DWIGHT FREENEY
Syracuse University
Defensive End, 1998-2001
Dwight Freeney points to two different games against Virginia Tech as his two endearing memories during his time at Syracuse — for two different reasons.
The first matchup between the Orange and the Hokies was the then-freshman Freeney's indoctrination into the madness that is college football, as Syracuse won on a 13-yard touchdown pass on the game's final play, leading to a field storming from the fans.
"It was just absolutely nuts," Freeney said. "The Carrier Dome was so loud, and it was one of those moments you just never really will ever forget, winning in the last second of a game."
The second big memory came two years later, when Freeney set a Big East record with 4.5 sacks in a game, a feat that was all the more impressive considering it came against Michael Vick.
"To this day, that offensive tackle is probably still in his stance, because I was flying off the ball, man," Freeney said, laughing. "I don't know what got into me, but it was one of those games where I felt like I was literally flying. I was shot out of a cannon."
Those feats all came flashing back for Freeney this year, as he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame — just five days after he was named a finalist for this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame, coincidentally enough.
Freeney becomes the 10th Syracuse player to make the College Football Hall of Fame, an honor that comes after a decorated career in which he set the NCAA career sacks per game record (1.61), a mark he still holds to this day.
Freeney finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2001, and he was a finalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski awards that season as well. He posted 17.5 sacks during his senior campaign, a single-season record at that time.
The Connecticut native chose Syracuse because it reminded him of his football experiences playing at Bloomfield High School.
"It was a complete adrenaline rush," Freeney said. "It was just one of those atmospheres that you felt the energy in the room. You've got guys telling you, 'Get ready for the game,' and that type of thing. So, when I went to Syracuse, that's what I felt. That's what I saw. The intensity, I could feel it when I walked in that locker room. So, I knew that was the place for me, because it was so similar to what I was experiencing in high school."
A two-time First Team All-Big East honoree, Freeney carried that edge with him through his pro career. The Colts drafted him 11th overall, and he spent 11 of his 16 NFL seasons in Indianapolis, winning Super Bowl XLI, making seven Pro Bowls and three times being named All-Pro.
Freeney lives in Florida now, where he has two young daughters. He sees it as a blessing to start his family life after a lengthy pro career. The former Orange captain counts high school coach Jack Cochrane, college coach Paul Pasqualoni and position coaches Deek Pollard, John Terrlinck and Jerry Azzinaro among his biggest football influences, specifically citing Cochrane for helping him to fall in love with the game.
"I've always said this: You don't reach those types of accolades or those types of places by yourself," Freeney said. "It's going to take a community. It's going to take people to help you get there, and I definitely had a whole bunch of people who helped me, and it starts with my high school coach, Jack Cochrane, who basically took me off the soccer field — because I was a soccer guy — and took me away from there, put me on that football field and taught me what it was to truly, truly work hard.
"You don't really know what hard work is until you put the pads on, and you have to go and push yourself to limits that you didn't even know you had, and that's where it started for me."
UP CLOSE:
- Named a 2001 unanimous First Team All-American while finishing as a finalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski awards.
- Owns NCAA record for career pass sacks per game (1.61) and finished his career as the NCAA leader in single-season sacks with 17.5 in 2001.
- Notched eight forced fumbles in 2001, ranking him third in the NCAA record books and holds school records for career (50.5) and single season tackle for loss (25.5 in 2001).
- Played for Coach Paul Pasqualoni.
- Becomes the 10th Cuse player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
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