BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. — The Upstate New York chapter of the NFL Alumni Association is hosting it’s second annual charity golf classic on Monday in Baldwinsville.
On Sunday night, former SU football players and central New York natives gathered for a meet-and-greet at Timber Banks Golf Club.
The event is raising money for Charities to Care for Kids and Care for our Community. David’s Refuge will receive the proceeds from this year’s event. In 2024, the inaugural event raised more than $10,000 that directly benefitted local nonprofits.
Sunday night’s gathering included a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, and live music.
Most importantly, it allowed central New York’s NFL brotherhood to reunite.
Many of the alumni shared a common sentiment – they’ve felt welcomed back to the Syracuse football program in the last year by head coach Fran Brown.
“It’s an open-door policy,” said former SU and Philadelphia Eagles runningback Robert Drummond. “He always has his door open. It’s not like Dino Babers, where we felt ostracized and we felt as if we couldn’t come and talk to him. Fran’s door is always open.”
Current Tampa Bay Buccaneers punter and Christian Brothers Academy alumnus Riley Dixon agreed.
“Right away, Fran called and said ‘hey, we’ve got to get you in here and get you around the guys to mentor, lead, and coach them,” said Dixon. “Also, (he offered) for me to workout (at SU) to continue to better my career. It’s important, especially being from the area, having a guy not only respect former players but care about their inputs and their knowledge of the game.”
Both Drummond and Dixon echoed their optimism for the Syracuse program with Brown at the helm moving forward.
“Have you seen his recruiting?” said Drummond, currently both the head boys varsity track and field coach and an assistant football coach at Jamesville-Dewitt High School. “I went to every spring practice last year and watched them play, and it’s just a different setting. I sat there, and I would tell players and my friends across the country that Syracuse has evolved. It’s like Coach Mac, when I played, on steriods.”
“Those kids respect him so much,” said Drummond of Brown. “Not only does he expect a lot of them on the football field, but also in the community, with how they invest their money, and how they treat society.”
“The way Fran Brown is running it, and the way he’s bringing us back along, is really encouraging and exciting,” said Dixon.
You can learn more about the annual charity golf classic here as well as listen to the full interviews with Drummond, Dixon, and former SU LB Morlon Greenwood on The Orange Zone Podcast.