Charlie Bettinelli 1974-2015

The 1996 Columbia football team is well known as the most successful individual squad in just about every Lion fan's lifetime. But it wasn't really the eight wins that made that '96 team special, it was the way they won close game after close game and really punched above their weight in almost every way.

Sure, that team had two superstars in future NFL All Pro Defensive End Marcellus Wiley and perennial All Ivy Linebacker Rory Wilfork, but the rest of the team were not Ivy household names.

Two of the players who were quiet leaders of the team were OL Randy Murff and DE Charlie Bettinelli. And by some tragic twist of fate that is just almost too unfair to fathom, both of them have now passed away.

I've written a lot about Murff, who was the team captain, a number of times on this blog and the old blog. His absence has been a painful reality for his former teammates and fans for almost 15 years.

But Bettinelli had remained an overlooked key component to that '96 team and I regret that it's taken his sudden death, just made public yesterday, to bring his contributions to light. But I will try to do them, and him, some justice.

Bettinelli was a serious presence in the locker room, and the other players used him as a role model. He helped them see how to conduct themselves as players in practice and on game day. Then it turned out that Charlie was one of the best students in his class, period. And so many of his teammates sought out and got his help on their assignments and he always made time for his fellow players in need.

None of that should overshadow Betinnelli's contributions on the field. His career highlights include a key sack and a forced fumble in the later stages of the huge 1995 win over Penn and a monster game against St. Mary's in 1995. His final game for the Light Blue was also noteworthy, as he and the rest of the defensive line held off Brown for a 31-27 win.

But his best game ever was against Fordham in week 2 of 1996, when it seemed like he single-handedly beat the Rams in heart-stopping fashion. Trailing 10-7 late in the 1st half, Bettinelli snagged an interception and made it a pick six to give the Lions the lead. When the game was over, he also had two fumble recoveries and a big sack to preserve the 17-10 win.

After Columbia, Betinelli held several impressive jobs, mostly in the tech sector.

The family has opened a 529 college savings plan for Charlie's son Nicolas in Charlie's memory. You can donate to it by making checks payable to Fidelity Investments, (FBO Nicolas Bettinelli A/C 618916783) and send to P.O. Box 770001 Cincinnati, OH 45277.

Fidelity Investments (FBO Nicolas Bettinelli, A/C 618916783) at P.O. Box 770001, Cincinnati, OH 45277. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sonomanews/obituary.aspx?n=charles-egidio-bettinelli&pid=174838077#sthash.epwoo8IL.dpuf

Make checks payable to Fidelity Investments (FBO Nicolas Bettinelli, A/C 618916783) at P.O. Box 770001, Cincinnati, OH 45277. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sonomanews/obituary.aspx?n=charles-egidio-bettinelli&pid=174838077#sthash.epwoo8IL.dpuf

Make checks payable to Fidelity Investments (FBO Nicolas Bettinelli, A/C 618916783) at P.O. Box 770001, Cincinnati, OH 45277. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sonomanews/obituary.aspx?n=charles-egidio-bettinelli&pid=174838077#sthash.epwoo8IL.dpuf