FOXBORO – New England Patriots’ lengthy snapper Joe Cardona is not going to be a impartial observer when “America’s Game” involves Gillette Stadium on Dec. 9.
Cardona was a four-year starter on the Navel Academy (2011-14) who by no means skilled defeat within the conventional Army-Navy rivalry recreation earlier than being chosen by the Patriots within the fifth spherical of the 2015 NFL Draft. Cardona is an eight-year NFL veteran who serves as a lieutenant within the U.S. Naval Reserve within the offseason.
“It’s America’s game and everybody is a winner as long as the two teams go out and play hard,” stated Cardona. “But everyone knows I’m a Navy trustworthy so I shall be supporting blue and gold on recreation day.
“Go Navy and beat Army and don’t make any mistake on that one. I will be here cheering my guys on. You can’t look at this as a normal football game.”
The festivities for the primary Army-Navy recreation to be performed in Massachusetts and third exterior the Mid-Atlantic area kicked off on Wednesday morning within the G-P Atrium contained in the lighthouse on the north finish zone of Gillette Stadium.
The dignitaries in attendance included Gov. Maura Healey, Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, state officers and the directors, coaches, and group captains from each service academies.
Cardona arrived simply earlier than midday and held a non-public chat with Navy first-year head coach Brian Newberry, defensive finish Jacob Busic, linebacker Will Harbour and quarterback Xavier Arline.
Cardona would later have a non-public chat with the Cadets’ co-captains, linebackers Leo Lowin of Austin, Texas, and Jimmy Ciarlo of Ringwood, N.J. In between, Cardona was swarmed by the assembled media to get his ideas on the sport.
“I have been very fortunate to have played in a lot of big games here in New England,” stated Cardona. “But realistically all of them pale compared to these Army-Navy video games.
“Army-Navy is a type of particular occasions the place you realize that it’s such an necessary recreation and never just for the gamers. It is such an necessary recreation for these watching across the nation and the sailors within the fleet and the troopers within the area.
“They take a lot of pride in the next generation of leaders that are going to be commissioned. It’s a special experience, for sure.”
The 124th assembly between Army and Navy will mark the ultimate time the Black Knights of the Hudson take the sphere as an FBS Independent program.
The shifting league realignments happening in FBS in each the Power-5 Conferences and the Group of Five compelled Army Athletic Director Mike Buddie to hitch Navy within the American Athletic Conference below a particular soccer solely association that begins within the 2024 season.
Navy and Army would by no means meet within the common season to respect the integrity and exclusivity of America’s Game at its common place within the FBS calendar. The match would rely as a non-league recreation the week after the AAC championship recreation is performed. A emptiness opened within the AAC when Southern Methodist decamped to hitch the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“It was a very methodical process that took a full year in terms pulling in our football coach, superintendent, and key constituents in the academy that understood the national landscape,” stated Buddie. “It grew to become obvious when SMU discovered a brand new dwelling and left them with an odd variety of faculties.
“At that time, with the expanded faculty soccer playoffs, NIL, and the switch portal and all of the challenges coming down the turnpike, we simply made the choice that leaving our independence behind was in all probability the suitable factor to do.
“The next step was which conference? It became pretty clear … the time was right to jump in.”
In the occasion Army and Navy go undefeated in league play, they might sq. off within the AAC Championship recreation and play America’s Game the next Saturday. The remaining FBS Independents are UMass, UConn and Notre Dame.
Source: www.bostonherald.com