Fort Hamilton

New York Jets visit Fort Hamilton Army Base

NFL stars coach Army Game in Bay Ridge

November 22, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle
From left: New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown, wide receiver Chad Hansen and linebacker Demario Davis give a thumbs up before the game. Eagle photos by Arthur De Gaeta
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Three members of the New York Jets spent an entire day at Fort Hamilton Army Base in Bay Ridge. They came to spend time with troops and coach a football game between two teams of army soldiers.

Jets quarterback Josh McCown, linebacker Demario Davis and wide receiver Chad Hansen coached a friendly flag football match on Tuesday at the Fort Hamilton Athletic Field. The Jets donated customized green and white team jerseys and official footballs for what they dubbed “Fort Hamilton’s Turkey Bowl.”

The Jets stars offered valuable pointers before they were split up into two teams. McCown’s team sported white Jets jerseys, while Davis’s team wore green Jets jerseys. Both had the word “army” on the back.

The teams were made up of members of the New York City Recruiting Battalion with participants from all over the New York City area. One team represented Brooklyn and the other Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, Westchester County and Long Island.

All three Jets players took the time to greet the soldiers, sign autographs and answer questions. McCown has helped the Jets defy expectations this year and leads a team that has shown much promise throughout the season. The married father of two boys and two girls who has helped re-energize the Jets told the Brooklyn Eagle, “It’s an honor for us to be here in support of these guys, they’re the real heroes. We’re just glad we could be a part of it.”

Davis was equally happy to be at Fort Hamilton. “It’s amazing to be able to celebrate the heroes of my country for all they do. It’s a huge honor and a privilege,” he said.

Hansen said it meant a great deal to him to be part of this day. “It’s huge,” he said. “It’s awesome that we get the opportunity to come out here and meet with all these great people, all the people who give their service to us. It’s really great to meet them.”

“This is a great day for Fort Hamilton, for the United States Army and for the New York Jets,” U.S. Army Colonel Peter Sicoli, commanding officer at Fort Hamilton told the Eagle. “We are very pleased to host the team and have them here on the base and to be participating in this event. I think it’s really, really fun for our family members and for our soldiers and we are appreciative of the Jets organization for doing this.”

When asked how important it was to see an NFL team like the Jets come out to support the troops, Lt. Col. Judd Floris, commander of the New York City Recruiting Battalion, responded, “It’s very important. Every organization that supports the military is a friend to the Army.

“And being a member of the army for almost 20 years, it’s great to see an organization, especially from the National Football League, here to support our military. It makes me proud as an American and makes my soldiers appreciate what the Jets have done.”

Two of the three Jets stars had never been to Brooklyn before. For McCown and Hansen, this was their first time visiting the borough. Davis said he’d been to Brooklyn quite a few times, adding, “Anytime we have a chance to be back and do stuff in this community, it’s great.”

McCown and Hansen were impressed with the majestic views of the Narrows. “This is my first time in Brooklyn,” said McCown. “What better way to experience it than being down here by the water and to be on this base and see everything. It’s really cool!”

The final score of the game had McCown’s team besting Davis’s team 18 to 14.  Both the Jets and the soldiers said they look forward to a rematch in the future.

 

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