Think of them as a gang of Lost Boys of sorts, cavorting around in their tattered Syracuse football practice T-shirts.

Or perhaps, they’re better suited for the role of musketeers, devoted to avenge the loss of one of their fallen mates. But the ‘One For All, All For One’ is old and the stuff of fairy tales. These large men simply announce their presence in a room by one simple rallying call.

‘Tight ends!’

Like any group of friends, they exchange barbs and one-liners. They’re bound together by skill and passion.

‘They’re a good group of guys,’ Shor said. ‘It’s almost like they’re more my brothers than my friends.’

Saturday will be their first test. Three of them, Lenny Cusumano, Joe Kowalewski and Alex Shor will likely see action. Another, Brandon Darlington, will probably watch from the sidelines. The big brother, Joe Donnelly, won’t play this week – or for at least four more weeks – because of a shoulder injury.

Shor’s one of the youngsters. The kind that looks up in awe at the older guys, the ones he hopes to someday replace in the starting lineup. Only a sophomore, Shor gets his share of ribbing from the older guys. At 6 feet, 6 inches, he’s the tallest and lankiest, making him easy fodder.

‘They tease me pretty bad because I’m so tall I look goofy on film,’ Shor said.

Shor’s working on gaining weight, though. He’s up to 260 pounds since coming into the program at 220. He knows in just a split-second he could be thrust into the role of one of the big boys.

That’s what happened to Kowalewski. Last week he was a 260-pound third-stringer. Now, since the injury to Donnelly, he will start alongside Cusumano.

It all happened so fast. On Aug. 24, Donnelly dove for a pass, something he’s done dozens of times before. He landed wrong on his shoulder. Emergency surgery was performed that night. It was the type of freak injury that seems so unfair. Suddenly, the starting tight end was out for six weeks.

‘I knew I had to step up because I was next in line,’ Kowalewski said. ‘I’ve got to get everything together. It’s my turn to go. I felt bad for Joe. Then I thought, It’s on me now. I’m not going to be the third (tight end) anymore. I’m going to be part of the offense.’

There was a sense of urgency in the tight end meetings. The joking stopped for a day. The remaining tight ends knew they had to avenge their keystone.

Donnelly would mostly be used in two-tight end sets with Cusumano. Kowalewski will be plugged in Donnelly’s old role. It’s something he feels he can handle.

‘(The coaches) have a game plan and we’re going to stick to it,’ Kowalewski said. ‘Whatever Joe was supposed to do, I’m going to have to take over that role.’

It’s a difficult role to duplicate. Donnelly is, by far, the fastest of the bunch and the strongest. Kowalewski, who runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, will have to adjust.

Of course, Kowalewski has strengths. All the brothers do. Kowalewski, he’s the aggressive one. Cusumano, the one they look up to like a father, is the run blocker. Donnelly is the speedster, Darlington is the young stud and Shor is the tall one.

‘We’re trusting each other,’ Donnelly said. ‘I look at Alex right now and if he has to go in the game, I feel he can play. I look at Joe and if Joe has to play Saturday, I’m confident he can play. A year ago, I couldn’t have said that.’

But a year ago, he was the one doing the playing. The tables have turned now and Donnelly finds it excruciating to have to watch his brothers out on the field.

‘I’m getting better, but if it was up to me, I’d be out there playing next week,’ Donnelly said. ‘It’s painful because every time I move, my shoulder’s hurting. But that pain is going to be nothing compared to sitting at home and watching everyone play on Saturday. Or wearing my jersey at the Dome and watching my teammates, my friends play. That pain is immeasurable.’

Donnelly hopes to recover in time for the Virginia Tech game Oct. 11. Until then, he’ll continue to partake in tight end meetings with all his boys. The sense of togetherness will have to last until he can join them out on the field.

‘We’re all on an even playing field,’ said Donnelly. ‘If I drop a pass or miss a block, one of the younger guys will say something, and they’ll say something funny. That’s good because that’s how it should be.

‘First and foremost we’re friends. Then, after that, we’re football players. The fact that we can all joke with each other and make fun of each other makes it that much more of a closer group.’

Published on September 2, 2003 at 12:00 pm