Every dad would love to have his son follow in his footsteps, whether it be as a good husband, good father, maybe take over the family business.
There's no question Bill Farrell would love to see his son Ryan do those things, though it's a bit early for those activities. Ryan Farrell is in his senior season playing football for the University of New Hampshire, just like his father before him. And just like his dad back in 1988, the younger Farrell was named a senior captain this spring. It's one of the better examples of 'chip off of the old block' you'll see.
That deja vu feeling Bill gets when he walks on the UNH campus is amplified by watching his boy do exactly what he used to do, 28 years ago to the day. His son has worn the UNH jersey this year against William & Mary, Rhode Island and Maine — just like he did his senior year. This past weekend, he watched his son play his final game at the Durham (N.H.) campus: a convincing playoff win over Lehigh. It's another chapter in the book of memories.
This upcoming weekend the elder Farrell will join with his wife Pam in watching Ryan play against James Madison once again, this time in the second round of the FCS Playoffs in Virginia. It's a rematch of an October game that ended up being close in the end. Again … it might evoke deja vu.
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"My wife went to UNH also and we were driving through (Durham) the other day and we had our other two kids in the car and we pointed out that we used to sit together at this wall and watch people go by," Bill Farrell told HERO Sports. "When I go into the field house or the indoor track there are different smells that bring back memories. And I think when I watch the boys interact whether they're at UNH or at our house, you just think back and think, 'this is exactly what I used to do with my friends'.
"I say to my wife all the time that it is so nice to watch him experience what I got to experience. He really enjoys it up there."
Farrell (left, 49) and teammate Quinlen Dean (right, 54) bring down Stony Brook quarterback Joe Carbone (center, 10) (UNH Athletics).
Ryan Farrell has turned out to be that 'buy-in' linebacker head coach Sean McDonnell needed as a captain. He has been a rock, gathering 52 tackles for a defense that has been stout and blue-collarish, to use a word that isn't in the dictionary (yet). He also has seven tackles for loss, three sacks, and an INT. When necessary, he makes the big plays — like his clutch interception against William & Mary early this year, or his pick to preserve the regular season win over eventual FCS semifinalist Richmond in 2015.
He's the consummate 'fit' within this defensive puzzle, not surprising considering his father played ball, as well as both his grandfathers (Jack Farrell, a Hall of Fame inductee at Boston College and William Gaytas at Rutgers).
Ryan didn't have a whole lot of college options coming out of high school, but the Wildcats reached out. It was familiar ground.
"Ever since I can remember, we came out for games," Ryan told HERO Sports. "We were so young we weren't really watching at first, but we'd play catch on the practice field. It'd be snowing out. We just didn't know how good they were. Guys like Ricky Santos and David Ball (went on to become stars in the Canadian Football League) were playing for UNH. Then I got old enough to realize it all."
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Now, Farrell lines up alongside good friend and potential future NFL defensive back Casey DeAndrade, along with a bevy of current seniors — and even better buddies — who have helped make this defensive unit outstanding. DeAndrade pointed out that the Farrells aren't the only UNH legacy. He said it is part of UNH's style.
"It's pretty awesome when you walk through the hallways and you see all the pictures, and the first couple of weeks Ryan would show us his dad's," DeAndrade told HERO Sports. "It shows the bonds we've had. Coach Mac has built this how he wants it to be. It's not like any other place … He finds the kids who want to get their hands dirty for this team, who know what to do. I've never seen Coach Mac have a bad day in five years. Even in Week 13 or 14 or whatever we're in, everybody's still going hard and it all stems from Coach Mac and finding the right players."
McDonnell has a formula he recruits by, and many times it involves a father-son bond that fits well at UNH. Nobody can argue with the results (219 wins since 1999). It was the same when when Bill Farrell played for legendary UNH coach Bill Bowes (1972-1998).
"Obviously I was very happy for him when he first told me he was named a captain," said Bill Farrell, who played alongside current San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly at UNH. "It's an incredible honor for him and Adam and Casey to be named captains at one of the best I-AA programs in the country."
