A horde of Syracuse players, nearly all of them decked in their custom-made Syracuse camouflage T-shirt, took out their camera phones and stared in awe of a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

The aircraft, which the service member touring the group called the fastest in the United States Military, drew the fascination of the entire team, which stood in the blistering heat not taking their eyes off of the large structure.

Offensive guard Omari Palmer asked if players have to duck before they get on the helicopter, having seen that all the time in movies. Team strength and conditioning coach Will Hicks grabbed a rope attached to the copter’s wing and asked “What does this little bitty rope do for this whole damn helicopter.”

“I’ve been coming here for a while and just seeing the helicopters is something we haven’t done before,” offensive tackle Ivan Foy said. “It’s just amazing all the stuff that has to go into it. All the little things they have to do just to take off.”

Foy said he had trouble fitting in the helicopter, and that it took him three or four minutes just to maneuver his way in or out.

Other players touring the facility watched as trained, motionless soldiers pointed snipers in full camouflage gear. Another group climbed into humvees and had teammates take iPhone pictures of them pretending to shoot the rifle.

Throughout the 45-minute excursion, players conversed with each other and with the service members that were explaining the details of all the various stations to them. They asked questions about the aircrafts, but also about the day-to-day realities of being in the military.

When Hicks whistled the players back onto the bus, the quick dose of reality was enough to have a lasting impression.

“When we play, we all want to go undefeated,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “We never want to lose. But if we lose a game, it’s really not that big of a deal. I was just talking to a soldier. He was saying how for them, losing means not seeing your family again or you lose your life.

“We never have to face that reality of never going home.”

Published on August 18, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3