Addazio Fired Up to Learn CSU Traditions

The message was clear: Learn the assignment or do conditioning.

It's a directive as old as college football itself. It has taught running backs to run behind their pads, defensive linemen to shed blockers and quarterbacks to read zones. And at Colorado State, under first-year coach Steve Addazio, it will make sure his players know the school fight song.

This is important to Addazio.

"That's fun. I love that. That's college football," Addazio said after Saturday's practice. "That's everything I love about college football. I love the fight song, the camaraderie in the locker room afterward when you sing the fight song together and it signifies together you found a way to win a major college football game and the pride in CSU. That stuff to me, I can't get enough of that. That's something we really want to continue to build on, that esprit de cour, that proudness of being a Ram. It's not just about the football, it's about the university. That's hard to do right now because everybody is separated. Everything about football is team and coming together, and everything about what's going on is separation."

When Saturday's workout was done, he had a video of a Colorado State team singing the fight song in the locker room. Then he had them all sing along. He wasn't happy.

That's when he stressed the importance of learning it. He said they'd all know it by Oct. 24, because he plans on singing it that day. He intends to bring up each class – starting with the freshmen – and if they don't do it, they'll face extra conditioning. Then each class down the line will do the same.

Henry Blackburn is all for it.

The true freshman was singing as loud as he could, because he was prepared. When they found out the season would be played, the lyrics were sent to the players to learn, so he did. If the freshmen run, he knows it will not be his fault.

"I know it. By heart," he said. "We were in the dorms playing it over and over again until we figured it out. I can't speak for the whole freshman class. I'd say probably over half of us know it right now, but the other half is almost there. We're getting there. I guarantee it, when the time comes, we're going to be ready for it."

For the record, Blackburn said he is a darn fine singer, too.

"I'm going to be singing from the chest," he said.

Like his coach, Blackburn was looking forward to this stuff. He knew the school had a fight song, sure. He knew a bit about the Border War and the Bronze Boot, the Rocky Mountain Showdown and the rivalry with Air Force.

Now comes the good part, where he really gets to learn where it all started and what it means to the program, the university and the fans.

"That's what makes football so great and what makes college football so great," he said. "It's having the team camaraderie, sing the song together and do different things together. That's what's awesome about football in general, but college football specifically.

"I've been here since January, and those things have been on my mind constantly. I know for a lot of the guys we look up to on the team, the Bronze Boot, they're just licking their chops for the opportunity to take the Bronze Boot to Fort Collins. For the freshman class, and me specifically, these are all things I've been able to see growing up in Colorado and being with the team the past nine months. These are things we're working for and waiting for."

Once the whole team sang it with the video on the board, Addazio told them the truth – it needed work. More fire, better participation. He admitted he didn't have it down pat yet, but he promised he would. Then he had Toby McBride lead the team through two more renditions without video help, and it was clear there was more feeling coming from the choir.

Addazio has made his fair share of stops along his coaching career. He said whether it was Notre Dame or Boston College, he memorized the words and learned to love each and every syllable.

No matter how good the team sounds, the tunes always sound best in the locker room after victories. And as the season progresses, he plans to dive into each and every nuance of the traditions which have held true before him.

Game days and universities are not the same without them.

"I love it all. I love the rival games. The Boot, the Ram and the horns on the Ram, what it all signifies," Addazio said. "I love the Ram Clash concept.

"There's just really good pride and history here, and I love that. It's so cool. Every school has their set of traditions, every school has their rivalries, every school has their little deals. It's just fun. It is what separates itself from pro football."

Which means you don't have to be a good singer -- like Blackburn -- but you better not be mouthing the word "watermelon" to fool the crowd. On Addazio teams, attention to detail is a must.

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