Football has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. I have never been the quintessential "girly girl" While my mom was cooking in the kitchen I was watching football in the Living Room with my Dad and Brother.
I remember when Bear Bryant died, I went to bed that night praying that God would just bring him back to life.....obviously I was a little girl. But, I venture to guess that I was not the only little girl.....or human in the state that night that prayed that exact prayer.
My senior year in high school, we were 0 and 10.....like we lost EVERY game! But it didn't matter - it was football and I was HAPPY!
The biggest trouble I EVER got into in my whole entire life was over a football game. I told my parents I would be at a friends house but instead that friend and I went to Southside to watch my Wildcats play football. Ironically, I will be traveling there tomorrow night to watch my Redskins play the opening game of the season.....but no worries - my parents know......at least now they do!
But some of my most vivid football memories were going to football games just up the road at JSU. Mom worked at JSU, so we could get tickets pretty easily and it was football - so we went.
So much to my delight this afternoon I turned to my favorite part of each Southern Living....The Southern Journal by Rick Bragg. As I read this month's edition, tears streamed down my face! I felt like an eight year old again! I will not include the entire article, just the part that spoke to me the most. But if you have any way to read it - I HIGHLY recommend it!
I know why I love it. It goes back to nights in Paul Snow Stadium, where the Fighting Gamecocks of Jacksonville State whipped Troy, or Tennessee-Martin, or Delta State. In my memory we always won, as, in dreams, you never hit bottom when you fall.
The JSU school colors were red and white but might has well have been dark blue, from all the company jackets from U.S. Pipe or Goodyear. If it rained we hid under Caterpillar caps and programs, but not umbrellas. We did not believe in umbrellas. On occasion, one would unfurl in the seats in front of us, and my uncles would grumble that "We'd see some football if it wasn't for all these parasols"
We never looked away at halftime. With a great pounding of drums and sounding of brass, the Marching Southerners, in perfect step, would sweep onto the grass. They played music from our history, and, if you listened close, you might hear a tuba player sing: In the sky the bright stars glittered/On the bank the pale moon shone/ And twas from Aunt Dinah's quilting party/ I was seeing Nellie home.
And the beautiful Marching Ballerinas, in red velvet, kicked their white boots high in the air.
Why do we love football? How could we not?........
I hope your teams, at least in distant memory, always win.
Unless they are playing one of mine.
We are raising our child to appreciate this time of year like no other time of year. We have been watching last year's games on ESPN. We watched the 2004 State Championship game at least three times a few Saturdays ago. Matt and Davis have been discussing top ten teams and why this or that team should not be in there. Davis has been planning which football toys to take to the first Oneonta game. Davis, Jim and Linda have been making BIG plans for Davis' very first ever Auburn game!
But we hope he has precious memories of these football games at JSU.....
Happy football season to you! Now I am off to call my dad and see if he still has his old blue Goodyear jacket!
