General | 10/07/21 | 2:43 PM

HELENA, Mont. – On September 25, the Carroll football team played at Southern Oregon. It was an ordinary Saturday and just like any game, the kickers made their way out of the locker-room early during half time to take some practice kicks out on the field.
 
Behind the goal post was a man in a Carroll Football National Championship crew neck sweatshirt, chasing down footballs and getting them back to the kickers as quickly as possible. Many of the fans in Ashland that day probably wondered who that man was, but the Carroll fans in the stadium knew that it was just Bill Darcy finding yet another way to help support Carroll student-athletes, even if it was just through that small gesture.
 
Bill Darcy and his wife, Gail Moser, are the recipients of the 2021 Warren L. Nelson Award. Darcy is a member of Carroll's 1967 graduating class.
 
The Warren L. Nelson Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Carroll College Athletic Department. The award was established in 1986 to honor Mr. Nelson for his support of Carroll Athletics. The award is intended to recognize individuals who have exemplified the unselfish goodness of Warren Nelson in assisting, promoting, and otherwise supporting Carroll Athletics. Nelson was a Reno, Nevada businessman and longtime Carroll booster. He attended Mount St. Charles High School and college, playing for the 1931 Saints football team that won the Montana Collegiate Championship.
 
To put it simply, Bill and Gail are super fans of Carroll athletics. They can be spotted at pretty much any Saints games, home or away.
 
Bill can be spotted on the sidelines of Nelson Stadium during football games, waiting at the scorer's table after a basketball game to collect a copy of the post-game stats, or politely offering advice to the officials from the crowd at any Carroll sporting event.
 
"Seeing the kids come to Carroll and succeed, I love to see kids who have great goals set for themselves and kids who are still finding their way," Darcy said. "To me, I am the one getting all of the stuff out of this. I love coming here and watching the ball games and talking to the kids and coaches. They're giving us the award but I really feel like we should be giving them the award. I have more fun here than anyone should be allowed to have."
 
Gail is the one tasked with keeping Bill in line and she does a ton of work behind the scenes such as baking cookies and creating welcome posters for Carroll recruits. Bill would also contest that Gail is arguably a bigger Carroll fan than him.
 
"I can't even remember when I started making cookies for the kids," Moser said. "My favorite part is just watching Bill love Carroll."
 
Bill is also the third member of the Cathedral High School class of 1962 to receive this honor, joining two of his life-long best friends Marty Heller and the late Rick Blessinger.
 
BACKSTORY
 
Bill Darcy grew up in Helena and graduated from Cathedral High School. After a year in the army reserve, coach Tom Kelly and Bishop Hunthausen convinced him to go to Carroll and play football.
 
"I played football and that was probably the most fun time of my life," Darcy said. "It was a great time and I made a lot of great friends that I still hang around today. Gary Turcott came along when I was a sophomore."
 
It wasn't until many years later that Bill met Gail. Darcy moved to Portland to work for IBM because they were the only big computer company with an office in Helena, and eventually he wanted to move back. He only worked there for a couple years before starting a software company with a primary focus in helping client-oriented agencies, such as mental health agencies and doctor's offices. Gail just so happened to be working at a mental health agency that was one of Bill's customers.
 
Bill decided it was time to make a move once he and Gail started seeing each-other, so they moved to Helena together in 1995 and got married shortly after.
 
Bill began experimenting in real estate and Gail got a job with the Montana Advocacy Program. At last, they had their life in Helena.
 
SAINTS FANDOM
 
When they moved back to Helena, Bill and Gail began going to Carroll Football games at Vigilante Stadium. When the plans of building Nelson Stadium began to come into fruition, Steve Dee and Bob Robinson got Darcy involved in the process.
 
It was Bill Darcy and Bob Robinson who ended up making the trek to Seattle to get some stadium seats from the Kingdome. The Kingdome was the former home of the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks, and when it closed for good, they had seats that were up for grabs. Some of those seats ended up in Nelson Stadium when it opened in 2001.
 
Marty Heller roped Bill into going on the trip to the 2002 National Championship Game in Savannah, Tenn., and after watching the Saints win their first of six titles, he was hooked. The next year, Gail went on the trip as well to see the Saints win their second in a row, and from there the fandom continued to blossom for them.
 
"Bill and Gail truly live out their catholic faith," Hall of Fame Coach Gary Turcott said. "Their life, in large part, is about service for others and the way they show support for Carroll is just one manifestation of that."
 
There is no doubt that Bill and Gail are a staple in the community of Carroll College athletics. Every year, their loyalty to the student-athletes and the department as a whole continues to grow. It is very fitting for these two to be recognized with the department's most prestigious award, and the Carroll community is very thankful for them.
 
"It is a privilege to recognize Bill and Gail in their support of Carroll athletics through the presentation of the Nelson Award," Athletic Director Charlie Gross said. "Our student-athletes know who Bill and Gail are because of their everyday presence and support. I know our student-athletes are excited to have them back in the stands after a year of no spectators."
 
While Bill and Gail may be receiving the Nelson Award this weekend as a part of Carroll's homecoming festivities, it's long been understood what they mean to the community of Carroll College. Bill will still be working the crowd at the tailgates and on the sideline on Saturday afternoon and Gail will be in the stands making noise for the Fighting Saints.