Seniors bring home hardware

Graduating class caps career with championship run

On the eve of the 2004 season opener, JMU’s senior class held a 13-22 record and zero playoff appearances.

By the end of the season, that same group had doubled its win total and helped capture the first national championship in program history.

"You couldn’t go out any better than this," senior linebacker Trey Townsend said. "It’s great to be able to finish my senior year with a national championship after having a couple of bad seasons."

The Dukes made a habit of overcoming adversity on the field in 2004, winning five games by seven points or less. Four of JMU’s 13 victories came down to the final seconds and the Dukes trailed at some point in every postseason game.

Coach Mickey Matthews said finding a way to win is what set this JMU senior class apart from its predecessors.

"These guys have suffered a lot with us and have hung in there," Matthews said. "These seniors are a very special group to win all those close games this year."

Winning the close games was something Matthews’ teams had not done in years past. Still, it did not deter the six-year coach from believing his team could achieve postseason success.

"I never doubted that we had a great program, that we were doing things right and recruiting the right people," Matthews said. "We just needed to have a little patience. Our administration had that and they are to be commended."

While Matthews applauded the university’s patience, trust was the word redshirt senior center Leon Steinfeld used to describe JMU’s seniors.

"Our teams have been through a lot," Steinfeld said. "We trust in each other on both sides of the ball. I’ve never seen a team this close."

That closeness stems from the long path the Dukes had to take from the bottom of the Atlantic 10 in 2001, to the top of I-AA football in 2004. Three years ago, JMU was 2-9. By 2003, the Dukes were 6-6 but still had no postseason appearances to show for it.

But, in 2004, disappointment gave way to success.

"We had some tough seasons," Townsend said, moments after the national title game. "I’ve known most of these guys for four or five years and that’s a reason why it’s great to get this win."

Redshirt senior quarterback Matt LeZotte said the championship had a lot to do with the previous mediocre seasons. He said the adversity of losing strengthened the Dukes’ camaraderie.

"We’ve grown up together," LeZotte said. "We all lived in the same dorm together. We’re such a tightly knit family that they’re all like brothers to me. The bond that we have as teammates has helped us become winners."

When asked about the meaning of the championship, LeZotte sounded as though five years of frustration had been lifted. He said the title did more than erase years of mediocrity. It gave the Dukes a new label to go along with their new hardware.

"This is amazing," LeZotte said. "All the adversity we’ve been through and to finally end up going out on top, no one can take that away from us.

"We’ll forever be champions."