Orono, Maine -- Aaron Dashiell had only been on campus during football training camp for a couple of days when, walking from the field house to the dorm, he noticed something amazing.
"I just remember looking up in the sky and seeing thousands of stars. I had never seen that before," said the New Jersey native who, over the course of the next five years, became a star in his own right on the football field for the University of Maine.
Dashiell was an impactful presence as the free safety for coach Jack Cosgrove's Black Bears. The hard-hitting, 5-foot-11, 175-pounder was a proficient run-stopper.
It was an era during which Atlantic 10 Conference teams featured big offensive lines and used a two-back system to run the football often.
"Most offenses didn't account for the free safety, so they kind of told me I could sit down a little bit, try to use my speed and let me be kind of another linebacker out there," Dashiell said.
That transition to college for Dashiell was a challenge at first. He credits his mom, the late Patricia Dashiell, for encouraging him to follow through with his commitment.
"My mom harped on education as something that she wanted for her children," said Dashiell, who became the first member of his family to graduate from college.
After accepting numerous collect calls from Aaron during his first few weeks on campus, Patricia provided him with a toll-free number to call home.
"You can call the house whenever you need to, but you're not coming home," she told him. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me," Dashiell admitted.
During each of his final two seasons in Orono (1998 and '99), Dashiell racked up more than 100 tackles, twice earning Associated Press All-America accolades, a feat achieved by only three other Black Bear football players.
Dashiell also garnered first-team, all-conference recognition both years.
Cosgrove praised Dashiell, who was a bit undersized when arriving in Orono, for his willingness to embrace strength training and commit himself to becoming a Division I player.
"The man invested," Cosgrove said.
"He was a very smart player and he had a gift that we call instincts," he added. "He was a fantastic player."
Dashiell thrived at UMaine thanks to his hard work, the friendship of his teammates and the support of his family, the faculty and staff.
"My best memories are the development, the growing, the meeting people, the experiencing things that I never thought I would be a part of," Dashiell said.
Among his on-field highlights was the 1998 season opener against New Hampshire on the FieldTurf at the newly renovated Morse Field at Alfond Stadium. He made 10 tackles, recorded an interception and returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown in a 52-28 victory.
"I scored my only collegiate touchdown that game, I took a fumble back," Dashiell recalled. "That was the biggest crowd I played in front of. I think it was the first night game I played at Maine."
Dashiell's professional career has been dedicated to working with college students. He serves as the assistant director of athletics and student-athlete development at Holy Cross.
He lives in Worcester, Massachusetts, with his wife Joanne (Curtis), a Belfast native, and their sons Theo, 12, and Myles, 8.
The 20201 UMaine Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet will take place on Friday, Sept. 17 at Jeff's Catering in Brewer, Maine from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The evening will begin with a social hour and hors d'oeuvres followed by a buffet meal and the official induction presentations of all of the inductees. This special event will be by reservation only, with limited space available. Tickets for the event are available for $50. To purchase your ticket to the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, please visit GoBlackBears.com/tickets. If you prefer to mail your payment, please contact banquet Co-Chairs Cherie Damon (207.949.4745 / cdicemom2@aol.com) or Sue Pate (207.249.9245 / suepate@roadrunner.com).
