SCOTT WESLEY - ARMY'S 2005 BLACK LION
Army's Black Lion
for 2005 is Scott Wesley, a 6-foot, 205-pound first
classman (senior) from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Although
never a starter at West Point, Scott was an outstanding
return man for three years, and in 2005, after being
asked to switch from wide receiver to running back,
starred as backup tailback to starter Carlton Jones. In
his dual role as return man and running back, he led Army
in touchdowns and scoring. He ranked as high as 13th
nationally in all-purpose yards, and was a major factor
in Army's late-season four-game win streak.
Following is the
official announcement from West Point's Sports Information
Office
- WEST POINT, N.Y. - With his team's practice sessions winding down to a precious few, Army head coach Bobby Ross announced this year's winner of the Black Lion Award to his squad following Wednesday afternoon's workout, an honor he considers as prestigious as any handed out during the course of the season.
- Ross stated that senior running back and return specialist Scott Wesley, a former walkon, had been selected by the coaching staff as this year's recipient of the coveted award.
- The Black Lion Award is presented in memory of former Army football great Don Holleder, who was killed in combat in Vietnam on Oct. 17, 1967, and the men of the 28th Infantry Regiment (nicknamed the Black Lions), who died with him that day. This marks only the second year that Army has presented the award, with the initial honor going to Will Sullivan last season.
- Holleder was an All-American end as a junior at West Point in 1954 and appeared headed for an even more successful senior campaign before head coach Earl "Red" Blaik approached him the following spring and asked if he would begin learning the quarterback position for the 1955 season. Blaik knew that Holleder had never played the position before, but felt his team's best all-around athlete could learn to handle the ball well. He also wanted someone to provide a match for Navy's brilliant quarterback, George Welsh, so that Army would have a decent chance to beat the Mids at year's end.
- Blaik left the final decision to Holleder, with the provision that if he became truly unhappy with the experiment, he could return to his end position. Holleder agreed, foregoing All-America honors and the personal notoriety that it brought.
- The "Great Experiment" or "Blaik's Folly," as it became known was not well received by the Academy or its administrators. While Holleder struggled at times at quarterback during the uneven season, he engineered a season-ending 14-6 upset of heavily favored Navy.
- Holleder would go on to a decorated military career before that fateful day in October 1967.
- On that day, a savage battle between a 1st Infantry Division battalion and the Viet Cong was fought in a thick jungle about 40 miles north of Saigon. Holleder, second in command, assumed control of the troops after battalion commander Col. Terry de la Mesa Allen Jr. was killed during the early stages of the skirmish. Holleder and several other solders boarded a helicopter and flew over the area of conflict. After viewing wounded in the field, Holleder ordered the copter to land. Holleder raced into the heart of the battle in an attempt to recover the wounded men, but was killed by enemy sniper fire.
- The Black Lion Award was first established in 2001, the 100th anniversary of the forming of the 28th Infantry Regiment - the famed Black Lions of Cantigny, who were the first Americans to see combat duty oversees, engaged in World War I. It has been presented to high school and college players of various teams since that time, but never to an Army football player prior to last season.
- The award is intended to go to the senior player "who best exemplifies the character of Don Holleder: leadership, courage, devotion to duty, self sacrifice, and - above all - an unselfish concern for the team ahead of himself."
- Wesley epitomizes those traits.
- The native of Pine Bluff, Ark. (Pine Bluff H.S.), currently ranks 13th nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 155.1 markers per game. He tops the team will 11 touchdowns and 66 points this fall, while ranking fourth on Army's single season all-purpose yardage list (1551).
- Wesley began his career at wide receiver, but saw limited field duty until assuming his role as Army's primary kickoff returner a year ago. He was shifted to running back this past spring and has made a major impact this season, ranking second on the club behind starter Carlton Jones with 551 rushing yards. His total of 10 rushing scores leads the club.
- Army's career leader in both kickoff returns (98) and kickoff return yardage (2157), Wesley also stands seventh on the Black Knights' career all-purpose yardage list (2966) - this after seeing the field for less than 10 plays through his first two seasons at the Academy.
- "This is a tremendous honor," Wesley said. "This is a very important award for me. It just means that you go `all-out.' Winning this award is something that you tell all your friends about."
- "I couldn't be happier that Scott won the award," Ross added. "It was a really difficult vote that we had because we must have had eight to 10 nominees and that speaks well for our senior group. I'm very happy for Scott. He is a guy that has taken his career and just done a tremendous job. You just can't imagine what he's accomplished in such a short period of time. He's gone from a fourth team wide receiver to an outstanding running back for us, and one of the better return specialists in the country.
- "He's an outstanding young man, a good student, and any good student here at West Point is someone pretty special, let me tell you. He's been a real model cadet within the Corps as well. He certainly exemplifies what this award stands for. I think Don Holleder would look down on him and say, `Boy, what an outstanding choice you made for the second year in a row."
- The Black Lion award is presented with the approval of the 28th Infantry Association and with the permission and approval of Holleder's widow, the late Mrs. Caroline Ruffner.