TOWSON, Md. – For the Towson University football senior class, its final season kicks off tomorrow.  From COVID to a coaching change to the early beginnings of the transfer portal, this group has had quite the journey.
 
"I'm really excited about this senior class for all that they have been through," said head coach Pete Shinnick. "The guys that have been in the program a long time, they had the opportunity to leave, but they stayed.  I'm extremely thankful for that, and from January on, guys have stepped up and made this go."
 
The Towson senior class has many representatives, including those who began their college careers pre-COVID, some who joined during the pandemic and others who became part of the class for their final ride.  For all, the Tigers look to make the final year of this impactful senior class a great one.
 
For some in this class, their Towson careers started like normal.  Players like Brockman Wallace and Ernie Smith began in 2019 as Towson came off a season where the Tigers had made a playoff berth.  Towson won seven games in 2019, its second consecutive seven-win season.  Even as some looked to the transfer portal, which had been established in 2018, Towson made preparations for 2020 beginning with spring ball.
 
On March 10, 2020, Towson took to the Johnny Unitas® Stadium turf to begin spring ball.  Two days later, the sports world shut down.  Officially on March 13, all Towson athletic activities were canceled for the reminder of the season due to the COVID pandemic.
 
"I remember sitting in my dorm room in Towers, and my roommate and I got the call that we had to get home," said Wallace. "We were going to have our third practice that next day, we instead just went home."
 
"That was going to be my first spring ball; an hour after the second spring practice, everyone had to go home," said Smith. "It was a big shock for me, I was excited to try to move up the depth chart, but we were out for a year."
 
As the world looked to flatten the curve during the summer, the sports world looked to prepare for the 2020-21 season.  Some Towson graduates continued their campaign post-college, with Shane Leatherbury signing a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals and Malik Tyne became the first Tiger to be selected in the Canadian Football League draft.
 
Other Towson players, including Dion Crews-Harris, Brady McElhaney and Daniel Raymond among others, were headed to Towson for their first season in 2020.  Or so they believed; the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), along with most of FCS football, canceled the 2020 fall season.  Though some schools looked to play in the spring that athletic year, and Towson did practice during that fall, the decision was made that the Tigers would not play football during the 2020-21 season, joining several other FCS schools which made the same decision.
 
"It was a little difficult, you come in as a freshman thinking that this is your time to shine, and then you are told there is no football until next year, and we really did not know for how long," said McElhaney.  "It was a difficult waiting game."
 
The Tigers continued workouts and practices, all while trying to avoid COVID, stay safe and continue their academic studies.  While the decision not to play football games that year was understandable, it certainly made it tougher for players.
 
"It actually gave me a little boost to see how it is at the college level, including its intensity," said Devin Matthews. "Not having games and getting used to waking up, the lifts, I think it gave me a little edge."
 
The next year brought another group of new players, who would play their first year in 2021 for Towson.  Several senior high school players either did not play football in 2020-21 or at least played fewer games than normal.  Players like Isaiah Perkins, Evan Rutkowski and Shafeek Smith among others would suit up for Towson for the first time since the Tigers took the field in 93 weeks.  The Tigers came out in style, reclaiming The Battle for Greater Baltimore trophy with a 31-0 win at Morgan State on Sept. 4.  Two weeks later, Towson was finally home, playing in front of over 9,000 fans at Unitas against No. 4 North Dakota State.
 
"Putting that helmet and shoulder pads on for real was crazy because it had been so long," said Wallace. "But being a football player and doing this so long, it felt right at home."
 
But the changes were not over.  After the 2022 season, Pete Shinnick, a DII National Coach of the Year while at West Florida, became the new Towson head coach.  Shinnick brought his style and expectations to Towson, including Arete, the Greek word for excellence and living to your fullest potential.  The Towson coaching staff also completely turned over going into 2023.
 
Towson found immediate success, earning its fifth .500-or-better season in CAA play in the last six years, including road victories over then-two top-15 opponents.  Towson's 54-51 overtime win at No. 14 New Hampshire on Sept. 30 off a walk-off rushing touchdown by Matthews was the program's first victory over a road opponent since a 45-23 win at No. 7 Maine on Sept. 14, 2019.
 
Several members of this senior class stayed on through the transition, and in 2024, now serve as leaders of this team.  And on Aug. 31, this senior class begins its final campaign.
 
"Being part of a new coaching staff and to lead future classes here at Towson, being a senior under the Coach Shinnick era, we want to leave our mark," said Crews-Harris. "This journey has been a full-circle moment for us."
 
"I am honored and proud to be here as a Tiger," said Matthews. "Seeing how people have come along to the new coaching staff, I'm ready to put my body on the line for us Tigers."
 
"It's been their approach that has driven the excellent offseason workouts and excellence spring ball," said Shinnick. "They have amazing heart and tremendous perseverance, they love and are excited with Towson."
 
The Tigers begin the 2024 season at Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m.  The first home game is the following week vs. rival Morgan State on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m.