Football welcomes SMU students to their home away from home (Photo By John Schreiber)

The SMU football team hosted an Open House for all students Thursday evening at Ford Stadium.

The Open House sponsor, Pluckers, provided free food and drinks, and SMU football players gave tours of the stadium, locker room, weight room and field.

Students learned that upperclass football players are required to lift every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. They also learned that the freshmen are often referred to as the construction crew, because they have to lift on an extra day, Friday, to catch up to the strength of the older players.

The locker room contains the lockers of each player, dry erase boards, black leather couches and a big screen TV.

“We are treated really like royalty. Our facilities and the way we travel are first class compared to other schools,” said senior wide receiver Chris Foster.

In the locker room, a sign above the door to the football field reads, “The will to win need not be as strong as the will to prepare to win.”

According to junior quarterback Duke Hasson, each team member reaches up and hits the sign for good luck before they exit the locker room.

The players then run down a short hallway and enter the field through a life-size inflatable SMU football helmet.

On the field, students had the opportunity to hang out with players and practice their field goal kicking skills.

“The field seems a lot smaller when you’re actually on it. It was a great experience to see the facilities from a football player’s point of view,” said junior Meagan McHone.

The Mustangs open their 2005-06 season in Conference USA Saturday evening against the Baylor Bears. Kick off is set for 7 p.m.

“We have improved a lot from last season. We come to each game expecting to win and actually have a good chance at winning every week,” said Foster.