By Jason Richland
Saturday afternoon, during the half time ceremonies at the Husky 48-14 victory over William ‘ Mary, a group of men were honored at Parsons Field. These men, heroes from a team long forgotten, looked around at the field where they once knew glory. The crowd, a sparse assortment of band members, cheerleaders and the occasional fan hoping for a free T-Shirt, milled around, oblivious to the greatness before them.
Six men stood together, reliving old memories of fun and football.
“We didn’t just play together, we played together,” Jack Heuston joked, sparking a wave of laughter from his teammates from Northeastern’s undefeated 1963 bunch.
Observing these men, you catch a glimpse of what a perfect season feels like. Old men with bad shoulders and weak knees were giggling like schoolboys as they remembered the game that defined their season.
“The Springfield game was our toughest game, it was played in weather just like this,” said running back Ed McGlaston, on the sticky 70-degree Saturday. “That was our defining moment.”
The Springfield game was the gateway to their undefeated season. Heading into the game, the group had no idea what the rest of the season would bring, but they knew Springfield was tough.
Led by enigmatic captain Robert Cobb, the Pride was the team to beat in ’63. As the game progressed, each minute seemed hotter than the last. Defensive units dominated the game forcing turnovers and stopping any advance before it could begin. For three quarters the offenses stumbled along, unable to produce points.
“Heck, we weren’t that good, we just wore them down,” one of the men admitted. His teammates grinned in agreement.
The sweltering heat took its toll on everyone involved. Coach Conley, known for being a taskmaster with grueling practices, was forced to rotate players every seven minutes to keep them from collapsing.
“By the end of the fourth quarter, they were so tired we just punched it in twice,” Jack Clarke said.
Northeastern had employed a strategy of shifting lines and it paid off. The Pride were so exhausted in the fourth quarter, that they were unable to stop the rested Huskies, and NU sealed the game with two late touchdowns. The men smiled, memories of their arduous victory etched in their minds forever.
“So what do you think guys? Does this team have a shot to go all the way?”
“Well, I think they do,” McGlaston answered first.
The men started discussing the matter between themselves. They talked about tough games still yet to play: Villanova, UMass and Maine. For a moment it seemed like they were talking about themselves.
The names change, the boys get bigger, and the plays are more complicated, but the game never does. The 2003 Huskies are undefeated through four games and may be the best team Northeastern has fielded since 1963. With a little hard work, a few fans and a lot of luck this team may be honored the same way, 40 years down the road.
