Charleston, S.C. Bulldog fans traveling to the Iron City for The Citadel's Sept. 23 match-up against Pitt will get an extra treat, as the illustrious Summerall Guards will be performing twice at Heinz Field. The Summerall Guards will perform their full routine outside Gate A of Heinz Field before the game and will perform a six-minute routine on the field at halftime.
The Citadel is taking on Division I-A and BIG EAST Conference member Pittsburgh at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Heinz Field, home to the Panthers and the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Live audio can be accessed by Bulldog Insider patrons at CitadelSports.com while live video will be streamed on ESPN360.
Consisting of 61 members, the Summerall Guards are first-class (seniors) cadets who go through a rigorous physical training and initiation process and are chosen for their physical stamina and drill proficiency.
Membership is considered a high honor at the military college. The platoon's purpose is to exemplify, through a unique series of movements based on the old German close order drill and performed to a silent count, the exactness and thoroughness with which The Citadel cadet is trained. The series has never been written and has been passed down since 1932 from class to class, through strict rehearsal and memorization.
The platoon is named for General Charles P. Summerall, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and president of The Citadel from 1931 until 1953. They have performed at Presidential Inaugurations, NFL games, Mardi Gras and Veteran's Day parades, Disney World, and numerous other events. All 61 members wear The Citadel's most formal uniform known as full-dress Salt and Pepper which consists of a gray wool blouse with gold rank insignia worn under cross webbing and waist plate over white trousers, and carrying Springfield rifles with bayonets.
The Citadel, founded in 1842, is a coeducational military college that offers a classic military education for young men and women who seek a college experience that is intense, meaningful and academically strong. Most Citadel graduates say that the disciplined lifestyle and the friendships they forged here have had a profoundly positive effect on their lives.
The Citadel has stayed faithful to its original mission over the last 162 years. It graduates men and women with alert minds and sound bodies, who value honor, integrity, loyalty and patriotism, and who accept the responsibilities that accompany leadership. The Citadel remains a stronghold of duty, self-discipline, and high ideals in a changing American society.
