Inside BC Football: Addazio Explains 'Power Of Unity' Mantra

BOSTON (CBS) -- Steve Addazio has a knack for making a special mantra echo through the Boston College locker room.

In his first season on the sidelines with the Eagles in 2013, it was "Be A Dude," a message that helped bring the group together and resulted in an impressive 7-6 campaign and bowl berth.

Now, heading into his third season at Chestnut Hill, Addazio has a new mantra for the Eagles: Power Of Unity.

Much like the 2008 Boston Celtics with "Umbuntu," the message is pretty simple, according to Addazio.

"We believe that to be successful at BC, in football terms, we need to be a team," Addazio explained for Friday night's Inside BC Football segment on the WBZ-TV News at 10 on myTV38. "There are a lot of talented players out there, but there aren't a lot of great teams out there. Are you accountable to your teammate – can they depend on you? Does it mean something to you to be a part of something bigger than yourself? When you take that [approach] in football and put it into Boston College, that's what BC stands for.

"The 'Power of Unity' is understanding that the power of all of us together is way more powerful than the power of an individual," concluded the coach.

With 14 wins under his belt and two bowl berths after his first two seasons roaming the Alumni Stadium sidelines, Addazio is hoping to take that next step and claim a victory in the their final game of the season. But he cautions that this season will also be one of transition, with a very young and very inexperienced squad taking the field. That will make "The Power Of Unity" all the more important as the Eagles guide themselves through their 2015-16 slate.

"We're now in this transition time where the guys we recruited are pushing into this pipeline; 62 of our 85 scholarship players are freshmen and sophomores right now," he said. "We're faster and more athletic, so that's exciting, but we're young and inexperienced. And we're in a footrace to have that inexperience come together and jell so we can get some consistency."

That process begins Saturday afternoon at Alumni when BC hosts Maine, and Addazio's message for his team for their season-opener is very simple.

"In Game 1 you're trying to be physical; play physical and play hard and keep it simple; don't turn the ball over and play great on defense," said Addazio. "When you do that, usually you'll win those openers and it gives you a chance to build. Guys get their feet wet and you build from there. It's not usually overly-exciting, and it's not usually dynamic unless you're lucky to pop a few big plays."

Watch Inside BC Football every Friday night on the WBZ-TV News at 10 on myTV38!