University of Connecticut Athletics
Memorial Stadium Closing Ceremonies Announced
11/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
STORRS, CONN. (November 8, 2002) - The University of Connecticut will mark the final football game at Memorial Stadium with a number of ceremonies on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies play Kent State at 12:00 p.m. in the final contest of the 50-year old facility. Next year, the Huskies will play at Rentschler Field, the new 40,000-seat stadium under construction in East Hartford.
Prior to tomorrow’s game vs. Kent State, Husky senior players and managers will be honored along with their families as they make their final home appearance in a UConn uniform.
A special bell ringing ceremony will take place at halftime of the contest and will recognize players from six decades of football at Memorial Stadium. All former Husky players are invited on the field for halftime and representatives from UConn’s football past will ring a bell, located in the southeast corner of the stadium, 50 times – representing each season in the stadium. The bell is traditionally rung during a game for every point UConn has after the Huskies have scored.
Following the game, the UConn team will remain on the field for the playing of the UConn alma mater for the final time in the stadium. The final playing of "UConn Husky," the school fight song, will then take place.
Participating in the bell ringing ceremony are Larry Day (1950s), Mike Zito (1960s), Brian Usher (1970s), Glenn and Terry Antrum (1980s), Dennis Callaghan (1990s) and Taber Small (2000s).
Day played for three Yankee Conference championship teams from 1956-58 and earned all-conference honors as both a running back and punter. He is originally from Orange, Mass.
Zito, currently an associate professor in physical therapy at UConn, was an All-Yankee Conference back in 1968 and played for the Huskies in ’68 and ’69. He is originally from East Haven, Connecticut.
Usher played for UConn from 1971-73 and was a starting linebacker on the Husky squad that won the ’73 Yankee Conference championship with an 8-2-1 record. Usher was also an assistant coach for the Huskies, working as defensive coordinator, and currently serves as associate director of admissions at UConn.
Glenn and Terry Antrum, of Ansonia, Conn., formed a rare brother combination for the Huskies. Glenn (1985-88) was named first team All-America in 1988 after he made 77 receptions for 1,130 yards and seven touchdowns. He remains the third-leading receiver in UConn history with 186 catches. Terry (1983-87) rushed for 1,064 yards in his Husky career as a fullback and was part of two Yankee Conference championship teams.
Callaghan played for the Huskies from 1995-98 and was a captain of the ’98 squad, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA Championship – UConn’s only postseason appearance in football. Originally from Birmingham, Mich., Callaghan was a first team All-New England and All-ECAC pick.
Small, from Baltimore, Md., played for the Huskies from 1998-2001 and finished his career with 1,662 rushing yards – tenth in school history. His 26 career rushing touchdowns are second and he led the team in rushing in both his junior and senior years.
