NORTH BETHESDA, Maryland – A handful of Georgetown Prep football players stood at the railing of their new football stadium, named for the late owner of the Arizona Cardinals and a graduate of the school himself, watching an NFL team on school grounds for the first time.
With the Cardinals in town to play the Washington Commanders on Sunday, the mock game for the day before was held at William V. Bidwill '49 Stadium.
"It helps them understand that they will also be called to create a legacy from Georgetown Prep and that they can try to give back to young guys like themselves," said Rev. James Van Dyke, the president of the school. "They can make a huge difference."
That is the hope of Bill's son Michael, the current team owner and another Georgetown Prep graduate. Michael Bidwill wore a smile as the busses crawled on to campus – "It's an exciting time to roll through the gates with the team," he said –
"It's a special moment for everyone in our family," said Michael, who also had brother Tim and sister Nicole on hand.
The stadium was officially dedicated on Nov. 12, 2022. It serves the all-boys school for football, lacrosse and soccer. Seating 1,508 fans, the Bidwills donated $5 million to get it built, as part of a larger campaign to renovate and update the 93-acre school, which was founded in 1789.
But the effort has gone beyond the tangible resources. Van Dyke said both Michael and Tim helped, from a former student perspective, in designing various renovations for both athletics and otherwise.
"Michael and the whole family have put so much work in, and I know how grateful Prep is," said Andrew Caskin, a 2014 graduate and one of the school's top football players who now works as a pro scout for the Cardinals. "Not even just from the money perspective and the stadium and the renovations but more for the time commitment."
Caskin called the trip back a "full-circle" moment for him, the first time he has had a chance to see the new stadium after a football career that took him to William & Mary College and a brief turn as an undrafted rookie with the Cardinals before getting into the personnel side of the business.
It was also another full-circle moment for the Bidwills.
Michael graduated in 1983, Tim in 1990. (A third son, Patrick, was the Class of 1985.) Bill Bidwill started it with his 1949 graduation. He was a two-sport athlete in high school, starting as a fullback and kicker during Georgetown Prep's undefeated 1948 season. He also played for the baseball team.
"A lot of his being, a lot of his person, a lot of his character was developed here at Georgetown Prep," Michael Bidwill said of his father.
The Cardinals hold a mock game somewhere in the road city whenever they depart for a road trip on a Friday, which they will do a handful of times this season with so many East Coast trips.
"It was awesome, just with the stadium being named after Michael's father, Bill, great place, lot of good traditions here," coach Jonathan Gannon said. "We appreciate them letting us come out."
Michael Bidwill appreciated the ability to bring his team to the school that has meant so much to his family, hoping the visit will resonate with the students that now attend.
"The kids will have a lot to talk about," he said. "It's special it's the Cardinals, in a stadium named after my father."
