Dugan continues Holy Cross legacy

Back in 1964, Jay Dugan was the captain of the Holy Cross football team. He was an offensive tackle and a defensive end, a big guy with an intimidating frame.

Dugan had six kids, four of whom were boys, and they all liked to play football. The first two boys were big like their dad. So was the fourth.

However, the third son, David, had a bit of a problem.

"I didn't get my father's genes," David said. "I got my mom's frame."

The Towson football team may want to argue that point. When the Tigers faced Holy Cross last weekend, they didn't see anyone with a dainty frame.

They saw a monster.

On Sept. 22, David Dugan, a junior linebacker at Holy Cross, had the kind of game defenders dream about.

He recovered a fumble, picked off a pass and notched the oh-so-rare safety to go along with his seven tackles.

Holy Cross defeated Towson, 17-9, that Saturday, and for his efforts Dugan was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and tipping the scales at 220 pounds, Dugan may be a bit small by football standards. But what he lacks in size, he makes up for with heart and intelligence.

"He's an emotional player -- his motor is always running," Holy Cross coach Dan Allen said. "And he's a smart football player. That's the combination you need to be a great linebacker."

Dugan certainly understands the game of football. Ever since he began playing in the fourth grade, he was tutored by the best coach he could ever ask for -- his father.

"He would always yell out to me [before the play] where the ball was going to be," Dugan recalls. "And nine out of 10 times, he'd be right. I still hear him from the sidelines to this day."

Thanks to the great anticipation he learned from his dad, Dugan has had an exceptional career on the gridiron.

He led his middle school team to the super bowl in Bethesda, Md.

And just a few years later, Dugan captained Gonzaga High School to a league championship. On the way to the title, the linebacker earned All-Conference honors.

After high school and a post-graduate year at Phillips Academy, Dugan didn't have too much of a decision to make on where to continue his football career.

"I always dreamed about playing where my father did," he said.

While his two older brothers played for Hartford and Trinity College, Dugan followed in his dad's footsteps to Holy Cross.

As a freshman for the Crusaders, the younger Dugan saw minimal playing time. His first start came as a sophomore, in the 2000 season-opener against Georgetown.

In his hometown and in front of his family and friends, Dugan remembers that game as his best football moment.

"I knew right then," he said, "that I wanted to play at Holy Cross."

The middle linebacker went on to have an excellent sophomore campaign, finishing third in the team in the tackles with 64. This year, Dugan and the Holy Cross defense held Georgetown and Towson to seven and nine points, respectively, as the Crusaders opened up the 2001 season with two straight victories.

Yale edged out Holy Cross last week, 23-22, but holding an Ivy League team to just 23 points these days should be considered an accomplishment.

"Our defense plays with a lot of heart," Allen said. "They're a very tight-knit group, and they work hard together on and off the field."

And Dugan certainly does a lot off the field. Growing up with six siblings, he was always around children and still enjoys their company. Along with other players on the team, Dugan helps out with a sports camp in Worchester, Mass.

"He'll give you the shirt off his back," Allen said of his star linebacker. "He's always the first to volunteer his services for children's groups; he'll help anybody.

"He tries to be the best at anything he does, but he also has a caring side. He cares a lot about his fellow students and teammates."

Dugan, like many Patriot League and Ivy League student athletes, has also put things into perspective. He realizes that his football career will end with his graduation, and that's fine with him.

"No way," the history major said with a laugh on the prospect of a future on the playing field. "But I definitely want to get into coaching."

And maybe he can continue in his father's footsteps -- raising a family, passing on his football knowledge and seeing the Dugan legacy continue at Holy Cross.

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