by Peter Schlehr, SID Emeritus

TOWSON, Md. – It was pretty much a foregone conclusion what college the Tigers' starting senior center, Brady Stup, was going to attend and where he would continue his football playing career when one considers the facts.

Brady's dad, Bill Stup, Sr., was a standout defensive lineman for Towson from 1985-88 who left his mark on the program with 21 career sacks and 266 total tackles, which still ranks 9^th among the Tigers' all-time leaders. Brady's oldest brother, Billy, Jr., wore a Tiger uniform from 2009-11, helping Towson as a backup fullback and special teams performer

Then there's his mom, Lori, also a Towson graduate and occupational therapist who once told the boys she dreamed all four of her sons would one day play football for the Tigers. Half of that dream has come true.

"It's a great atmosphere here," says Brady who could finish his playing career having started 24 games. "When I spoke to offensive line coach John Donatelli and coach (Rob) Ambrose during my visits, you could tell how much they cared about the game and winning. Then of course, there's the fact that my dad attended Towson and my older brother went to school here. As I was growing up I was around Towson all the time. I was certainly comfortable with the area. And yes, my mom told all of us about her dream."

The Stup parade began with dad who was part of the transition team when Towson was moving from Division II to Division I-AA (now the Football Championship Subdivision or FCS). In his sophomore year the Tigers closed out their Division II era with an 8-3-1 record that included a third trip to the NCAA playoffs. A year later when the Tigers moved up a division Stup and crew faced stiffer competition. In his final two seasons Towson's record fell to 9-11 after going 15-5-2 in his first two years as a Division II school.

"We noticed a difference right away," says Stup who served as a co-captain in 1988. "The Division I opponents were bigger and stronger. Their backs were faster. There was more skill everywhere."

It would take Towson 25 years of building and bulking up before the Tigers would return to the playoffs again. When they did in 2011, there was a Stup onboard, Billy, Jr. as Towson earned its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title. That championship included a NCAA FCS playoff spot making Towson the first school in college football history to have appeared in all three (Division I, II and III) postseason tournaments.

There was a bit of drama in that 2011 campaign when the Tigers hosted former Patriot League rival Colgate. The Red Raiders had a Stup on their team, another brother, Bobby.

"Bobby went to Colgate (2010-13) as a linebacker, then a runningback and ended up at defensive end his senior year," says Bill, Sr. "He was also a kick returner and a gunner on the punt team. Towson wanted Bobby, but as a walk-on. He didn't want to go that route so he decided to attend Colgate."

There was very little smack talk before the game. Colgate owned a perfect 9-0 record against the Tigers. After spotting the Red Raiders a 3-0 lead, Towson scored 35 unanswered points with freshman sensation Terrance West racking up three touchdowns on the way to a convincing 42-17 Tigers' victory.

Two years later Towson was back in the playoffs for a third time in 27 years. And, there was a Stup on the squad. The Tigers posted a school record 13 wins on their way to the national championship game where they bowed to North Dakota State.

"I was here in 2013," Brady recalls. "I didn't play because I was a freshman, but just to experience with those guys what happened with the national championship was terrific. I've had a great experience here at Towson the entire time."

There's a fourth brother, Brennan who followed his three brothers as a prep star at Tuscarora High School but then opted to enter the army. He is currently serving in the infantry.

"Brennan took a different path than the rest of us but it's a path we're all very proud of him for taking," says Brady. "It's a great thing that he's decided to help defend us and our country and to do what he can to preserve our freedom."

As Towson's 2016 season winds down, Brady remains positive despite the record.

"We're excited to do what we can as a team and try to win out these last two games," says Brady, who at 6-5, 300 pounds is the biggest of all the Stups. "It's been a rough season and it hasn't been what we'd hoped it would be but the coaches have instilled in us that we have to keep going and can't stop no matter what happens."

The Stup family era will end, for now anyway, with the final game this season. Bill Stup, Sr. is the first former player to have more than one son follow him in a Tiger football uniform. One never knows, though. In a couple of decades, a third generation Stup might appear on Minnegan Field to keep their family legacy going.