INDIANAPOLIS – When Central Connecticut’s football team arrived in Indianapolis Thursday night for the upcoming Gridiron Classic, the Blue Devils were greeted in the lobby of the team hotel by a sign congratulating them on their Northeast Conference championship and wishing them luck in Saturday’s game against Butler.

The players roared from the bus, and some members of the team’s entourage stopped to take pictures of the sign. It was not only an official welcome, but a reminder of what CCSU had accomplished on the way to earning this trip.

The rest of the night was a reminder of what still laid ahead, both this weekend and in the long term.

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The Blue Devils boarded their charter and took off at about 4 p.m. Thursday, arriving in Indianapolis just over two hours later.

“You started getting excited early about the whole experience,” senior running back James Mallory said. “That’s when we really started to feel it, when we got on the bus to head to the airport. That’s when we realized we were doing something special. We’re all riding really high right now. We have to enjoy the moment, but we have to stay focused, too.

After a quick dinner the Blue Devils were greeted by Troy Arthur, a former CCSU football player in the 1980’s who has worked in various roles for the NCAA. Arthur had two messages for the Blue Devils. The first was that Central grads from around the country had contacted him about Saturday’s game. He talked about the fact that players who came before this group had only dreamed of playing a postseason game, but hadn’t gotten the opportunity at the FCS level. They will be part of this game in one sense, however.

“Know that when you take the field you will be standing on our shoulders,” he said to the players while referring to the alumni. “We will be with you.”

Arthur second message was that there will be much to do after Saturday’s game. He reminded the Blue Devils to “compete in every aspect of life,” and implored them to make sure that their legacies aren’t just as football players.

“I think all of us are myopic in our thinking and we’re so focused on the task at hand as opposed to thinking about our future,” Arthur said after his speech. “I think it’s a special kid who thinks about life after their academic and their athletic experiences. But what we try and do and what I think is important is to help them understand the possibilities. To connect what they can achieve not only with their academics and athletics, but what they can provide for society, because it’s a mess.”

Friday’s itinerary was to begin with a practice at 10:30 a.m. before the Blue Devils were to take a tour of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. The rest of the day will be filled with meetings and preparation for Saturday’s game.

“Our regular season is over so we have to give them some enjoyment,” CCSU coach Jeff McInerney said. “I want to make sure they experience life, that’s why we come on these trips. You meet different people, you see different things. It’s different from a regular season game when you just get there on a Friday. We want to bring oneness to the kids.”

Arthur hopes that one day these kids will go out and help bring oneness to the world.

“A lot of these individuals are going to good things in society,” he said.

Someday, these young men might do things that help change history for the better. But for the next two days, the Blue Devils are simply focusing on making history on the football field.

“We have to remember it’s a business trip,” Mallory said.

Blue Devils get the message in Indianapolis
By MATT STRAUB, The New Britain Herald
http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2009/12/04/sports/doc4b18ca687fb83236288554.txt