A special look back at the 2016 season
1/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
The 2016 season will be remembered as one of the most historic in school history. The Falcons set standards on and off the field which will established a course for the future of the program and department.
Air Force finished the season 10-3 overall, completing just the seventh 10-win season in school history. The Falcons closed the season with a six-game winning streak which tied as the fifth-longest in the nation. Air Force defeated South Alabama, 45-21, in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl to post its second bowl win in three years. Air Force also won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for a record 20th time overall and second time in three years with victories over Army and Navy. The team is preparing for a trip to the White House this spring for a ceremony with President Donald J. Trump.
Air Force had a .769 winning percentage which ranked 12th nationally and ended up one of just 25 teams in the nation with 10 or more wins. The Falcons finished the season ranked third nationally in rushing with a 317.4 per-game average. The team was fourth nationally in time of possession with a 34:03 mark and seventh in third-down offense at 50.5 percent. Air Force was also effective through the air, leading the nation in yards per completion (25.8) and finishing eighth in passing efficiency (163.58).
Air Force had two record-setting performers that led the team. Weston Steelhammer completed one of the most decorated seasons for any player in school history. He was named the recipient of the East-West Shrine Game Pat Tillman Award winner which goes to the player who best exemplifies character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service. The award is about a student-athlete's achievements and conduct, both on and off the field.
Pat Tillman was a professional football player who walked away from the game after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to join the U.S. Army and fight for our country. A stand-out at Arizona State University, Tillman was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior before being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. After just three years in the NFL, Tillman turned down a multi-million dollar contract offer from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army. Tillman served multiple tours of duty, including Operation Iraqi Freedom, before he was killed during a mission in Afghanistan in 2004.
Steelhammer earned third-team All-American honors by the Associated Press and second-team honors by The Sporting News this season. He was also a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy for community service, leadership and on-field performance. Steelhammer is the first Air Force player to earn first-team all-conference honors three straight years, earning the award from 2014-16. He led the team in tackles for the second straight season with 80.
Steelhammer also led the Mountain West and ranked third nationally in interceptions with seven. He is the Air Force record holder for career interceptions with 18 which ranks second in Mountain West history. He recorded the record-setting interception in Air Force's 45-21 victory over South Alabama in the Arizona Bowl. Steelhammer was named the game's outstanding defensive player, leading Air Force in tackles with five and also forcing a fumble.
Fellow senior Jalen Robinette concluded his record-breaking career with invitations to the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl. He became the first Falcon in school history to earn a trip to the Senior Bowl. Robinette finished the season with 35 catches for 959 yards, the second-most in a season in school history. He led the nation in yards per catch with a 27.4 mark. Robinette became Air Force's career leader in receiving yards with 2,697, breaking the record of 2,392 by All-American Ernie Jennings set from 1968-70. Robinette closed his career with 120 catches and 18 touchdowns which are both the second-most in school history.
Air Force was just as successful off the field, bucking a six-year trend throughout college football in attendance declines. Air Force averaged 29,587 fans per game and was at 63 percent capacity in 2016 which bested the Mountain West's average of 24,142. Air Force saw a 14 percent increase from last year which ranked third in the conference and 14th in the country.
Other significant improvements were easily recognizable within the program. Fans were treated to a pair of new video boards in Falcon Stadium. The two brand-new video boards, and a new state-of-the-art sound system, were installed for the season opener. The video board in the south end of the stadium is the largest among all of the Mountain West schools and the service academies. The board has 2,500 square feet of HD video display. A second HD video board has been installed in the north end of the stadium along with HD ribbon displays at field level in both the north and south end zones.
The changes began with a newly-renovated Blue-Silver area in Falcon Stadium. The Blue-Silver area was completed with 100 percent donor funds and features new club seating, a remodeled dining and social areas.
These changes were just the start. Air Force athletics is aggressively fundraising for the next phases of the Falcon Stadium renovation. Phase 2 includes new locker rooms and the preliminary work for phase 4 which is scheduled to begin following the 2017 season.
Phase 3 includes a new facility on the east side of the stadium, replacing the aluminum bleachers and will include club suites, luxury boxes and a new ticket office. Phase 4 is club seating and recruiting spaces above the locker rooms on the north end of the stadium. Phase 5 will complete the project and bring the stadium to full Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, upgrade restrooms and concessions areas and various odds and ends throughout the stadium.
"This was a landmark season for our program and the Academy. The product on and off the field is as good as ever and we took some significant steps as an Academy to help secure the future of the program," Air Force Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. "You must always be moving forward with facilities and other upgrades in college athletics and the steps we took this season at Falcon Stadium are keeping us on the move. The future of our program is very bright and we look forward to the continued support of our shareholders to facilitate exceptional in all we do!"
