While Mac O'Brien recollected a fortuitous long ago meeting with a soldier named Pete Lafitte, Griff was remembering the Saturday Night moment when he walked into the President's dinner with Caydance on his arm. She was wearing grey jeans suffused with threads of silver and a cornflower blue cashmere sweater that matched the color of her eyes. Grown long over the summer, with loose strawberry blond curls, her hair framed her face -- and curled around the silver earrings he bought her for her birthday the first year they were together.

He was wearing a silver gray jacket, an azure blue tee shirt, and black jeans.

The eyes of every young player and their families were on them, as President Durango Palacio-Earle introduced Head Coach Griff McGuire and his wife Caydance Skye O'Brien.

That was almost as good as the films of 5'9" Patriots Quarterback Doug Flutie that he had been watching. Flutie avoiding the blitz with agile pocket footwork; how Flutie's jumping passes overcame the height issue; Flutie running with the ball.