Alabama Football started this weekend! For those who missed out, we played Kent State in Bryant Denny at 11am on Saturday. 11am is a normal time for most people, but for those who are fortunate enough to have tickets, it's a pain in the rear-end. I was torn between exhaustion and an overwhelming feeling of excitement when I woke up Saturday. It was like Christmas morning!
I woke up five minutes before my alarm went off at 7:45am. Lara and I complained about the time but got ready and went to her condo to walk to the stadium. We had mimosas and cereal (breakfast of champions) while we watched GameDay and waited on Mary Beth and Lauren A. to come meet up with us. We made it to the stadium just in time to see the Traditions video. The excitement and tension in the stadium was amazing. We all got chill bumps from hearing Bear Bryant's scratchy voice over the loud speaker. We screamed together as our favorite players were announced in the starting lineup. When the players and Coach Nick Saban finally emerged from the locker room, there was no turning back! Football 2011 had begun!
This game was especially important to all of us because the events we had experienced together on April 27th, a day I'll never forget. Most people have seen on the news how devastating the tornado actually was, but living it was another story. This tragedy banded us all together. It was indeed a miracle that the tornado ventured away from campus and that all of us were still alive to cheer on the Crimson Tide. Football is just another step in our healing process. We all felt the same heaviness and the same hope this past Saturday as we took steps forward in rebuilding our community emotionally.
I was also touched seeing my friends getting their time in the spotlight! Working at Bryant, I have seen firsthand how hard these players work to be the best. I met a lot of them when they first got to Tuscaloosa and watched them grow into true adults! While the rest of us are free to skip class and work on homework as we please, they have coaches and staff that stay on their case making sure they don't miss anything. They practice in the 100 degree Alabama summer. Let's not forget camp! They are woken up from their slumber at 6:45am with air horns while the rest of the student body sleeps in. They practice and work out and have meetings and are immersed in the world of football until their coaches put them in their rooms at 10:30pm. It's so amazing they are able to stay physically and emotionally energized during all this training! Even though it's hard work, the players still have passion for the game. It's truly inspiring.
We beat Kent State 48-7! It was a great way to start off the season! I was pretty much useless for the rest of the day, as well as sunburnt, but it was worth it. I'm so glad football is back and ready to see where this season takes us. PSU next week!
**Side note: I think Auburn football is God's way of teaching us about luck. I'm patiently waiting on the other shoe to fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment