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UNH football: Captain’s corner

DURHAM – Winter workouts. Check.

Spring football and spring game. Check.

Captains in place. Check.

The University of New Hampshire football team keeps checking off milestones as it steams towards the inaugural season of new head coach Rick Santos.  The Wildcats open the 2022 season Thursday night, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. in Wildcat Stadium against Monmouth, a new member of the Colonial Athletic Association.

After last Thursday night’s annual Blue/White game, Santos introduced the four captains who had been voted in by the team.

Safety Pop Bush and tackle Niko Kvietkus come from the defense and wide receiver Brian Espanet and tackle Patrick Flynn the offense. Bush, Kvietkus and Flynn wrapped up their final spring football sessions on Thursday night. Espanet has not been enrolled in school this spring, but came up from his home in Hopedale, Mass., to check in on practice several times and has stayed in regular touch with his teammates.

Flynn is finishing up his MBA from UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business & Economics this spring and Kvietkus has been accepted into the MBA program.

“Those guys are four of the best leaders we have, they’re four of our best players and they’ve played some of the most meaningful football for us over the last four years,” Santos said. “It made a lot of sense that the guys voted the way they did.”

Here’s how the captains reacted to the news, along with a message they bring to the table.

Pop Bush

“My initial reaction was that it was surreal. To get to this point in time, I was thinking about all the other guys who came ahead of me and were captains and I looked up to and who led well. It’s something I’ve always strived for since I started playing football at age 5. To be a captain in flag football, to be a captain in high school (he was as a junior and a senior) and now in my final destination to be a captain in college. It takes a moment to take it all in.”

His early message to the team: “My message has been pretty consistent. It’s not what we say, but what we do on a daily basis. Just be consistent. I assume that’s why my teammates voted me captain. I just go to work every day with a blue-collar mindset. If I’m consistent in my approach, guys will see that and emulate that, not by what I say. It’s the approach I take on the field and off as well. It’s how I’ve been raised.”

Brian Espanet 

“I’m not going to lie to you. It’s the honor of my life. I’m very proud. It’s fired me up to come back to school and work with the guys. I’ve been working at the school in the town next to my hometown and this is the start of the itching to get back to work up here.”

His early message to the team: “For me, it’s don’t dwell on last year, but keep it in the back of your mind. Remember how it felt, from Pittsburgh to Maine. Remember the feeling, but don’t dwell on it. No one wants to repeat how last year went. I think the team is coming together, working hard out of frustration from last year. We want to move on from last year, but keep it in our mind.”

Patrick Flynn  

“My first reaction was, it’s an honor. To be named a captain means the world, being selected to represent the team. Ever since I stepped on the field here at UNH it’s been a goal of mine. My commitment to the team has only grown over the last few semesters. I can’t wait to lead this team. We have a lot of good players on both sides of the ball and it’s going to be exciting to see how it all comes together as we look to achieve common goals, not only to beat Maine and get the musket back, but to win the CAA and get back to the FCS playoffs.”

His early message to the team: “Just to get back to that standard that UNH used to have. Set new standards and embrace the old ones that have always been in place and made UNH so successful: Show up on time, do what’s right, the do-your-job mentality, everything like that.”

Niko Kvietkus 

“Obviously, I’m honored. Coach Santos said after practice (the day before the spring game) we were going to be voting on captains and I got a little nervous. He had me break down the huddle after that and I was a little shook-up and I don’t think anyone understood what I said. I’ve wanted to be a captain and it’s something I’ve thought about more in the last couple of years as I’ve taken on more of a leadership role as other players have left. It’s an honor. It means everything to me.”

His early message to the team: “We have a lot of guys in our locker room who are in leadership roles. It’s like nothing I’ve been a part of before. There’s a reason why I was nervous. There are so many dudes who can wear the ‘C’ on their chest and fit that role. It’s those guys that me and Brian and Flynnie and Pop are going to have to lean on this year to help get UNH back to its standards and leave UNH better than we found it. We’ve got so many leaders in our locker room.”

Right Back at It 

The Wildcats were back at working out with strength and conditioning coach Paul Chapman first thing Monday morning for another round of lifting and conditioning. They will be working with him for the next couple of weeks.

Santos expects 25 to 30 Wildcats will be on campus and working out together informally in early June and that number will swell to 50 to 60 after the first of July.

The team will report back for fall camp in early August to begin preparations for the opener against Monmouth.

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