Aug. 6, 2007

Bronx, N.Y. - A casual observer walking by Fordham's Jack Coffey Field on Sunday would have done a double-take. Seeing two teams in the middle of a football game, one white and one green, would cause one to wonder if the Rams suddenly switched their school colors. To further complicate matters, one could hear the roar of a crowd, yet there was nary a soul sitting in the stands.

The answer to the mystery would wait until Monday morning when sports fans picked up their papers and discovered that the NFL's New York Jets used the Fordham facility to hold a Green-White scrimmage that was closed to the public.

Despite the game being off limits to the public, Jets head coach Eric Mangini wanted the scrimmage to be conducted under game conditions so crowd noised was piped through the Jack Coffey Field speakers and the game was complete with a public address announcer, scoreboard and a full officiating crew.

The Jets chose the Fordham facility because Giants Stadium was hosting a Police concert and they wanted to hold the scrimmage on a playing surface similar to that on their home field.

"The combination of the Meadowlands being booked for a concert and Fordham having a FieldTurf surface brought us here," said Mangini after the scrimmage when asked why the Jets chose Fordham. "This is a beautiful campus and Fordham was great about helping us."

In the end, the White team defeated the Green team, 24-21, to claim bragging rights, along with a post game barbeque spread, while the losing team was forced to settle for boxed lunches.

Fordham head football coach Tom Masella was one of the few in attendance, watching the action from the stands before heading down to the field after the game to speak with some of the Jets' players and coaches.

The day also marked a sort of homecoming for former Fordham running back Kirwin Watson, who currently serves as Player Personnel Consultant with the Jets. Watson, a 2004 Fordham graduate, was named the 2002 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year as well as First Team All-Patriot League in 2002 and 2003. As a senior in 2003, he rushed 311 times for 1,477 yards and 20 touchdowns, setting the school single season records for all three categories.

Over his career, Watson rushed 942 times for 4,617 yards and 48 touchdowns, all Fordham career records. He finished his career as the third all-time leading rusher in Patriot League history while breaking the league's record for most career rushing touchdowns, surpassing the old record of 40 set by Lehigh's Erick Torain from 1987-90. He also finished second on the Patriot League all-time scoring list and fifth on the all-purpose yards list.

Now that the professionals are done with the facility, Fordham will take over Jack Coffey Field as the Rams report today for the beginning of 2007 Summer Camp. The Rams open the season on Saturday, September 1st as they travel to Kingston, Rhode Island, to face the University of Rhode Island at 1:00 p.m.