Players treat fans to night at Gerald J. Ford stadium

Members of the SMU football team gave fans a tour of Gerald J.Ford stadium last night. Roughly 250 students and fans attended theopen house, put on by the team and SMU’s Sports MarketingAdvisory Committee. The event proved informative, as Mustangfaithful got an inside look at the SMU program. Some stops wereenough to send those on the tour into sensory overload.

Fans had the opportunity to enjoy catered food, chat with theplayers and then take player-led tours. The tour of the weight roomand training facilities gave insight into the players’ dailyworkout routines as wide receiver Wesley Medlock demonstrated someof the team’s exercises.

The athletes’ gym drew the ire of some of those on thetour as they compared the Cinco Center to the Lloyd All-SportsCenter.

Moving on the locker room, most of the attendees used theirshirts as air filters in an attempt to minimize the lingeringpotpourri of the players’ workout from only an hour earlier.It was a reality check for many of those on the tour unfamiliarwith an athletic locker room.

“It usually doesn’t smell this bad, it’s justbecause we worked out an hour ago,” Medlock said.

“Odors like this are from more than a workout thathappened an hour ago,” senior Crystal Wright, who took thetour, said. “Anything describing the locker room smellwithout a curse word is an understatement.”

From the locker room, fans got a chance to follow in theplayers’ gameday footsteps and walk through the tunnel,through the inflatable helmet, and onto the field.

There, fans played pick-up games of football and othersattempted field goals in exchange for prizes.

After spending time on the field, some fans chose to go reviewfilm with a few of the players. In the film rooms, players got achance to demonstrate the typical viewing of film. Some playerseven mimicked how coaches critique them after games.

After viewing film, players took the tours through the hallfeaturing former SMU greats as Eric Dickerson, Jerry LeVias, andCraig James. Also adorning the walls were team photographs from thepast decade.

After several players compared their looks in previous teamphotos to their current looks, the tours concluded.

Fans were encouraged to pick up their tickets for the SMU gameversus Texas Tech and purchase $20 road trip tickets to TCU game inFort Worth on Sept. 11, which are still available for purchase.

The Mustangs take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday at 7p.m.

Players treat fans to night at Gerald J. Ford stadium

Players treat fans to night at Gerald J. Ford stadium