LARGE AND IN CHARGE
Bain, Robertson lead a group of 15 seniors into Coast Guard’s opener on Thursday
New London — Cody Bain considers he and fellow senior co-captain Ryan Robertson two of the quietest guys on the Coast Guard Academy football team.
But the pair has plenty of backup from a senior class that totals 15.
“Jacob Brown talks a lot. Jake David is super-energetic. We're all leaders. Every person on that team's a leader,” Bain said at Tuesday's weekly team media luncheon. “There's a lot of upper class, seniors, juniors, taking these kids under their wing. The faster we can develop them, the faster they can mature into assets on our team.
“… I love having all these seniors around.”
Coast Guard opens the season at 7 p.m. Thursday at home against Alfred State.
There are 28 freshmen on the Bears roster, four of them already on the depth chart, with the largest class in recent memory arriving from Naval Academy Prep in Newport, R.I., coach Bill George said. He likes the idea of having a senior class that's larger than last year's.
“I think it's good to have a team
that's thick at the top,” George said. “We had such a small senior class last year.”
And George also contends that Bain, Coast Guard's 5-foot-11, 195-pound over-the-middle wide receiver from Beaver Falls, Pa. — home town of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath — isn't as quiet as he says.
“I would say he talks to the team. He's chosen his words and chosen his spots and he's pretty adamant about it. He's not as quiet as he thinks he is, but he chooses his spots carefully,” George said.
“At this place it's a difficult place to vote for captains,” George continued. “A lot of seniors are respected by their teammates. It's not always the star who gets it. They tend to vote for who's helped them. There are some challenging times at the academy; they get helped on and off the field.”
Bain led Coast Guard (3-7 overall) with 55 catches last year for 783 yards and three touchdowns.
He was one of three wide receivers who started all 10 games and averaged at least 12.1 yards per catch.
“I don't think we've ever had an over-themiddle guy as good as him,” George said. “In the past we've had hashmarks-to-numbers receivers. (Bain) gives us the ability to work some things in.”
Robertson, from Emmitsburg, Md., is the Bears' 5-10, 195-pound strong safety, leading the team with 81 tackles last year, 60 solo tackles and three for a loss, with one interception, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
“I might be the team captain, but I still consider Will (Daniels) as the defensive backs captain,” Robertson said. “We're all there just to support each other.”
Bain said that throughout his Coast Guard career so far, filled with Swab Summer lowlights and highlights of summer training — including this year when he gained experience at an air station in Savannah, Ga., in hopes of becoming a pilot — his best friends are the ones he's made through football.
“I think that's why we still have such a large first class; we're not all going our separate ways (off the field),” Robertson said. “(Our class has) a great work ethic. We're willing to put in the extra work, continue to push each other.”
“Nothing crazy or major,” Bain said. “But if one of the underclassmen is confused about something, they've got a guy by their side.” v.fulkerson@theday.com