The Holy Cross Gridiron Leadership Council was launched in the fall of 2009 as an alumni driven initiative to support the Crusader Football program. The mission of the council, now rebranded as The Friends of Crusader Football, is succinctly stated as: "a commitment to excellence in helping the Crusaders win on and off the field." Aside from hosting and promoting a variety of programs and events, the Friends' cornerstone building block that has most profoundly impacted the Crusaders is a formal mentoring effort. Putting a twist on the spread offense that the Crusaders utilize on the field, this undertaking is now widely known as "The 90-Wide."
From the initial 90 alums who committed their time and talents in support of this effort, "The 90-Wide" now encompasses 135 mentors across 25 states and 30 industries. From New Hampshire to California and from Florida to Oregon, the alumni mentoring relationships are launched in each Crusader football student-athlete's freshman year and flourish during their time on the hill and often beyond graduation as well. As the mentor provides a healthy dose of wisdom, they receive a return of youthful spirit that allows them to reconnect with their own memories of time spent atop Mt. St. James wondering what their future might hold. "The 90-Wide" and other recently launched similar mentoring efforts with other Crusader teams and programs are transformative on so many levels. Mentoring is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving and brings an entirely new angle to the Jesuit spirit that makes Holy Cross so special.
Thank you to all those mentoring our Crusaders. You are truly helping change these young men's lives. For the benefit of everybody interested in Holy Cross Football, I am compelled to share with you some details of our devoted mentors.
Total States Represented: 25, including: MA, RI, CT, NH, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, GA, FL, TX, CA, IL, OR, WY, MI, MN, OH, AZ, CO, OH, IN, NC
Total Industries: 30, including: Accounting/Audit, Banking, Construction, Consulting, Counseling, Dentistry, Education, Finance, Insurance, Law, Law Enforcement, Marketing, Medicine, Real Estate, Sales, High Technology, Military, et al . .
Companies include (list not inclusive): General Electric, Ernst &Young, Tishman Construction, Pile and Co., Carnegie Mellon University, Acceleron Pharma, Longfellow Benefits, Credit Suisse, Business Capital, Greenwich Investment Management, Georgetown Prep, Broadpoint Gleacher, Acronis Inc., Morgan Stanley, ATC Marketing, MG Advisors, Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch, The Nielsen Company, EMC, Ceridian Corp., Tandem Global Partners, Nike, High Road Capital Partners, Michel Associates, Chapdelaine Credit Partners, CNBC, Highline Financial, Spring Hill Capital Partners, Sun Life, Arch Insurance, The Cambridge Life Agency, Northwestern Mutual, Unum, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, Nixon Peabody, Brackett & Lucas, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Providence Police Dept, IMG Live, Trinity Sports Partners, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Concord Orthopedics, SmartStart Pediatrics, Miami Dolphins, Coastal Capital, Synergy Investment & Development, United States Marine Corps
THANK YOU to all those mentoring our Crusaders and helping Holy Cross Football win "off the field."
