Senior quarterback Mike Nebrich takes a moment prior to his last Liberty Cup game. (Kelly Kultys/The Ram)

By Max Prinz

Fordham football donned special patriotic uniforms for its Liberty Cup match up against Columbia. Playing on the road this season, this year’s jerseys featured much less maroon and placed a greater emphasis on red, white and blue.

This uniform featured a stars-and-stripes theme that stretched from head to toe. The helmet featured a block F with the stars and stripes of the American flag. The shoulder pads displayed white stars on a field of blue, while the white pants featured both stars and stripes. Even the socks of the players were fitted with a smaller U.S. flag and a Fordham logo.

Player names on the backs of the jerseys were been replaced by “PAPD,” “FDNY” and “NYPD” to further honor the the heroes who fought to save lives on 9/11.

The players, who had not seen the new outfits until just prior to the game Saturday morning, were excited about the new jerseys.

“They were perfect,” senior defensive back Ian Williams said. “I loved them.”

The Rams warm up in the patriotic jerseys before their Liberty Cup game against Columbia. (Max Prinz/The Ram)

“I think they were a big improvement from last year honestly,” commented senior wide receiver Tebucky Jones. “I kind of feel like we’re the FCS version of Oregon right now.”

The Liberty Cup was originally founded to honor the memory of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Columbia and Fordham were scheduled to play just four days after those attacks. The two teams moved the match up to Thanksgiving that year and created a trophy to remember the 36 Fordham and the 43 Columbia alumni and students who were lost that day. The annual Liberty Cup game has been played ever since.

Head coach Joe Moorhead pointed out the significance of the Fordham-Columbia game in his postgame press conference.

“The reason [the game] was founded was to commemorate the lives of the victims of 9/11 and the people who fought to save lives,” Moorhead said. “For us to come out and put a good performance together was very gratifying.”

With the win, Fordham secured its fifth straight season in possession of the Liberty Cup and pushed its lead in the series to 9-4.

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Max Prinz is the Sports Editor for The Fordham Ram.