FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – The opening night of the college football season is meant to be a night of excitement. The players run out on to the field in front of thousands of cheering fans (in this case 90,000+), ready to show them what they can do. But on Saturday night in Lincoln, Nebraska, the night took on a somber tone. One of the Huskers was missing.
Sam Foltz, Nebraska’s punter, was killed in a car accident over the summer while he and two others – former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler (who also died) and LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye (who survived and played on Saturday) – while leaving a kicking camp in Wisconsin.
“I can’t really even put into words how that would feel to have one of my teammates pass away or not have them at the game,” said Fresno State quarterback Chason Virgil at Monday’s press conference. “Especially a teammate likes theirs. He was such a big part of their team.”
Nebraska had been planning for a while how they would honor Foltz at the first game of the season. The Huskers decided to send out ten players on their first punt of the game – leaving his punting spot open in honor of Foltz.
“There were a lot of good, thoughtful ideas,” said Nebraska football coach Mike Riley after the 43-10 victory over the Bulldogs. “People would send them in. And I think it was (Nebraska Athletic Director) Shawn (Eichorst) to bring this idea to me. And then shortly after (Nebraska kicker) Drew Brown brought it to me. I just thought maybe there’s something there with that.”
Nebraska was given a delay of game penalty – as there was nobody there to physically punt the ball. Fresno State declined the penalty, allowing Nebraska to punt the ball away without losing any yardage.
“The officials told me before the game that they were going to do that so that we knew the reason they were doing it,” said Fresno State football coach Tim DeRuyter at Monday’s press conference. “I said certainly we’ll just decline the penalty.”
(Big Ten Network)
DeRuyter said the call was a no-brainer.
“I saw Coach Riley before the game and he mentioned (their plan to leave a spot open in honor of Foltz),” said DeRuyter. “And I said (jokingly) hopefully we’ll (be able to) make you punt so that we can actually have that honor happen. It wouldn’t have been good if we didn’t oblige them by stopping them one time. We did it on the first series and I thought it was impressive on their part.”
DeRuyter has an Air Force background, and he said the moment made him harken back to the missing man formation – an aerial salute where an aircraft is missing and a spot is held open for them in a fly past.
“I knew how much he meant to their team,” said DeRuyter. “We had helmet stickers for him to let them know that we were with them in spirit. And then when that happened, I thought it was just a really touching moment for the family and hopefully it made them a little bit more comfortable in the situation.”
(Fresno State Athletics)
Virgil wore one of those “SF” helmet stickers during the game.
“I’m just really thankful for all my teammates,” said Virgil. “I’m happy to be a part of that (moment) – for us to decline the penalty and really show respect to them and a great football program.”
When the time came for the punt formation without their punter, it was emotional in appropriately-titled Memorial Stadium. Players on the field from both squads started clapping, as did the crowd. The Big Ten Network cameras cut away to the Foltz family, where Foltz’s mother turned her back to seemingly hide tears.
(Big Ten Network)
“I thought that the crowd responded just as I thought that they would,” said Riley.
Fresno State’s decision to decline the penalty has given them nationwide acclaim, though they’d rather not have attention be brought to their part at all. They’d rather the focus be on the Sam Foltz, and his family.
“I was talking with our coaches, and I can’t imagine losing a son,” said DeRuyter after the game. “And if we can’t teach our guys to do something classy like (declining the penalty), then what is college for?”
