By Kevin Kessler
Special to GoHolyCross.com

During the 2014 season, Holy Cross football has been under the rare leadership of a sophomore, junior and senior captain combination. Sophomore Peter Pujals starts at quarterback, junior Matt Bhaya plays strong safety and senior Michael O'Dwyer is a fullback. Captains are responsible for setting a good example, promoting a positive outlook for the team and resolving issues when they arise. Through the good times and the bad, captains must consistently provide strong leadership in order to maintain team unity and motivation.

Pujals, from Glenview, Ill., began his football career in the third grade with in-town flag football. He played on the basketball and football teams throughout high school and became a captain of each team during his senior year. As a freshman starting quarterback last season, Pujals finished with a .636 completion percentage and 469 rushing yards.

Pujals takes his role as a leader on the team very seriously. "Eyes are on you so you want to make sure you maintain a good work ethic and lead by example," said Pujals. Although he is only a sophomore, he has been able to handle his new position well. "One of my personal challenges is that I am a sophomore and this is only my second year," said Pujals. "However, I feel like I know all of the guys on the team very well, which has helped me adapt."

Bhaya, a native of Haddonfield, N.J., began his football career in the seventh grade and claims that his older brother's influence was the main reason why he played. Bhaya was the captain of the football and baseball teams during his senior year in high school. As a sophomore, he was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

Bhaya sees maintaining team focus as the paramount responsibility of being a captain. "Every day coming out to practice can become a little monotonous," stated Bhaya. "You need to make sure everyone is coming out motivated to work hard each day." Although football is a fall sport, it requires players to be focused on training for the entire year. "It is a lot of work for seemingly little reward," said Bhaya. "You have 12 games in the fall and you are lifting and training throughout the whole year." Bhaya added that the dedication and focus football endlessly requires is a challenging, yet rewarding experience.

O'Dwyer, from Denver, Colo., began playing football at the age of five. He remembers his first ever play in little league football when he dropped a kickoff ball, but was able to retrieve it and run for a touchdown. O'Dwyer looked up to his two older brothers and remembered that they served as role models for him with academics and athletics. He served as captain of Regis Jesuit High School's football team during his junior and senior years and led the team to the Class AAAAA state finals in 2010.

O'Dwyer has dealt with many of the difficult day to day challenges of being a captain. "You are the one who confronts difficult things when they come up," said O'Dwyer. "When there are attitude issues around the team or practice is not going right, you have to deal with that. You must push the team in what you believe is the right direction although people may disagree with you."

According to Pujals, Bhaya and O'Dwyer, demonstrating a strong work ethic, keeping the team motivated and confronting issues that arise on the team are the paramount duties of leadership. All three leaders share similar histories, such as the fact that they were captains of their high school teams. Additionally, each captain won an award last season marking his work ethic and ability to go above and beyond for the Crusaders. Pujals was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, while Bhaya received the Davitt Award as the team's top defensive back, and O'Dwyer won the team's Unsung Hero Award for his contributions as a mental, physical and emotional leader.

All three captains voiced that this year's team has been more cohesive and unified than in past years. The leadership of this sophomore, junior and senior trio has been an effective way of building team unity and cohesion. "Each grade has someone who is more approachable," said Bhaya. "Instead of a sophomore having to go to a senior he doesn't talk to very much, he can just go to Peter. It also helps that we have representatives from different position groups."

Although this unique combination of captains was unintended, it has developed a collaborative atmosphere on the team. "Everyone's ideas and beliefs are in the conversation," said O'Dywer. "Instead of three seniors hearing primarily senior attitudes, you have sophomores relaying things through Peter and juniors relaying things through Matt."

At the same time, the team breeds an atmosphere that encourages all players to be treated and respected equally. "Everyone is part of our one team and everyone treats each other in the same way," said Pujals. "We are all one unit and one team regardless of how much older someone is than you."

As each captain continues their college careers, they have begun to consider what they will pursue in the future. Pujals is a psychology major who would love to continue with football after graduation but is also interested in a career that will satisfy his interests in a hands on and communicative environment. Bhaya is an economics major and is still considering different career fields. O'Dwyer mentioned that he hopes to work in the finance industry after graduation, which will provide him with another competitive and exciting environment. Each player's continued leadership and dedication to the team has prepared them for their roads ahead.

This story originally appeared in the November 8 edition of the Holy Cross Game Day Program, for the contest between the Crusaders and Lehigh. To order a copy of the program, click here.