Cardinals Prepare for Senior Day Emotions
November 18, 2013 | Football
Nov. 18, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Senior Day for college football coaches is definitely an emotional time. At the University of Louisville, it will have extra meaning because this will be head coach Charlie Strong's first full recruiting class playing their final games at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
Strong, who took over the program in 2010, will say goodbye to a class of 20 on Saturday when the Cardinals host Memphis in a crucial American Athletic Conference game. The Cardinals remained in the hunt for league title last Saturday with a 20-13 win over Houston.
Adding additional intrigue to the game, Strong is 0-3 on Senior Day games. Louisville dropped a 17-10 decision to West Virginia in 2010, a 21-14 loss to Pittsburgh in 2012 and last season's 23-20 triple-overtime defeat to Connecticut.
"You'd love to see a huge turnout and we've had that turnout," Strong said. "With this being our seniors last senior group. I mean, not their last senior group, but their last game, you'd like to see a large turnout, because you want to go out and give the support to guys who have meant a lot to this program. You're talking about four-straight bowl games. They're 20-3 in the last 23 games here and that's a lot to say with two remaining."
Mike Addesa, Anthony Branch, Preston Brown, B.J. Butler, Damian Copeland, Jarrett Davis, Brandon Dunn, George Durant, Ryan Hubbell, Kamran Joyer, Champ Lee, Roy Philon, Senorise Perry, Stephan Robinson, Deon Rogers, Titus Teague, Hakeem Smith, Marcus Smith, Chris Walker, Alex Witcpalek will suit up for the Cardinals for the last time.
This is a special group to Strong because he recruited players like Preston Brown, Marcus Smith, Dunn and Perry, who helped the Cardinals return to three-straight bowl games and own a 34-15 mark over the last four seasons.
"These are the guys that have helped us build this program," Strong said. "You hope they go out the right way. That is why I said that at the beginning you hate to see this time of year comes because you hate to see these guys move on."
Strong took over a program that hadn't gone to a bowl game for three years, but when the seniors walk out from the tunnel on Saturday for the last time, they will be eligible for their fourth bowl game and also have two conference championships on their list of accomplishments.
"Now, you look at those guys, with two games remaining, they're 20-3 in their last two years," Strong said. "The only thing we're looking for is we need our crowd here They have an opportunity to go to four straight bowl games and have 34 wins under their belt, but you think about what this program, three years prior to them getting here, didn't go to any bowl games, now they're going to get a chance to go to four."
It will be an emotional time for local players Brandon Dunn and Roy Philon from Louisville and Lexington, respectively. Dunn is a four-year guy who came to Louisville because he believed in what Strong was preaching.
"I came to Louisville because of Strong," Dunn said. "I really believed what he was selling to the players and I'm glad I made the right decision."
Philon wasn't recruited by Strong, but echoes his teammate's sentiments.
"Strong taught us to play hard and be men," Philon said. "It's been a great five years here and I will leave with my degree."
The Cardinals will look to stop a disturbing trend of losing on Senior Day. If the Cardinals can contain their emotions when the game starts, then the Cardinals can win a Senior Day for Strong and the Cardinals can continue their winning ways.
