Secondly, I would like to address that the University of Connecticut has THE best fans in the country. Upon my arrival to the University, I knew that UConn was predominantly “a basketball school” and that it would take time and a lot of hard work for it to even be considered football crazy. However, after my fourth year being here, I can finally say I’m starting to see a change.

No disrespect to the big fellas, because in no way am I saying UConn isn’t crazy about basketball. I don’t think that would be possible with seven combined national championships, Hall of Fame head coaches, 13 current NBA players and of course, the beautiful Italian Diana Taurasi.

However, I am saying that I’m starting to see the transformation of the state of Connecticut and its fans embracing its football program and putting UConn on the college football map. Even if you were not in Charlotte this past week, you still didn’t miss the outstanding and historical season UConn had. With its first BIG EAST championship, first and highest ranked team at #13 in the BCS poll, an undefeated team at home and the night I remember most, celebrating with the student section and the rest of the fans at “The Rent” on our first victory over a ranked team -- South Florida.

UConn also had its best kicker-punter combo in football history. OK, I may have made that last one up and don’t really know if it’s true. However I do know that we are probably the best-looking kicker-punter combo in the entire history of the game. “We are a little big headed huh?” But seriously, we had a great year this year and none of it would have been possible without the support from the state of Connecticut and its true Husky Fans.

To address the game bowl game, we just simply fell short. It was not the way we wanted to end this historical season nor was it the way we wanted to send our seniors off. We started the first half playing UConn football – a minimal amount of errors and taking advantage of all our opportunities on defense, offence and special teams. Coming out from halftime was, well, a different story. I do want to give credit to Wake Forest. They played an outstanding game and have a tremendous program with tremendous players and coaches. If we had to lose I’m glad it was to a worthy and classy opponent such as Wake Forest.

However the loss in no way represents or takes away from our outstanding season. Teams loose, even the great teams fall short at one point or another but it still doesn’t change the fact that they are a great team. After 42 years in the NFL there has only been one team to ever go undefeated, the 1972 Miami Dolphins. But what about the ‘65 Packers or ‘74 Steelers or the ‘85 Bears? Each one of these teams had a loss, but was still considered amongst the greatest teams in NFL history.

B.C. Forbes once said “History has demonstrated that the most notable winners encountered heart breaking obstacles before they triumphed. They finally won by their defeats.”

My point is we were a team that was doubted this whole year. From start to finish we were picked to finish last or second to last in the Big East. We were even picked to lose in our season opener to Duke, a team that had lost its last 19 games. Not a lot of people outside the state of Connecticut really thought we could accomplish what we accomplished this year, but then again not a lot of people outside of the state of Connecticut know what UConn football stands for.

We are a bunch of blue collared players who have been overlooked in our lives but we have more fight in us then any five-star programs will ever have. Nobody has ever given us anything, not respect nor credit but we are the type of players and program that will go out and take it. And that we did this year. We took our respect and put UConn football on the college map. Despite the loss to Wake, we had a heck of a season this year and have nothing to be ashamed of. All we have is the future to look forward to and that future begins on January 21 when we start our traditional winter workout program. I am excited because this is where we start our 2008-09 season. For us, our season doesn’t start in August but in January. All the hard work starts here and the road to success in 2008 and I say in ‘09 is being built now.  

To the 11 seniors -- Joe Akers, Lou Allen, Tyvon Branch, Dan Davis, Donnell Ford, Ryan Henegan, Danny Lansanah, Gary Mack, Zak Penwell, Larry Taylor and Donald Thomas -- thank you for giving everything you had for me and this great program and leaving everything out on the field. Also, the best of luck to Derek Rich and Dennis Brown -- I hope success follows you wherever you go. However this isn’t a farewell this is only a see you later. These 13 guys have become a lot more to me then just teammates they have become family. When you spend most of your time growing up and becoming a man with your teammates they turn into brothers and I know my brothers will be successful in whatever they do in life. Also, a special good luck to Tyvon Branch and Donald Thomas in the 2008 Hula Bowl. I know they will represent to the fullest.

For those of you that have read the Kick-Squad Blog, we thank you -- it’s good to see that our time and immense writing capabilities didn’t go to waste --  ha, ha. But seriously we had a blast doing this. We also had a blast in Charlotte and especially when all of our fans joined us on Thursday night. I have never heard and felt so much support from so many people as I did this bowl trip. There are a lot of people that say UConn doesn’t stand behind their kickers. “I don’t know where they would get that thought from?” But we set out to make a change this year and hopefully we did that. We owe a lot of our success to our teammates and coaches for having the faith to put us on the field and also to my long snapper Martin Bedard and holder/homie “The Kentucky Hammer aka Mr. Magic man. Now you see him now you don’t” Desi Cullen. But most especially the group of fat guys that help protect me from getting demolished by the “real” football players looking to make SportsCenter by decapitating a kicker. I know we throw in a lot of fat and ugly jokes to you guys but that just means we care and have nothing but love for ya! To my brothers, I can’t wait to see all of you back at Storrs. These last couple of weeks sitting on a beach chair in the 80 degree weather on South Beach has become boring to me and I can’t wait to get back to Connecticut and see what Coach Martin and Coach Edsall have in store for us.

With that being said “SPEED GUYS…..SET…GO!”

 “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

-Coach Vince Lombardi

Hope to see all of you real soon!

Your Boys- The Kick-Squad signing off!