Returning to normalcy

"Right six, right six, right."

"Quicker, quicker."

For the first time in a long 46 hours, the shouts of the Penn football team filled Franklin Field yesterday. The squad tried to return to a sense of normalcy following the suicide of senior running back Kyle Ambrogi at his home in Haverford Monday night.

"They are still in that grieving stage and they still have some thoughts and are torn back and forth," coach Al Bagnoli said. "I think we captured their attention for a little bit."

Bagnoli first heard of Ambrogi's death late Monday night and immediately drove to campus. The veteran coach's first concern was making sure that sophomore Greg Ambrogi -- Kyle's brother and also a member of the football team -- and Kyle's roommates were alright.

Still, Bagnoli had a long drive to campus first.

"You're in disbelief, you're numb, you're trying to get down there and you have a million different emotions," he said. "No good thoughts -- I'm the parent of a college-age kid."

A group of about 10 players met him at Kyle's campus home and drove to Haverford with running backs coach Steven Downs and assistant director of football operations Kevin Stefanski. Downs did not wish to comment at practice yesterday, and players are barred from speaking to the media under an Athletic Department policy.

"You feel helpless because it's already happened. You realize the finality of what happens, the police are still there, the crime scene investigation people are still there," Bagnoli said. "You try to do the best you can and try to be as supportive as you can but there are no words that can comfort anyone at that point."

After sitting with the family, the group returned to campus around 1 a.m. and found a gathering of 40 or 50 people at Kyle's residence. Bagnoli dropped the players off and returned home.

In the morning the team held a meeting at the Palestra with support services from across the University. Bagnoli went over plans for the week and made sure players understood and were comfortable with what the team was trying to do.

Greg Ambrogi will not be with the team when it travels to New York to face Columbia on Saturday but is expected to return next week.

Greg's mother Donna "is anxious to get him back into a routine," Bagnoli said. "We just thought it was best to keep him there, have him support the family and then get him back up and running."

The team already has several plans to remember Ambrogi. According to Bagnoli, helmet decals are in the works and a game jersey and helmet will be presented to Donna at the first home game. The team also plans to set up a scholarship to be awarded to a local football player who is enrolling at Penn and needs financial assistance.

Columbia does not have any specific plans to honor Ambrogi, but their athletic department did offer to accomodate any type of tribute Penn desired.

"I thought the kids did a very nice, workman-like job of getting through everything," said Bagnoli, who reduced the length of practice yesterday to prevent the players' minds from wandering on the field. "I think that at some point it's good to get your mind back on being a student-athlete whether it's being in the classroom or being on the football field ... I think it's therapeutic."

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