Cougar Football

Posted by Adam

Alrighty, I've been a little hesitant to put up a post about my love for Cougar football because I fear I would not do it justice.

Just to start off, I love BYU football; some of my earliest memories of my childhood were watching BYU games, wondering why my dad and brother kept yelling at the television every couple minutes. I'm pretty sure I had BYU diapers, and I have always had a couple BYU shirts on hand. All I'm trying to get at is--I'm a born and bred Cougar fan. I haven't missed watching a game in over four years. My yearly calendar essentially revolves around the Cougar football schedule. I even showed up late to a closing night performance of a show I was in because they couldn't pry me away from the TV. I missed the opening number!

So really, BYU football has always been more than just a game to me--it's been an entire life in the making. So you can imagine my excitement when I had the opportunity to come to BYU and get an All-Sport Pass. I actually included the All-Sport Pass fee in my tuition budget--I wasn't going to get an education without being able to see the big games. And of all seasons to come to the school, I've been lucky enough to be at the one where the Cougars are ranked in the top 10 in the nation! I almost explode just thinking about it. I mean, did anyone go to the UCLA game? It was amazing! That stadium was off the hook! The games have been fun, but probably the best part of it all is the fact that I'm practically peers with the guys on the team! Although I still feel like a little boy compared to them.

Last week I was walking to my moped which was parked by the Indoor Practice Facility and, as soon as I get it started, I turn around to see none other than Austin Collie about two feet in front of me. Trying not to look like a complete idiot, I lifted up my jaw and just stared as he passed by me. But I couldn't get the courage to say anything to him; I was star struck for the first time in my life!

But to top it all off, earlier this afternoon, after my ballroom dance class, feeling like an idiot because I suddenly had two left feet on my quiz, I headed over to Jamba Juice with a friend of mine. I got a sour-patch-flavored smoothie. (It's totally off subject, but the sooner everyone else finds out about the secret menu at Jamba Juice, the sooner you'll all be happier in life. They have flavors not on the menu--white gummy bear, Skittles, sour patch, purple dinosaur, and lots of others . . . best of luck.) Anyway, as we were sitting there talking, I look over and notice none other than Curtis Brown at the cash register (if you don't know who he is, he's only BYU's all-time rushing leader) and next to him, Fui Vakapuna! (Now if you don't know who that is, shame on you, he's #1 . . . literally.)

Well, me and my friend just sat there like 12-year-old girls at a Hannah Montana concert; we probably said nothing other than, "Dude!" for like 10 minutes. But I wasn't about to let another opportunity pass me up, so I stood right up, went over, put my hand on Fui's massive shoulder, and said, "Fui Vakapuna, I love you," and shook his hand. Then I repeated the process with Curtis Brown, actually managing to spit out a couple coherent sentences before drooling all over the floor. It was nothing other than awesome! Then I just sat and stared at the beautiful bald heads and massive calves of two of the greatest rushers of all time--in my book at least. Sigh, I love BYU!

Note: Like other posts on The First Year blog, this post was written in 2008 and discusses events (the UCLA football game, meeting Fui Vakapuna and Curtis Brown) that happened a year ago.