persistence stays true.