WORCESTER, Mass. – At halftime of Saturday's football game against Albany, two former Holy Cross football standouts will be enshrined as the sixth class in the Crusader Football Legends Ring of Honor. Harry Flaherty (Class of 1984) and Tom Hennessey (Class of 1963) will be honored and receive permanent recognition at Fitton Field. Tickets for Saturday's events can be purchased online at GoHolyCross.com/tickets, or over the phone by calling 1-844-GOCROSS.
Flaherty was the first in a long line of outstanding linebackers developed at Holy Cross during the 1980s. A four-year starter for the Crusaders, he served as a tri-captain of the 1983 squad which won the Lambert Cup championship and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history. Flaherty was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player in 1983, in addition to being a two-time Davitt Award winner. A third team All-American in 1983 and an honorable mention All-American in 1982, Flaherty also earned All-New England honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He graduated as Holy Cross' all-time leader in career total tackles with 447, and set what was then a single-season record with 152 tackles during the 1983 season. Following his graduation, Flaherty played in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, and in the United States Football League for the Tampa Bay Bandits. He also did work in substance abuse counseling and with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Hennessey was a standout running back and kick returner for the Crusaders in the early 1960s. In his first game on the varsity squad in 1960, he ran back the opening kickoff 85 yards in the season opener against Harvard. He topped the effort later in the season with an 89 yard return for a touchdown versus Connecticut. That season he set school single-season records by averaging 30.8 yards per kickoff return and returning two kickoffs for touchdowns. A senior co-captain in 1962, Hennessey finished his three-year career with 1,157 yards rushing and nine touchdowns; caught 47 passes for 779 yards and three scores; scored 98 points; and ran back 29 kicks for 723 yards. He led the Crusaders in rushing in two of his three seasons with the varsity, and earned All-East and Catholic All-America honors as a senior. In addition, Hennessey was named the 1963 Crusader of the Year. Following graduation he spent a year on a Jesuit mission in Bagdad, Iraq, and then played two seasons with the Boston Patriots, being named their rookie of the year in 1965. He moved on to a long career within the Boston school system as teacher, coach, headmaster and administrator.
Only former Crusader football players who have been elected to 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. In addition, fan voting accounted for a small percentage of the final tally. With the addition of these two individuals, a total of 20 former players will now be included in the Ring of Honor.
Individuals who have previously been inducted into the Crusader Football Legends Ring of Honor include Ronnie Cahill (Class of 1940), Tom Ciaccio (Class of 1992), 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), Charlie Maloy (Class of 1953), 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).
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