On Saturday at Ellis Oval, Tufts University and the Jumbo football program will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1986 team that won the New England championship. Captains Jay Calnan and John O'Toole will take part in the coin toss, and members of the 1986 team who have returned to campus will be recognized at halftime.
Ironically, a brawl at practice early in the 1986 season turned out to be a defining moment for a team that went on to accomplish something worth celebrating together 40 years later.
The 1986 team's senior leaders played for the 1984 Tufts team that did not win a game (0-7-1). The Jumbos improved to 3-4-1 in 1985, and expectations were high for 1986. However, the season began with a disappointing 23-14 loss to Wesleyan.
"Everyone had their own expectations," said Jay Calnan, defensive back and co-captain of the 1986 team. "We had a lot of talent, but in our first game we didn't have that cohesiveness that we were going to do it all together."
At practice early the following week, a hard hit on quarterback Frank Getman set off a fight between the offense and defense.
"Everyone was wildly dejected that we lost to Wesleyan because we had these high aspirations for the season," Getman said. "After the fight the coaches left and we kind of came together and said we have to pull together if we're going to recover from this. So we did, and then we just dominated from there on out."
The team had strong senior leadership, along with some very talented underclassmen. Head coach Duane Ford, who had come to Tufts in 1985, implemented a wishbone offense, and a trio of Jumbo backs surpassed 500 yards rushing that year. Tim Fanikos (694 yards), Kevin Doherty (652) and Paul Dresens (519) combined for 21 touchdowns. Mark Madigan anchored the offensive line.
The hard-nosed defense featured lineman Bob Patz, who tied the school record with 12 sacks that season. Linebacker Eric Damon and defensive backs Calnan and Joe Klein also led an aggressive defense. On special teams, Glen Koch led the nation in kickoff returns.
"We were just going to be a physical team on both sides of the ball," Getman said. "That was kind of our mantra. Nothing fancy about it. We were just going to line up and get after it."
The run to the championship started with a 24-15 victory over WPI, back when the Tufts schedule included non-NESCAC opponents. Victories over Bowdoin (16-12) and Trinity (29-16), followed by a 33-3 trouncing of Williams on Homecoming Day at the Oval, set up a showdown at Amherst.
Dubbed the "Small College Game of the Year" by USA Today, the #4 in New England Jumbos traveled to play a #1 and undefeated Amherst team that was extra motivated considering Tufts had won by upset 10-0 in the 1984 game between the teams. Behind a record-setting six sacks by Patz, three touchdowns from Fanikos and two by Dresens, the Jumbos earned an epic 35-23 victory.
"Coming off the Williams win, we went to Amherst with swagger," Calnan said. "I don't think they expected that. We really just put it to them in a very physical, back-and-forth game. Our confidence soared at the end of that game."
By this point in the season, the Tufts community was in on the fun as well. A few busloads of students, the cheerleaders and the marching band made the trip to Amherst. Jumbo fans seized the moment by tearing down one of the goal posts on the Amherst field to celebrate the victory.
Tufts moved up to #1 in the New England poll, but games against Colby and Bates remained. After a 49-9 rout of the Mules, Tufts clinched the New England championship with a 21-14 win over Bates in pouring rain and blustery wind. Koch led the way with an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
"It was the perfect way for us to end the season," Calnan said. "Once we lost that first game to Wesleyan, it was all or nothing that we were in this as a group and we were not going to let each other down. The accountability level started in that second week, and the culmination of that was the cold November, muddy, rainy day slugging it out with Bates. Winning 21-14 was the perfect way for that whole team to come to an end and celebrate the championship together."
They will celebrate together again on Saturday at the Oval, 40 years later.
"It's a tremendous group of men who have been a part of this program for a number of years and care very deeply about it," Tufts head coach
Jay Civetti said. "In addition to celebrating what they accomplished on the field, it's a great opportunity for our current guys to connect with the awesome people who have played here in the past."
For many members of the 1986 team, the lessons learned that season had a great impact on their futures.
"Over those seven weeks of wins, as we built on that every week, to ultimately end up being New England champions, it was pretty special for us," Calnan said. "It was formative for the years to come. A lot of these guys have gone off and done some incredible things in their own careers, with their families and within their communities."
In addition to founding the construction management firm J. Calnan & Associates, Calnan is the co-founder of Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that matches children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses with college athletic teams. Many of his 1986 teammates support the cause.
For Getman, Saturday will be extra special considering his son Johnny is a junior tight end for the Jumbos who is the leading pass-catcher on the 2026 team.
"Because of all the work and effort that went into it, our season was a defining moment," said Getman, who is CEO of the financial services company Great Bay Royalties. "We want to see Tufts get back on top. My son is there now, and we want them to experience what we experienced. How fun would that be?"
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--JUMBOS--
Written by Paul Sweeney, Athletic Communications Specialist
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