By Olivia Cappoli
Special to GoHolyCross.com

During halftime of the homecoming matchup against Fordham, Holy Cross inducted two members into the Crusader Football Legends Ring of Honor. Tom Ciaccio (Class of 1992) and Charlie Maloy (Class of 1953) are the individuals who were selected for this year's class. Ciaccio and Maloy will forever be honored at Fitton Field with signs that will be showcased along the top of the grandstand.

Only former Crusader football players who have been elected into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame are eligible for the Ring of Honor. The inductees to be honored were chosen by a special committee, which includes representatives from the Holy Cross Athletic Department, the Gridiron Club Leadership Council, the Holy Cross Varsity Club and the Holy Cross Development Office. Fan voting also accounted for a small percentage of the tally. With the addition of Ciaccio and Maloy, a total of 18 members will now be included in the Ring of Honor.

Previous Crusader Football Legends Ring of Honor inductees include Ronnie Cahill (Class of 1940), George Connor (Class of ex1946), Gill Fenerty (Class of 1986), Tom Greene (Class of 1959), Bruce Kozerski (Class of 1984), Gordie Lockbaum (Class of 1988), Pat McCarthy (Class of 1963), Jon Morris (Class of 1964), Edmund Murphy (Class of 1943), Bill Osmanski (Class of 1939), Vince Promuto (Class of 1960), John Provost (Class of 1975), Dave Quehl (Class of 1976), Johnny Turco (Class of 1952), Jeff Wiley (Class of 1989) and Joe Wilson (Class of 1973).

Here is a closer look at each of this year's two honorees:

Tom Ciaccio
Ciaccio was the Crusaders' starting quarterback from 1989-1991, leading the team to an impressive overall record of 30-2-1. He finished his career as Holy Cross' all-time leader in touchdown passes with 72, while ranking second all-time in completions (658), pass attempts (1,073), passing yards (8,603) and yards of total offense (9,066).

Ciaccio brought home numerous honors during his collegiate career, being selected as the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year in 1990, then earning first team All-America honors in 1991. He also received the 1991 George H. "Bulger" Lowe Award as the most outstanding player in New England, and was selected as the 1991 ECAC Player of the Year. Ciaccio directed Holy Cross teams which won two Patriot League championships, with the 1991 squad posting a perfect 11-0 record and finishing the season ranked No. 3 in the nation.

"My greatest memory as a Holy Cross football player is difficult to sum up in one moment," he said. "The togetherness, trust and comradery that was shared amongst the guys I played with made every moment memorable. When I reflect on my time at the Cross, it is not a single game or play that sticks in my mind, but the looks in the eyes of all my teammates before we took the field."

As for how Ciaccio feels about being inducted into the Ring of Honor, he thinks it is truly surreal. "I was truly blessed to play alongside some tremendous players and to be coached by the best in the business," he said. "I am filled with tremendous pride and am truly humbled to know that my name will represent not only myself, but the great men that I was fortunate to play beside."

Ciaccio was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2001.

Charlie Maloy
Maloy brought an unprecedented air attack to Crusader football during his time as Holy Cross' quarterback in the early 1950s. He graduated with every passing record in the Holy Cross record books, along with three New England major college records — most completions in a career (306), most yards passing in a career (4,074) and most touchdown passing in a career (34). As a sophomore in 1950, Maloy threw 242 passes (completing 106 for 1,572 yards), which at the time set a national record. He broke the record by tossing 288 passes (completing 126 for 1,514 yards and 13 touchdowns) as a senior in 1952.

Maloy earned first team All-America honors in 1951, and received the George H. "Bulger" Lowe Award in 1952 as the most outstanding player in New England. He also scored 17 touchdowns in his career, and the Crusaders posted a 20-9-1 mark with him in the lineup. In addition, Maloy was selected to play in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl following his senior season.

"The best memory of playing for Holy Cross was running back onto the field after missing two or three games," said Maloy. When asked about how it felt to be selected for the Ring of Honor, he said, "It is a great honor and is very appreciated. My family is very excited about it."

Maloy was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1969.

This story originally appeared in the September 27 edition of the Holy Cross Game Day Program, for the contest between the Crusaders and Fordham. To order a copy of the program, click here.