College football is not always about fame and money, folks! Mind you, it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in the making of the programs. After all, the players being the pillars, are squeezed out to seek the last drop of their energy. So in a way, the players are expected to be soldiers, students, and winning athletes all at once. And guess who knows it the best? The Jeff Monken’s Army Black Knights and Brian Newberry’s Navy Midshipmen. After all, these are the two programs that are the toughest football program in America.     

As the name of the Dark Knights program suggests, it’s all about hustle and bustle! For every Army student, the day starts with a predawn wake-up call. As their HC Monken described a normal day of an Army, “It is a hundred pounds of gear in a 50-pound rucksack busting at the seams.” Yes, that’s how the curriculum offers them no options to take things easy or lightweight. The players are kept away from any facility that they consider to be a luxury. 

For instance, Monken’s players walk the hilly campus, with no Bentleys or Bulgari bling in sight. Want to grab some food? The Army players will have to make a 25-minute sprint in a massive mess hall. Now if you think, that even after going through military training, the Army players are able to balance their football training, yes, that’s true. What’s not true is the fact that they are getting paid in huge numbers. They are paid by the US government and it runs in the low five figures. Like Monken’s squad, it’s about tradition, discipline, and brotherhood in the Navy as well.

As Midshipmen HC Newberry stated, “Their entire day is filled. And it’s not just classes, it’s legitimate classes. And they’ve got things in the evening within their company and military responsibilities. They don’t get sleep like you do at another place.” Here too, the players are restricted from endorsing any products or having any sponsorships. Meanwhile, as the Army and Navy prepare to play the 125th edition of “America’s Game,” Monkey’s Army gets a wakeup call.  

Analyst raises a warning for Jeff Monken and Co. 

When it comes to physical toughness, both Monken’s boys and Nebwerry’s squad stand almost at the same level. That’s what we get to know from college football analyst OG Randy’s analysis. As on the CBS Sports podcast he stated, “Army’s on a roll. They’re tough, physical, they run the [football], and they’ve got excellent defense.” That doesn’t mean he tried to show the Navy as the weaker party. 

As Randy said, “Navy had a great start to the season, had a few blips, and now they’ve sort of come back. They’re getting healthy. If you get Horvath [Blake] 100%, it makes this game a lot closer.” Well, that’s true. Horvath Blake is someone who has been certified as a dual-threat. His stats are enough to prove his worth. He rushed for 895 yards and came up with 13 touchdowns. However, it’s not only about Blake. 

That’s when the analyst revealed Brian Newberry’s big weapon. It’s none other than their star RB, Eli Heidenreich. “Watch out for Eli Heidenreich. This guy can do just about anything,” stated Randy. The young chap comes off with a strong resume of 400+ yards in rushing and receiving. So, maybe knowing this Jeff Monken will now revamp the sleeping schedule of the Army as they need more time for practice!