On the morning of September 11, 2001, a typical day in College Park took a devastating turn. The day began with football study hall at 7:30 a.m., and coaches were engaged in their routine meetings. As I returned to my office after study hall, I heard a commotion from our video staff. Rushing in, I witnessed the replay of the first plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Shock soon turned to horror as we watched the second plane strike the South Tower live on air.
Tears filled my eyes as I thought about the people trapped inside the Towers, many of whom were friends and acquaintances from my past. Having grown up in Central New York and attended Syracuse University, I had numerous friends from Long Island and New York City. In a moment of panic, I called my mother, who had recently moved to Atlanta. Just days earlier, our family had spent time in New York City for the Kickoff Classic at the Meadowlands.
The situation escalated further when we saw footage of a plane crashing into the Pentagon, causing a deep sense of unease as College Park is located near major landmarks like Andrews Air Force Base, the Capitol, and the White House. Our campus was directly in the flight path.
At this point, one of our players, Aaron Smith, entered my office unaware of the catastrophe unfolding. When I mentioned the Pentagon incident, he grew anxious, revealing his father worked there. We attempted to contact both his dad and mom but were unsuccessful. I comforted him and assured him he could remain with me until we received news.
Moments later, another student, Melvin Fowler Jr. from Long Island, rushed in, visibly distressed as he had not been able to reach his brother, who worked at the World Trade Center. After calming Melvin down, I noticed another student, Sal Aragona from Staten Island, had entered with similar concerns about his mom’s safety at the WTC. The tension continued to rise, and as I made my way from office to office, our staff did our best to support the players separately, preparing for any potential tragic updates.
As classes were canceled and students began to leave campus, our group remained, trying to provide comfort amid the chaos. Coach Friedgen decided to hold practice in an effort to maintain some sense of normalcy despite criticism. Being a New Yorker himself, the events deeply affected him.
Later that day, we gathered the team in a large meeting room, aiming to lift spirits while answering questions no one had the answers to. By then, the three players anxious about their family members had received good news; their loved ones were safe, each with a harrowing story of survival.
The games planned for that weekend were postponed, yet we kept the team around, striving to create a semblance of routine. While some criticized Coach Friedgen for this decision, I believe it was his way of offering support. Just two weeks later, a tornado hit the campus, tragically claiming two lives and further uniting us all in grief and solidarity.
These harrowing experiences forged a tight-knit community that fall, leading to lasting relationships and a championship victory. To this day, without fail, I receive a message on September 11 from Aaron Smith, grateful for our time together during that trying day, reflecting the bonds formed through shared trials.