Last night we lost a football game. I say we and not you because I am in the band and the Sound of the South is there fighting for you the whole time. We cheer and play from early in the morning to after the score board is turned off. The band is your biggest supporters and last night, after a devastating loss to a team in a lower conference, we felt the loss as well.
During Trojan Walk, when the football team is walking to the stadium through a tunnel of band members, students, fans and supporters, many of the football team walks through on their phones and listening to their music. But the biggest look we get is one of complete and utter boredom. Football players, please understand that we are there for you. We get out there, in our full uniform (which includes a thick jacket, pants, and helmet) to cheer you on and pep you up before a football game. So please, show a little excitement. Why not at least get a little excited if you're about to go play a football game, which is suppose to be your main goal on a Saturday? Sing the fight song with us, clap your hands, get pumped up. Who knows it might surprise you that it can be fun and you might even play better.
Now with all of that being said, it probably sounds like I hate my football team, but that is not true at all. I love my Trojans and am proud to go to Troy University, even if I get frustrated with the players. But I want to say thank you to #31, Tyler Parker.
He was the only player, and the only player in my four years of Troy football, to come over and stand and cheer with the band and students when we played the fight song after a game we lost. So thank you for restoring my faith in the Trojan football team by reminding me that at least one of you care and appreciate what we as fans and a band do. I got on Facebook last night expected to see a verity of posts about "how awful the Trojans played" or "how terrible of a team we are" and while there were those posts sprinkled throughout my news feed, the most common thing I saw was a thank you to #31. A number who I didn't recognize, but we all soon learned his name and now say thank you by name.
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| Photo Credit: Doug Dobos |
This picture has been the biggest statement of last night with over 100 shares on Facebook from the original source alone. Here is a football player, who ran the other way from his team and came to acknowledge the band and the few students who were still there after the game. Yes it had been a long game with two lightning delays and yes we lost but this lone Trojan came to show his appreciation for those who were still there and this brought a band of over 300 people to a very emotional state. You sir, brought us all the reminder of what being a Trojan is all about.
The words to our fight song we sing before every game when the team walks through Trojan Walk, during pregame, when the team scores, and win or loose at the end of the game says "We are Trojans one and all." Thank you for demonstrating this last night. As it has been said over and over on Facebook and other social media outlets, you have over 300 new supporters, fans, and friends.
I want to challenge the rest of our football team to follow suite of Tyler Parker and remember the words to the fight song and strive to be a true Trojan. Strive to be a Trojan family, win or loose. And as Tyler Parker said himself to a member of the band who expressed her gratitude, what he did should "be the expectation not the exception."
