Football team reflects on 9/11 attacks

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Ryan Radcliff was in sixth grade when terrorists flew planes into the twin towers.

Ten years later, the Central Michigan quarterback hasn’t forgotten about the tragic, scarred day in U.S. history.

“I remember when it first happened, I was sitting in my sixth grade class. It was very tragic and very sad for all the families and the country,” Radcliff said. “We’ll still remember the ones we lost.”

Sunday marks the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which quickly brought Americans together.

For so many families it was hard to pick themselves up and get back to living their normal lives. Sports helped do that.

“It showed people that we’re going to carry on with our day-to-day operations,” said CMU football head coach Dan Enos.

The New York Yankees took a week off of playing before making a long postseason run to the World Series.

On Sept. 18, when they started playing again, they beat the Chicago White Sox’s 11-3, giving the city of New York and the rest of the country a distraction to the devastation.

“Sports are great, one of America’s pastimes,” Radcliff said. “It’s good to show we’re still going strong. Still here alive, still happening. We’ve got to continue going.”

College and professional football took a week off after the attack before coming back to fans, pregame fields covered with American flags during the national anthem and flyovers.

It took America more than nine and a half years to finally get the person responsible, but it still meant a lot to the country.

“We got Osama a few months ago,” said captain linebacker Mike Petrucci. “That was a big step for our country.”

No one can deny it brought the country together though, on and off the field.

“I know none of us will ever forget where we were when we first found out. It woke everybody up little bit,” Enos said. “I know it made me very, very proud of our nation. I think it brought our country closer together. I don’t know if the terrorists had that plan going on into it.”

Sports had a part in bringing the country together through the troubled time.

“Saturday, gameday, everyone comes together to have a good time,” Petrucci said. “I think sports really helped bring the country together.”

The city of New York was able to rally around the Yankees that fall. The Arizona Diamondbacks did beat them in the World Series, but it showed the world that America was back up and running.

“Sports were a great release and relief to watch college football, professional football and major league baseball at the time,” Enos said.

As the 2011 football season begins, it still offers a relief to students and fans. For different reasons with people going through different problems, but whether they’re at Kelly/Shorts Stadium or anywhere else, it helps bring people together as a university and society.

“Sports have a way to honor and glorify those people,” Enos said.