The F of Football

Today is a big day in the football world (especially for us coach's wives), so today is the day I share with you the "F of Football".

This day means different things to different people.  To the athletes being recruited (although I've never been in their shoes), this is the day their athletic fates are sealed and their future is planned.  To the college coaches, this is the day they no longer have to spend days on the road, nights in hotel rooms and hour after hour on Facebook, Twitter and phone calls talking to high school boys.  To the coach's wives, today is the day they get their husbands home for dinner, home on the weekends (or at least some weekends) and they become a little less like a single Mom.  Can I get a woot woot?!  WOOT WOOT!!!  Congratulations to all you football coach's wives out there.  You have made it through another recruiting season.

Football has been in my life for as long as I can remember.  As the song goes, "I'm a Sooner born and Sooner bred, and when I die I'll be Sooner dead."  The first two parts are true for me, I was Sooner born (well 1/2 Sooner, my Mom is actually an OSU Cowboy) and despite my Mom's alma mater, I was Sooner bred.  I have fond memories of going to the OU football games with my Dad since I was just a wee chap.  He had 2 season tickets so we took turns going to the games with him (I'm the youngest of 3 kids).  It was always a special day because you got one-on-one time with Dad; your food for the day was an Army hot dog (those are better than regular hot dogs), popcorn and Coke; you got to see Boomer and Sooner in person (the OU mascots); and if you were lucky, you might even get to see the baton twirler up close after the game (she was always my favorite part of football growing up, they even had twin twirlers at one time!).

OU football will always hold a special place in my heart.  It was my first job in college, which led me to meet my husband and some of my best friends.  It is my alma mater.  It was my husband's place of employment for 5 years of our relationship.  Despite all that, I cannot say that "when I die I'll be a Sooner dead," because not only will I be a Sooner, I will also be a Jackrabbit and time will probably reveal me to be something else as well.

You see, 2 years ago this month, my husband accepted his first full-time coaching position as the offensive line coach at South Dakota State University.  Home of the Jackrabbits. This place already holds a special place in my heart as my husband's first coaching job.  The first place we lived outside of our home state of Oklahoma.  The place where our first child was born.  And another place that has led me to meet some very good friends.

So for now, when I die, I'll be a Sooner/Jackrabbit.  Boomer Sooner!  Go Big, Go Blue, Go Jacks!!