Sept. 24, 2010
Photo Gallery
Bronx, N.Y. -
This past August, when the Fordham football Rams returned to campus for preseason camp, they were greeted by the site of a brand new locker room. Today the Rams formally thanked John Lyons, FCRH '50, for his generous gift that helped make the new facility possible with the official dedication of the Beryl and John Lyons Football Locker Room.
Lyons made the new home for the Rams possible with a generous $1 million donation in memory of his loving wife Beryl, matched by another $1 million gift from a former football player who wishes to remain anonymous, resulting in the state-of-the-art football locker room. The new space features over 90 wooden lockers, wide screen televisions and a theater-type viewing area for the team. The room also features two sealed lockers to honor Vince Lombardi and Bill Tierney. At approximately 4,800 square feet, the new locker room is more than four times larger than the former room.
Executive Director of Athletics Frank McLaughlin opened the ceremony by thanking Lyons for his generosity. "We thank John Lyons for his gift in loving memory of his wife, Beryl, so her memory could live on at Fordham. We ask that John, you accept our love in return."
McLaughlin spoke of how Lyons loved three things in his life in this order, his wife Beryl, Fordham, and the U.S. Navy. Lyons would take his future wife on dates to Fordham football games, when they saw the Rams play at the Polo Grounds where a student ticket costs 75 cents. But they were careful to save enough money for a postgame meal and an extra 15 cents for the subway ride home.
Fordham head coach Tom Masella then took the podium to further thank Lyons and explain just what it meant to the team to have a new locker room.
"It's a great day for Fordham," said Masella. "The team has a locker room that they can call home which means so much to the student-athletes. We thank John Lyons and his wife for this tremendous gift and we also thank the 60 donors who each sponsored a locker."
After the locker room was blessed by Fr. Bernard J. Barry, S.J., the team chaplain, wide receiver Jason Caldwell, one of the team captains, spoke on behalf of the current Rams who are the first to enjoy the new facility.
"I would like to thank Mr. Lyons on behalf of the entire Fordham football team," said Caldwell. "We used to have to meet in the Rose Hill Gym during games since we didn't have enough space in the old locker room. But now that we have a room to call home the team's spirits have been lifted and it makes us that much prouder to be a Ram!"
The University President, Fr. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., was introduced by Caldwell and he further thanked Lyons on behalf of the university. "On behalf of Fordham, I can't thank you enough for this great gift," McShane said to Lyons. "This gift comes from your heart and brings with it your great love."
McShane then addressed the team, telling the current Rams how they have been told since day one that Fordham football is special and how the current student-athletes represent a special legacy at the school.
"This gift from John Lyons adds to that legacy," McShane told the team. "It's a gift from an extraordinary man, the most perfect man I know. I charge all of you to live lives that are always marked by integrity, by generosity, by devotion to Fordham and by class. If you do, you'll always be men of distinction, men who are worthy of a legacy, men who carry forward Fordham's great name."
McShane called Lyons, McLaughlin, Masella and John Tognino, chairman of the Fordham University Board of Trustees, to come up and officially cut the ribbon to open the Beryl and John Lyons Football Locker Room. Lyons then took the microphone to offer his thanks before Masella instructed Lloyd Morrison to lead the team in a rendition of the Fordham Fight Song.
The locker room was then open for guests to tour the facility and inspect the two sealed lockers before heading over to Tognino Hall for the annual football alumni Homecoming Reception.
