Wings to Soar - Transforming Air Force Football

In Colorado Springs, 130 new members of the Air Force Academy's Class of '84 had just begun their collective journeys as FALCON football players.

 

Second-year Head Coach - Ken Hatfield was looking for a "jump start" to transform a struggling program. The Falcons were exiting their independent status within the NCAA and entering into the Western Athletic Conference as its newest member.

 

The change would also bring a move away from a traditional look on the field and the introduction of the triple option "wishbone" attack under the highly energetic and quotable Offensive Coordinator - Fisher DeBerry. Close to a dozen freshmen were immediately thrust into action, and I was one of those fortunate "Doolies".

 

The Class of '84 would take their lumps in that first season as FALCONS (2-9-1), but would finish four years later with much to show for the effort;

 

 

My intent is to tell this story of BROTHERHOOD and TRANSFORMATION (built through the trials of NCAA DIV1 football) and create a LEGACY PROJECT that pays tribute to the many people (coaches, players, staff, faculty, family, et al) that helped contribute to this success. A success that helped launch Air Force as both a respected and feared opponent within NCAA football for decades to come.

 

* NOTE - 2023 will mark the 40th Anniversary of our last season together (23 of the original 130 players).

 

The center of this project will be a 400+ page scrapbook that my late mother (Joyce Archibald) kept for me over those four seasons ('80-'83). It collected and chronicled every picture, article, and story that we could get our hands on from that first season, all the way up to President Ronald Reagan handing us our diplomas on the very field where many of these monumental moments were achieved!

 

My vision is to tell the story in a similar manner/format to popular Band of Brothers (by Stephen E. Ambrose), whereby we use the scrapbook to help guide the storyline as it was told by the sportswriters at the time (Ralph Routon, Wood Paige, Scott Craven, Terry Henion, Irv Moss, et al) and then tie it together with real time interviews/recollections from the entire cast.

 

I then hope to use this piece as a pitch for a screenplay script that would take our incredible story to a HBO or Netflix-type miniseries through a producer such as Tom Hanks or Peter Berg.

 

I'm asking for your support and for the support from my many teammates (across all classes), Air Force Academy alumni, the Air Force military community, and lovers of college football. Friends and family of both past and current FALCON players will appreciate this story, and your support will help bridge the time period from where your favorite FALCON was when he first strapped on the "Lightning Bolts" and where the program is today.

 

If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out; 303-941-2900 or [email redacted]