Trading in footballs for nails, helmets for hard hats and cleats for boots, the St. Thomas football team tackled a project instead of its opponents Saturday afternoon.

In collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, 18 football players worked to build a home for a family in need.

Habitat for Humanity stood out to coach Glenn Caruso because of its mission.

“It’s an amazing cause; it’s not in the business of just making homes, but making home ownership possible,” Caruso said.

Caruso said this marks the first time the team has worked with this organization.

“The reason why we ended up at Habitat is my wife had some knowledge about it, since she did it when she was in college, so we started looking into that,” Caruso said.

Several football players signed up, but Habitat for Humanity informed the team there was a limit to the number of people allowed to participate.

While many Tommies came with the intention of giving back, freshman Daniel Herriges said he was given a new opportunity in return.

“It’s a new experience; I’ve never had a lot of construction experience before,” Herriges said.

Habitat for Humanity employee Devin Burke enjoyed the extra set of hands at work.

“It’s been really great having the St. Thomas football team here,” Burke said. “A lot of them seem to know what they’re doing, those that don’t are learning quick and are very capable.”

The Tommies didn’t just build a house, but also a stronger bond among teammates.

“We’ve been able to talk to people who we normally don’t get to during practice, so it’s been very nice being able to do that,” Herriges said.

Because of Caruso’s Coach of the Year award, the team was able to donate $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity.

“We’ve been able to help out a lot of other organizations with the awards from liberty mutual awards the last couple of years, and we’ve always tried to something local something worthy,” Caruso said.

Caruso and the team anticipate future tasks of hammering and cutting for a greater cause.

“Hopefully, we can do more projects in the year and get more guys to help out,” Herriges said. “I would love to do this again.”

Caruso said the team’s willingness to volunteer attests to its character.

“Here’s a team with students who do well academically, work hard and have done well as athletes, and on top of that, they care about helping others in need and dedicating their time,” Caruso said. “I think it speaks to the great character each one of them has.”

Eden Checkol can be reached at chec7168@stthomas.edu