Pasqualoni Heads Home for Business Breakfast (Video)

UConn head football coach Paul Pasqualoni spoke about dedication and mental toughness as two important ingredients in life's endeavors during a talk at the Town of Cheshire's Business Appreciation Day Breakfast Tuesday morning at Elim Park.

The breakfast was the ninth since 1992 held in cooperation with the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Commission.

Pasqualoni, a Cheshire native, spoke of the wonderful support he received from teachers and community leaders growing up in Cheshire and after graduating from Penn State when he came back and became a teacher at Norton School and a freshman football coach under Cheshire High's Bill Cunningham.

Pasqualoni, who coached at Syracuse University for 14 years (1991-2004) and more recently as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins in the NFL, spoke about the coaching experience at various levels of the sport and what it has in common with success in any business pursuit.

"You have to be smart in business, we (UConn) have to be smart. You have to work on the right things," said Pasqualoni of choosing the most important areas on which to focus whether in football or business."

"You have to have toughness," Pasqualoni added. "It's something in life, you have to have. Everybody usually associates toughness (in football) with the 'physical, contact' definition. That's not what it's about. Life and business and football, I promise you, is about mental toughness.

"The real big league guys, the real successful people have the ability to focus, the ability to persevere," Pasqualoni continued. "They are very persistent. They have a tremendous inner will that will not be broken to succeed. That's the profile that our coaches are out on the road (looking for in high school players)."

Pasqualoni also mentioned the many Cheshire High players he has coached over the years at Division III Western Connecticut State, including Scott Haney and (current Cheshire High coach) Mark Ecke, and at Division I Syracuse, including brothers Kyle and Ian McIntosh.

Pasqualoni made his share of quips, as well, and in his opening took a gentle shot at one of Cheshire's town councilors.

"I will acknowledge that (town councilor) David Schrumm was an excellent running back for the Rams in the football season of 1966. What David has to realize is he probably would have run for 50 more yards a game if we had turf here," Pasqualoni said jokingly referring to the councilor's opposition to the proposed turf field at the high school. After a round of laughter he added: "We'll talk about that later."

Pasqualoni also gave the crowd of about 250 a rundown on each of the UConn football team's prospects at all its positions and later when questions were taken detailed what a typical week is like for his coaching staff and players.

David Pelletier, the EDC Chairman, Town Council Chairman Timothy Slocum, Chamber of Commerce President Sheldon Gill and Town Manger Michael Milone also spoke briefly.

Milone pointed out that Cheshire businesses not only provide goods and services for the community but represent about 17 percent of the Grand List and provide 15,200 jobs in town.

Download the movie