1982 Yearbook
Source URL
Title
1982 Yearbook
Description
"It's hard work. It's teamwork. A
guy plays for the team. Then, he
plays for the crowd and the school.
This year's team wanted to win, and
they did their best, only they did not
have the full support of the
coaches," states Larry Madrigal, a
player for the St. Ambrose Fighting
Bees football team. "There needs to
be organization, discipline, and,
most of all, a strong unity and desire
to play football if you want to have a
good football team."
The history of St. Ambrose College's
football team shows the strong desire
to play football, to play as a unified,
organized, and disciplined team for
St. Ambrose College and its fans. Occasionally there has been some slack,
but, for the most part, football has
been a integral part of the college.
As far back as 1883, two lay teachers, Joe Halligan and Tim Mullen,
kicked (accidentaly) a "football"
through a classroom window in a valiant attempt to demonstrate a new
game. This new game, with its physical interaction, lack of definitive
rules, and authoritative disapproval,
appealed to the students. Referred to
as football, this game was played
much like our present day rugby
with two teams trying to score by any
physical means possible.
At the turn of the century and up
until World War I, the sport gained
popularity through the help of rules,
coaches, equipment, and team spirit.
Both World War I and World War
II put football playing itself at a
standstill, but did not quench the
competition spirit to play. In 1940,
coached under Larry "Moon" Mul-
lins, the Bee's held an undefeated,
unscored upon record of eight wins
— zero losses — one tie. Loras College, St. Ambrose College's rival
team since the beginning of football,
could not be scored upon nor score
against St. Ambrose, ending the
game in an unresolved tie.
That memorable season was reiterated in the Fall of '49 when the Bee's,
undefeated and untied, won the Midland's Conference Crown and
reigned as the only perfect team in
the State of Iowa. Coach "Moon"
Mullins and team had done it again.
The rigorous program, both of
scheduling and workouts, paid off.
The team moved as one gigantic
body that played FOOTBALL for
the team, the coach, and the school.
They roared on to the field just as
loudly as they roared off. Nothing
could stop them. Nothing did. Indeed, football reigned through the
next decade, until the lack of funds
choked the team quiet. From 1960-
1973, St Ambrose College lived
without football. The organization of
football, from the players, the
coaches, the fans, the cheerleaders,
the announcers, the referees, to the
stadium, stood still. Homecomings
weren 't the same. A type of emptiness pervaded, but not in the spirit of
the hopeful.
In the Fall of 1974, football returned
as a club sport, instigated by guys
who loved the comradery, the discipline of hard work, and the action of
playing football. By 1978, club football turned intercollegiate and, finally, was recognized as a team once
again. Approximately 245 wins, 158
losses, and 21 ties later, SAC football maintains that spirit.
71
guy plays for the team. Then, he
plays for the crowd and the school.
This year's team wanted to win, and
they did their best, only they did not
have the full support of the
coaches," states Larry Madrigal, a
player for the St. Ambrose Fighting
Bees football team. "There needs to
be organization, discipline, and,
most of all, a strong unity and desire
to play football if you want to have a
good football team."
The history of St. Ambrose College's
football team shows the strong desire
to play football, to play as a unified,
organized, and disciplined team for
St. Ambrose College and its fans. Occasionally there has been some slack,
but, for the most part, football has
been a integral part of the college.
As far back as 1883, two lay teachers, Joe Halligan and Tim Mullen,
kicked (accidentaly) a "football"
through a classroom window in a valiant attempt to demonstrate a new
game. This new game, with its physical interaction, lack of definitive
rules, and authoritative disapproval,
appealed to the students. Referred to
as football, this game was played
much like our present day rugby
with two teams trying to score by any
physical means possible.
At the turn of the century and up
until World War I, the sport gained
popularity through the help of rules,
coaches, equipment, and team spirit.
Both World War I and World War
II put football playing itself at a
standstill, but did not quench the
competition spirit to play. In 1940,
coached under Larry "Moon" Mul-
lins, the Bee's held an undefeated,
unscored upon record of eight wins
— zero losses — one tie. Loras College, St. Ambrose College's rival
team since the beginning of football,
could not be scored upon nor score
against St. Ambrose, ending the
game in an unresolved tie.
That memorable season was reiterated in the Fall of '49 when the Bee's,
undefeated and untied, won the Midland's Conference Crown and
reigned as the only perfect team in
the State of Iowa. Coach "Moon"
Mullins and team had done it again.
The rigorous program, both of
scheduling and workouts, paid off.
The team moved as one gigantic
body that played FOOTBALL for
the team, the coach, and the school.
They roared on to the field just as
loudly as they roared off. Nothing
could stop them. Nothing did. Indeed, football reigned through the
next decade, until the lack of funds
choked the team quiet. From 1960-
1973, St Ambrose College lived
without football. The organization of
football, from the players, the
coaches, the fans, the cheerleaders,
the announcers, the referees, to the
stadium, stood still. Homecomings
weren 't the same. A type of emptiness pervaded, but not in the spirit of
the hopeful.
In the Fall of 1974, football returned
as a club sport, instigated by guys
who loved the comradery, the discipline of hard work, and the action of
playing football. By 1978, club football turned intercollegiate and, finally, was recognized as a team once
again. Approximately 245 wins, 158
losses, and 21 ties later, SAC football maintains that spirit.
71
Rights
St. Ambrose University, 518 W. Locust St., Davenport, IA 52803
Identifier
http://cdm16810.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16810coll2/id/7046