If you would have asked me when I was in high school if I thought football was a fun and interesting sport, I would have laughed and said definitely not. My first year at Penn State changed that immediately.
Growing up I had gone to Penn State football games, so I already had a love for the Beaver Stadium atmosphere. I tailgated, I swayed during the singing of the alma mater, I cheered when the Nittany Lion queued my section, but then I drove home and it was a distant memory. Nothing prepared me for a Penn State football weekend as a student.
The Friday before the first home football game, you could already feel the excitement building. Excited fans began making their way into our tiny town of State College and traffic became apparent, but Friday night was just the beginning.
I lived in Pollock Halls, so when I woke up on Saturday morning, I saw herds of people walking across Millennium Science Complex lawn. People were cheering, horns were honking, and sirens could be heard from the police cars leading the football buses to the stadium. The atmosphere made me proud to be a Penn State student.
My friends and I made our way to Gate A and eventually made it into the greatest student section in the country. This is an appropriately fitting label because the atmosphere in that student section was nothing like I had ever experienced before.
Throughout the rest of the football season, I learned all of the cheers and fight songs, I starting learning the game of football, and ended up falling in love with all things PSU football.
When someone talks about the 2016 Ohio State football game, I immediately would tell them that was the best night of my life and I now plan to name my children Marcus and Haley (if you are confused by what you just read, google PSU vs. Ohio State field goal block, and you will quickly understand).
My mom and I even made the 8 hour road trip in Indianapolis and watched Penn State win the 2016 Big Ten Championship. So, even if you are reading this thinking “I really hate football and all sports. You will never catch me dead at a football game.” Go. Just go. Just go to one and experience it. Maybe you won’t fall in love like I did. Or maybe you will. You won’t know unless you go.
Trust me, 20 years from now you will want to brag to your friends about how you attended a Penn State football game the year they won the National Championship because we are definitely getting that Natty this year my friend. You heard it here first.
See you at Beaver Stadium!
By: Rachel Coyle
No comments:
Post a Comment