(10-13-2014 07:45 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(10-13-2014 07:37 PM)asuwon Wrote:  

(10-13-2014 07:17 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  So far I'm it. Anyone before 1969?

My parents took me to my first stAte game when I was 2.

I still have the picture around here somewhere. I was wearing an Indian headdress.

That would have been late in the 1967 season, or early during the 1968 season.

Whew. That makes me feel a little better old-timer.

I can remember going to some of my dad's intramural softball games (they played fastpitch back then) when he was a student at GS. That would've been around 1960, so does that count? If not, then I can't break the record.

After high school I went to a junior college not knowing where i wanted to transfer to after that. We visited UT and I didn't care for the campus. My sister and her husband both went to TXST (SWT back then) so they took me on a tour and I loved the campus. From '98-'02 the football team was not so good. I still went to every game and stayed till the end even though most of the crowd would leave at half-time to get ready to party. After I graduated I disconnected a little. I guess that's what most of the alumni from that time have done.

A few years later I heard the team was in the playoffs (was that '05?) so I go to the game and boy I was shocked! Wacker was packed, loud and the Texas-State cheer was new to me and in full effect. I kinda was a little hurt. I wanted that type of experience when I was there taking classes. But even so I REALLY got back into TXST Football ever since.

(10-14-2014 10:39 AM)panama Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 09:21 AM)StanMolsonMan Wrote:  August 28th, 1992. My sister was already at State. I was a beginning as a freshman in high school. It was my birthday, and my sister wanted me to come to campus and have lunch with her. She was a senior and a DJ at WRAS. Her intro song was Talking Heads Burning Down the House, and she let me start her show that day. I started falling for GSU that day.

What a great period of time. Pre-Olympics. So you get to appreciate the whole gamut of change. Incidentally that was the year Carl V Patton started his 16 year tenure as President of GSU. Changed everything.

Absolutely crazy. It was night and day from then to when I started in 1997, and again, the evolution to when I finished in 2002 then from now until today. Just crazy to see how far and much it has grown wedged into downtown.

Grew up a Clemson Fan while being raised in S. Carolina. Moved to Statesboro in 1992. Attended my first Georgia Southern game in 1994 and I was hooked. Started school there in 1998 and here we are 22 years later with 4 kids. Wow, I'm getting old.

(10-14-2014 11:53 AM)Eaglessoar20021 Wrote:  Grew up a Clemson Fan while being raised in S. Carolina. Moved to Statesboro in 1992. Attended my first Georgia Southern game in 1994 and I was hooked. Started school there in 1998 and here we are 22 years later with 4 kids. Wow, I'm getting old.

Dude! I live 15 mins from Clemson (Easley).

Paul, is that you?? lol

(10-14-2014 10:31 AM)gsu95 Wrote:  Some very cool stories in this thread.

Yup!!!

(10-14-2014 02:00 AM)airtroop Wrote:  Never liked college football... thought it was LAME compared to NFL even though my dad played at Texas A&M for Bear Bryant as Gene Stallings' backup one year after the Junction Boys. Living in Alaska in the 70's thru the early 90's it was all about the NFL and once every couple of years, Dad would get excited about the Aggies being on TV (we only had a few channels mind you) and there was not talking, no interruptions whatsoever from kickoff to the games end.

Relocated to Mobile in the early 90's and all there was to talk about and watch was Alabama, Auburn and the N.O. Saints, in that order. Took a few courses at USA eventually realized the Jags were a pretty decent athletic school and meanwhile, college football was growing on me.

In 2001 (IIRC?) there was a doomed-to-fail drive for a football team at USA and I jumped head first into that drive, putting up posters for the club team and trying to hype anyone I could into purchasing season tickets for a D-I team yet to exist and without a coach to boot. It failed. I never stopped pushing for USA football, using social media and pestering university officials with CBA's and every other tool I could think of. IT ONLY MADE FRIGGING SENSE FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!

Just as I was about to give up on the whole idea, USA finally decided to not only give it a shot but to focus on becoming the "Boise State Of The South" and this is when I TRULY became a college football fan and I've only missed ONE home game EVER and that was because I had H1N1 flu but even so I watched the game on TV.

Long-winded but then again, the truth was a long story.

GO JAGS!!!!

Utterly off-topic.

I was reasonably familar with the first drive. Probably worked out best that it failed. It was less ambitious in facilities and potential budget for salaries and recruiting but it got people thinking and led to a superior plan.

Of all the schools to add football the past 15 years or so I felt like USA's had the best long-term potential because the community has already shown it likes college football, well removed from competing programs, and no major level pro competition sitting on top of the program.

I'm not as down on Ladd-Peebles as most people are. It is old but it isn't overwhelmingly large. Little short on parking but still adequate capacity to develop a good tailgate environment.

Also don't underestimate the value of a season like last year. 6-6 doesn't do a lot for the bandwagon but it will solidify some of the fringe fans. 2005-2008 did wonders for AState, for one thing it created enough people feeling vested that the administration was surprised by the heat that 4-8 in 2009 caused and Roberts was a goner before 2010 had run its course.

I became a fan when I was 15 and decided I was gonna go to arkansas state and be a broadcaster. I figured to have the ultimate college experience gotta followingtthe athletic program.

I really became emotionally involved with the team when I began working on coaching staff for asu (I was a part of the team for 5 aeasons).

Went to some games as a child when I played rec ball...those were my first memories of attending GS games, sitting/sliding on the grass hills.

Also went to a few games with my parents, but despite my mom being a GS grad (she stayed in Deal hall I think, but if not there it was one of the buildings on sweetheart circle), I wouldn't say I grew up in a GS household as far as fandom goes. I wouldn't say that I really became a true fan until I started college at GS, and began following the GS teams, losing interest in other programs around the country/state etc.

Aside from my mom graduating from GS (and btw, SE has become more of a fan of GS football over the past few years), my brother and I both graduated from GS.

A first took notice of Southern when I watched the 2000 championship game. I didn't attend a game until I started school there in 2004. My wife went there for 2 years, my brother-in-law has his bachelors and masters from there, and my little sister-in-law just started there this semester.

I've missed 3 games in the 10 years since I started there. My wife was never a big fan so I was shocked when she let me have it for not getting her a season ticket when I renewed this past year. She's got her tickets now and has started on her own attendance streak. We'll keep it going as long as we can since we live 6 hours (and two states) from Statesboro.

I hope we can keep it going for a long time because I'd love my family to have the kind of generational love for our school that so many of y'all have.

(10-13-2014 06:33 PM)bullitt_60 Wrote:  My freshman year, 1998.

My freshman year, 1998.

1985....Parent bought season tickets....I was 8 years old

I went to my first game at stAte in 1975. Didn't go back until 1978 for two of the last three games that year. Beginning with the '79 season I have missed one home game to this point. Never attended school there but lots of family members did including my wife who has a degree from there. Still can't convince her the change from Indian to Red Wolves was a good thing.

(10-14-2014 06:47 AM)panama Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 02:00 AM)airtroop Wrote:  Never liked college football... thought it was LAME compared to NFL even though my dad played at Texas A&M for Bear Bryant as Gene Stallings' backup one year after the Junction Boys. Living in Alaska in the 70's thru the early 90's it was all about the NFL and once every couple of years, Dad would get excited about the Aggies being on TV (we only had a few channels mind you) and there was not talking, no interruptions whatsoever from kickoff to the games end.

Relocated to Mobile in the early 90's and all there was to talk about and watch was Alabama, Auburn and the N.O. Saints, in that order. Took a few courses at USA eventually realized the Jags were a pretty decent athletic school and meanwhile, college football was growing on me.

In 2001 (IIRC?) there was a doomed-to-fail drive for a football team at USA and I jumped head first into that drive, putting up posters for the club team and trying to hype anyone I could into purchasing season tickets for a D-I team yet to exist and without a coach to boot. It failed. I never stopped pushing for USA football, using social media and pestering university officials with CBA's and every other tool I could think of. IT ONLY MADE FRIGGING SENSE FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!

Just as I was about to give up on the whole idea, USA finally decided to not only give it a shot but to focus on becoming the "Boise State Of The South" and this is when I TRULY became a college football fan and I've only missed ONE home game EVER and that was because I had H1N1 flu but even so I watched the game on TV.

Long-winded but then again, the truth was a long story.

GO JAGS!!!!

I bet you walk into Ladd, grab a beer and a seat now and just smile a silly smile.

You pegged it... musta seen me on TV :-)

(10-14-2014 12:26 PM)Mbruuner Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 11:53 AM)Eaglessoar20021 Wrote:  Grew up a Clemson Fan while being raised in S. Carolina. Moved to Statesboro in 1992. Attended my first Georgia Southern game in 1994 and I was hooked. Started school there in 1998 and here we are 22 years later with 4 kids. Wow, I'm getting old.

Dude! I live 15 mins from Clemson (Easley).

Paul, is that you?? lol

I'm from Orangeburg(Cordova) Edisto High Grad

(10-14-2014 09:05 PM)Eaglessoar20021 Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 12:26 PM)Mbruuner Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 11:53 AM)Eaglessoar20021 Wrote:  Grew up a Clemson Fan while being raised in S. Carolina. Moved to Statesboro in 1992. Attended my first Georgia Southern game in 1994 and I was hooked. Started school there in 1998 and here we are 22 years later with 4 kids. Wow, I'm getting old.

Dude! I live 15 mins from Clemson (Easley).

Paul, is that you?? lol

I'm from Orangeburg(Cordova) Edisto High Grad

I'm from hillcrest senior high simpsonville.

(10-14-2014 05:03 PM)airtroop Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 06:47 AM)panama Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 02:00 AM)airtroop Wrote:  Never liked college football... thought it was LAME compared to NFL even though my dad played at Texas A&M for Bear Bryant as Gene Stallings' backup one year after the Junction Boys. Living in Alaska in the 70's thru the early 90's it was all about the NFL and once every couple of years, Dad would get excited about the Aggies being on TV (we only had a few channels mind you) and there was not talking, no interruptions whatsoever from kickoff to the games end.

Relocated to Mobile in the early 90's and all there was to talk about and watch was Alabama, Auburn and the N.O. Saints, in that order. Took a few courses at USA eventually realized the Jags were a pretty decent athletic school and meanwhile, college football was growing on me.

In 2001 (IIRC?) there was a doomed-to-fail drive for a football team at USA and I jumped head first into that drive, putting up posters for the club team and trying to hype anyone I could into purchasing season tickets for a D-I team yet to exist and without a coach to boot. It failed. I never stopped pushing for USA football, using social media and pestering university officials with CBA's and every other tool I could think of. IT ONLY MADE FRIGGING SENSE FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!

Just as I was about to give up on the whole idea, USA finally decided to not only give it a shot but to focus on becoming the "Boise State Of The South" and this is when I TRULY became a college football fan and I've only missed ONE home game EVER and that was because I had H1N1 flu but even so I watched the game on TV.

Long-winded but then again, the truth was a long story.

GO JAGS!!!!

I bet you walk into Ladd, grab a beer and a seat now and just smile a silly smile.

You pegged it... musta seen me on TV :-)

Naw, I just have had a similar experience and I do the same thing realizing how far we have come

My brother started at Southern in '84, right in the wheel house of Erk and all the NC's. I couldn't help but fall in love with the campus and the Boro on trips to visit him. I started school there in '90 and gradiated in '94.

(10-14-2014 09:13 PM)Mbruuner Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 09:05 PM)Eaglessoar20021 Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 12:26 PM)Mbruuner Wrote:  

(10-14-2014 11:53 AM)Eaglessoar20021 Wrote:  Grew up a Clemson Fan while being raised in S. Carolina. Moved to Statesboro in 1992. Attended my first Georgia Southern game in 1994 and I was hooked. Started school there in 1998 and here we are 22 years later with 4 kids. Wow, I'm getting old.

Dude! I live 15 mins from Clemson (Easley).

Paul, is that you?? lol

I'm from Orangeburg(Cordova) Edisto High Grad

I'm from hillcrest senior high simpsonville.

Small world. My wife is a 1990 Troy Grad and I coached Camron Sheffield, a DE for the Trojians. Nice to meet you.

I became a fan of NLU/ULM in 1970 as a sophomore in high school when I saw the then-Indians beat La. Tech 28-21. Everyone else I knew seemed to be Tech or Northwestern State or LSU fans and I did not want to follow the norm. Never regretted it.