As COVID-19 still looms, football even more of a respite at West Point

Ivan Maisel - ESPN Senior Writer

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams is uniquely suited to appreciate the interconnection between football and cadet life at the U.S. Military Academy. Williams, the West Point superintendent, played defensive end for the Black Knights in the early 1980s. He chased Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie of Boston College and sacked future Hall of Famer Dan Marino of Pittsburgh. He met two other Panthers All-Americans, too.

"On the next play," Williams said, "Jimbo Covert and Mark May came off a trap and knocked the s--- out of me. I was carted off the field. Mark May was the Outland Trophy winner that year. Six[-foot]-seven, 330 [pounds]. They came around the corner and said, 'OK, you get our quarterback? We're going to get you.'"

In normal times, the overscheduled, "always on duty" life of the cadets cries out for the respite of a football Saturday, the pinprick that releases the tension brought on by the mix of intense military and academic curricula. An autumn Saturday on the West Point post -- whatever you do, don't call it a campus -- becomes as much celebration as sporting event. Tailgating tents are erected on Trophy Point, the bluff 150 feet above the Hudson River. There's no prettier venue in the sport.

A few steps away on game mornings, half of the 4,400 cadets, 18 companies in all, stage a military parade across The Plain, the 40-acre green that serves as the historic center of the post. The parade is viewed not only by the academy brass but also by civilians who stuff the bleachers and spill out along the edge of the Plain. Williams also hosts a tailgate in a giant tent erected in the backyard of the 200-year-old Superintendent's Quarters.

But these are not normal times. Last week, West Point quarantined 110 cadets after discovering their exposure to COVID-19 through contact tracing, and the football team moved into a local hotel as a precaution. In a season unlike any other, no one is surprised. And it is a season unlike any other.

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2020 Leaders Conference Is Going Virtual

Dear Volunteer Leaders:

I hope this email finds you and your families safe and well. Thank you for your continued support to West Point and your enduring commitment to each other during this unprecedented time.

This pandemic has cast a wide shadow over our lives, upending normal routines. As you may know, New York has been particularly hard-hit by Covid-19 and we anticipate that social distancing and other protocols surrounding large gatherings will remain in place for some time putting into question the viability of a large conference. Therefore, after careful consideration, we have decided to hold the WPAOG Leaders Conference virtually this year.

Please Save the Date, Thursday, August 13, 2020 for a virtual Leaders Conference, sponsored by the Class of 1967. More details to follow.

If you have a hotel reservation in one of the room blocks, the Alumni Events team will cancel your reservation and will contact you once they have done so. If you made a hotel reservation outside of the room block, you will need to cancel your reservation directly with the hotel.

I look forward to seeing you virtually on Thursday, August 13th; until then, my thoughts are with you, your families, and our brother and sisters of the Long Gray Line.

Todd Browne ’85
President and CEO
West Point Association of Graduates

President to Speak at West Point Graduation

WEST POINT, N.Y. – President Donald Trump will serve as the commencement speaker at the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2020 graduation ceremony at West Point, New York, on Saturday, June 13.

This will mark his first visit as graduation speaker.

“We are honored to host the Commander-in-Chief as we celebrate the many accomplishments of our graduating class,” said Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, 60th Superintendent of the USMA.

The size and scope of the graduation ceremony will be determined by safety considerations for Cadets and the entire West Point community. The Academy leadership is conducting a thorough analysis and plan for the safe return of the Corps of Cadets.

“West Point continues to receive tremendous support from Army leadership during this unique time in its history and looks forward to commissioning the newest cohort of lieutenants into the ranks of the Army Officer Corps,” said Lt. Gen. Williams.

For updates on academy operations, restrictions or cancellations go to www.westpoint.edu/coronavirus

Founders Day Cancellation

I wanted you know that we are cancelling Founders Day for this year. We have been watching events regarding the Corona Virus unfold over the last two weeks and last week we started having some discussion about whether Founders Day should be cancelled.

Our first responsibility is to our graduates and guests attending this function and there is no way to fully mitigate the risks to those attending. For that reason, we are cancelling Founders Day.

The West Point Society will refund your tickets. We will also refund the sponsorship payments for those who signed up as sponsors. I first want to contact PayPal since PayPal no longer refunds their PayPal fees. I would like to see if they would refund the PayPal fees considering this situation. If they do not refund the fees than the WPSCF will cover those PayPal fees.

I want to thank all of you that have already signed up for Founders Day and also to thank our Sponsors who always help make this a great event. Next week I will send out a notification on who those sponsors were to make sure they we thank them pubicly.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.