A Heartfelt Bond At the Corps

James Polanco and his twin brother Aaron, last year's star quarterback who graduated last spring, were there with their parents.

More of Vahsen's former and current midshipmen continued to arrive every few minutes, and soon about 20 people are making themselves right at home.

"I don't see all the men I sponsor as sponsorees; I view and treat them like my sons, like they are my family," Vahsen said. "I've had 124 midshipmen graduate, and they are as welcome here like my five children or my 13 grandchildren. One of the best things about being a sponsor is you develop relationships that don't end when they graduate."

At Vahsen's house, each class is assigned a room. Any senior who stays gets the room on the top floor, complete with a double bed, four dressers, two closets and a desk. The room for juniors has a single bed and fewer amenities, and the room shared by freshmen and sophomores, has a single bed, couch, sink and a small refrigerator.

Vahsen has another room for players' family members and girlfriends, but on some weekends -- especially when Navy has a home football game -- even floor space is at a premium.

"Now you see why I try to sleep over here as much as I can," James Polanco said. "It's like you're sleeping in your own house."

Pam's Boys

Pam Davis, a government contractor, says her two-bedroom condominium is big enough "for her family of 27." That's the current number of midshipmen she sponsors, "Pam's Boys" as she calls them, which now includes junior linebacker Tyler Tidwell, whose football schedule was incompatible with his original sponsor, who worked as a nurse. But Tidwell, who had attended services at the Annapolis Church of Christ with Davis, asked her last year to become his sponsor.

Tidwell's change in sponsors in not uncommon. According to the Public Information Offices at all three service academies, freshmen are assigned sponsors and are encouraged, but not required, to develop a one-year relationship. Often, the sponsor and sponsorees forge longer relationships, and in Tidwell's case, he is glad he met Davis.

Davis provides transportation, shelter and meals, but also gives Tidwell with a break from the highly regimented life at the Academy.

"A lot of people think we are a local taxi service and local Holiday Inn, but we do more than just feed them and take them places," she said. "I don't think people understand how hard it is to attend the Naval Academy. It's not like going to another college. It's the military lifestyle 24 hours a day. One of the first things I tell my boys is now that's we've crossed paths, you've got a friend for life."

"If there was one thing to tell you about how much she means to me it had to be a few weeks ago," Tidwell said. "I had strep throat and didn't tell anyone. But she read about it in the paper and one night I was lying in bed and she calls from outside the dorm. I came down and she had two shopping bags full of soup, Jello, medicine and Kleenex. There's not a lot of people who would go out of there way to do that for you."

Happy Birthday

Navy junior cornerback Jeremy McGown celebrated his 21st birthday last week. But instead of having his first drink, he and more than a dozen teammates and their girlfriends partied at the Arnold home of his sponsors, Bill and Barbara McKinney.