It was a gut-wrenching feeling, and Michael Biehn remembers it all too well. It was four days before his football team, the United States Merchant Marines Academy, was set to take on Rensselaer in a crucial Liberty League matchup. Everything froze. The United States government was completely shut down, which, for Biehn and his teammates, meant they would be stripped of their chance to clash on the gridiron against the Engineers. click here for complete story

USMMA football player and College Park grad Michael Biehn (9) runs out onto the field before a game last season.

Michael Biehn and teammate Connor Kennedy pose with the Secretaries Cup after a 27-20 victory over the Coast Guard.