Twenty years ago, history was made at Carroll College. A team that set records and defined that period of football, and a new project is letting those alumni and the community relive those days right where it all happened.
“Some of these alumni are the best that we’ve had at Carroll College,” said alumna Mike Paffhausen. "They embodied what it means to be a saint more than anybody.”
(WATCH: Carroll to premiere documentary honoring 20th anniversary of 4-peat football team)
Back in February, Paffhausen approached the Carroll College board of trustees with the idea to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 4-peat football team. The board was thrilled with this idea.
“This is the beginning of a very well-deserved, I think, opportunity to share the success of Carroll College and what the graduates do later in life,” said Tom Downey, a member of the board of trustees.
A committee was started, initially to organize a celebration event, but those talks evolved into a docuseries titled “The Book of Saints,” showcasing Carroll athletics and its many stories.
“We just kept finding awesome storylines that we needed to get out in public,” said Garrett Thompson, director of the documentary.
Thompson interviewed over 20 people to put the stories together, compiling footage from championship games and more work behind the scenes. The series has become a passion project for many involved.
“When your heart’s behind something,” said Thompson, “It's a lot easier to put the effort into it, right?”
The first episode will highlight the brotherhood of the teams, not just as players, but as people off the field.
“It established a real mark of professionalism, of sportsmanship, of high achievement, and it's something really valuable to celebrate,” said Downey.
There is no set number of episodes for the series, and they’ll keep making episodes as more stories come out of the conversations.
The first episode of the docuseries will premiere on Friday at 6 pm at Nelson Stadium for former players, coaches, and registered alumni. It will eventually make its way to the Carroll website.
