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http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...otball-insider-diaco-1017-20151016-story.html
>>... But a dousing after Game 6 against a team that came in a 0-5?
"I'm a senior and that was my first trophy game," Adeyemi of Wethersfield said. "I feel like we're a young conference, but a lot of teams in our conference have been playing football for a long time and so why not start up a trophy game? I know they have them in all the other major conferences. Why not start one in our conference; we're just as good as all the other teams. I felt like it was our trophy. He deserved it. We worked so hard over the summer, during the week, put a lot into it. It really was a culmination of a lot of things."
A culmination of a lot of things is right In some cases, Diaco is the third head coach UConn players have had. Could that splash have served as validation, for all to see, that the players are behind Diaco?
"Kind of the first outward display," Diaco said. "I don't know. I know how we all feel about each other. They were excited and expressed their excitement and respect that way, and I'm honored by it and they know how I feel about them. That's never in doubt, but I don't think it was a confirmation of anything more than just an expression of who we already are and how we all feel about each other."
Said senior linebacker Graham Stewart: "... We've all bought in and believe in him; it wasn't just because of the win, but it felt good to get it."
And senior defensive lineman and captain Julian Campenni said: ""We're 100 percent behind Coach Diaco and we were last year, too. We were excited we got a conference win last week, no doubt, but some of celebration was about how we feel about him, 100 percent. He's our leader."<<
>>"Building this culture has been probably the hardest thing I've ever done or ever will do, but it's been the most fulfilling and rewarding thing I've ever done," Diaco said. "And you've got to do it every day and it's got to be real because if it's not, you'll fail at some point in that area.
"I've failed in a lot of other areas, but in terms of caring for these guys and truly loving them and trying to move their games forward, I feel like we've done a very strong job of it and I know they know it. Over time you just build that loving, trusting environment and relationship. It's a two-way street because I feel the same way about them and If I could have doused Powerade on them I would have… I would have."<<
>>... But a dousing after Game 6 against a team that came in a 0-5?
"I'm a senior and that was my first trophy game," Adeyemi of Wethersfield said. "I feel like we're a young conference, but a lot of teams in our conference have been playing football for a long time and so why not start up a trophy game? I know they have them in all the other major conferences. Why not start one in our conference; we're just as good as all the other teams. I felt like it was our trophy. He deserved it. We worked so hard over the summer, during the week, put a lot into it. It really was a culmination of a lot of things."
A culmination of a lot of things is right In some cases, Diaco is the third head coach UConn players have had. Could that splash have served as validation, for all to see, that the players are behind Diaco?
"Kind of the first outward display," Diaco said. "I don't know. I know how we all feel about each other. They were excited and expressed their excitement and respect that way, and I'm honored by it and they know how I feel about them. That's never in doubt, but I don't think it was a confirmation of anything more than just an expression of who we already are and how we all feel about each other."
Said senior linebacker Graham Stewart: "... We've all bought in and believe in him; it wasn't just because of the win, but it felt good to get it."
And senior defensive lineman and captain Julian Campenni said: ""We're 100 percent behind Coach Diaco and we were last year, too. We were excited we got a conference win last week, no doubt, but some of celebration was about how we feel about him, 100 percent. He's our leader."<<
>>"Building this culture has been probably the hardest thing I've ever done or ever will do, but it's been the most fulfilling and rewarding thing I've ever done," Diaco said. "And you've got to do it every day and it's got to be real because if it's not, you'll fail at some point in that area.
"I've failed in a lot of other areas, but in terms of caring for these guys and truly loving them and trying to move their games forward, I feel like we've done a very strong job of it and I know they know it. Over time you just build that loving, trusting environment and relationship. It's a two-way street because I feel the same way about them and If I could have doused Powerade on them I would have… I would have."<<
