Caccuro quietly leads the Penn offense to success

When you ask anyone about Penn football senior offensive lineman Frank Caccuro, no one talks about nor even mentions his ability to play the game. That would be redundant. All anyone would have to do is watch him play. His skills are abundantly clear, especially since the Quaker offensive line has allowed only nine sacks and still opened up enough holes for Penn to average almost 200 yards rushing a game in the first nine contests of the season. But what really impresses his coaches and teammates is his ability to lead. Caccuro, who plays one of the most forgotten positions in all of sports, who had not played a varsity game at the collegiate level before this season began, was still voted offensive captain in this, his final campaign of his Quaker career. "The first thing you have to mention is his leadership ability," Penn senior quarterback Jim McGeehan said of Caccuro. "He's stepped up and taken the role [of captain], and he's done an excellent job. He's always supportive. He's always getting the offense going. His leadership and seniority show on the field. It shows and the players look up to him." "He's a very intense kid," Penn offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "Frank's very vocal and really gets excited to play the game of football. He gets excited to practice. That example is really important. He's a really good leader." But Caccuro, being only an offensive lineman, a position that only receives attention for mistakes – whether it be failing to open holes for the running back or failing to protect the quarterback from a blitzing defense, is still extremely modest. Even after he helped blow the Princeton defense off the line in the game that probably decided the Ivy League championship, he still would rather spread the credit rather than receive his justly deserved recognition. "Against Princeton, he played his best game of his career," Priore said. "He really did a nice job out there." In fact, the offensive line threw the Tiger defense around enough to allow Penn junior tailback Terrance Stokes to rush for a school-record 272 yards. But Caccuro, and the offensive line, while they may not receive public praise, do hear the praises from their teammates over and over again. And to Caccuro, that's all that really matters. "When Stokes does well, when McGeehan does well, we know that it starts with us," Caccuro said of the offensive linemen. "If we don't do the blocking for either the passing attack or the rushing attack, we're not going to get the yards. We appreciate just getting a congratulations from the guys. They appreciate what we are doing." This gratitude that Caccuro now receives from his teammates almost never came. After years of injuries, Caccuro has taken one of the more difficult and lengthy trips of anyone to finally arrive at where he is today. He may be the offensive captain today, but it was less than a year ago that he was just watching the games from the sidelines. Beginning in Caccuro's junior year in 1991, he fell victim to the ill effects of injuries. Before that campaign even began, he had already broken his hand and his thumb. Then, in his senior season last year, Caccuro tore his knee and was out for four weeks. When he was finally ready to return to the team, he broke his thumb again. "I guess to put it in perspective – he had never really played here even though he had been here for three years," Priore said. "He was a projected starter two of those years, but he was injured. We didn't know he was going to turn out this good." During the 1992 season, he was given a medical red-shirt year and allowed to return for a fifth season if he so desired. The choice was not necessarily an easy one, but now that the Quakers are undefeated with only one game remaining, he obviously is pleased with his decision to return for one final campaign. "I know this is the way he wanted it to be," said fellow fifth-year senior and co-captain Dave Betten of the Quakers' perfect record to date this season. "I know he wouldn't have come back unless he thought we had a chance to [win the Ivy title] this year." And even this season he has been riddled by injuries, as Caccuro currently is sporting a small cast and lots of tape on his right hand. It is there to protect his broken thumb again, which happened the day before the all-important Princeton showdown. However, none of these injuries have ever effected Caccuro's intensity or his ability to get the rest of the team ready for every game. Even when the defense is on the field, and he is on the sidelines, he can always be seen encouraging his teammates when it is necessary or consoling them when the need arises. "I'm a screamer," Caccuro said of his method of leading. "I try to get on everyone's back when we're down. I do a lot of screaming on the sideline when we come off the field after a three-and-out series. It's just the way I play." The way Caccuro plays stands on its own merits. There is no need to say anymore – his performance speaks for itself.