For a young boy growing up in West Texas, few things got me more excited than a football game. Friday night promised excitement and was always the highlight of the week.
As I entered high school I had the privilege of playing for my hometown and never missed a game during my four years.
Although I lacked the physical talent to play on the collegiate level, my love for football remained as strong as ever as I entered my first year on the Hilltop.
Of my high school friends that went to college, most became members of the Aggie family, Longhorn nation or joined the Raider army. None of my friends, however, held a pride for their school that matched mine for the mighty Mustangs.
For those seniors that remember our first year on campus, the number “1” holds a very sad place in our memory. One represented the number of wins our football team earned that season, which seemed to stretch on and on throughout our fall semester.
Despite our team’s inability to record wins, our Mustangs continued to compete and perform every week for their university.
The number of fans at each game slowly diminished, but the team continued to play with pride and never gave up.
I speak from experience because I didn’t miss a home game that entire season and even traveled to Houston and Fort Worth to watch the Mustangs compete against two of our bitter rivals.
Win or lose, we, the student body, knew we had a responsibility to support the football team composed of our friends and classmates.
The next year brought with it much anticipation about Mustang football. We had a new coach, who was known for reviving football programs and being able to record wins where other coaches could not.
The buzz around campus was that “June Cometh” and billboards across Dallas read that his “Run and Shoot is Locked and Loaded.”
Not only did he come with a new offensive and defensive philosophy, he also brought with him a completely new mindset into the locker rooms.
But, with the exception of a win over Texas State in the opening game, the season looked the same as the last. Students began leaving games earlier and earlier or never even made it off the Boulevard.
People said that SMU football would never be successful and more and more people began to agree. Everyone except the football team seemed to accept the fact that losing would be the norm at SMU forever.
Then it happened.
As if someone had flipped a switch, the wins came and kept coming.
2009 saw the biggest turnaround in the nation as our 1-11 Mustangs became an 8-5 football team. All of a sudden those close games began ending with SMU on top instead of our normal narrow defeat.
One of my favorite memories at SMU will always be standing at Aloha Stadium as the Mustangs hoisted the triumphant trophy of the Aloha Bowl. The players who had played with passion and heart were finally rewarded.
We seniors have one more season to watch the football team as undergraduates. We will never forget the pain of two consecutive 1-11 seasons.
Though painful seasons to watch, they did, however, give us the opportunity to fully appreciate the incredible feeling of a winning season.
This year, the Mustangs are poised to be one of the best teams in our conference and even the nation. Regardless of whether they win one game or 12, be present at as many games as possible. Support your fellow classmates and validate the work that they began in spring practices.
Our football team is not made up of professional athletes that are paid to perform. They are students with lives outside of football, and they suffer through papers and finals just like you or me.
Support them unconditionally; their passion for their sport and university never wavers neither should our support.
Jake Torres is a senior Spanish and English double major. He is also the Student Body President. Jake can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].
