Why I’m A Fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks: It’s a Family Affair

Welcome to the refreshed Arkansas Fight! To celebrate the new look and feel of our sports communities, we’re sharing stories of how and why we became fans of our favorite teams. If you’d like to share your story, head over to the FanPosts to write your own post. Each FanPost will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 Fanatics gift card [contest rules]. We’re collecting all of the stories here and featuring the best ones across our network as well. Come Fan With Us!

For my third birthday, my parents got me a Razorback helmet and jersey. I wore that jersey absolutely everywhere. You had to force it off me or trade it with me for my Toon Squad jersey. Needless to say by this time I was already all in for the Razorbacks. I was already calling the hogs, naming off players and was already way too invested in the teams. I was convinced I was also going to be the starting quarterback, point guard, and second baseman for the Razorbacks.

(yeah this pic is sideways but that’s ok, you get the drift)

Looking back at the athletic ability displayed in this, I should’ve realized sooner I never really had a chance at that. That didn’t stop me watching all the games I could with my dad, which was something I’ve done for literally my entire life. I was five months old when Arkansas won the 1994 national championship in basketball. My mom loves telling the story of how for each game of the tournament my dad would lay me down in front of him and lose his voice each game yelling at the TV. For an infant, that’s not an ideal scenario and I was a mess. In the first round. By the time the Final Four came it never phased me. I like to think that’s the start of what made me a fan.

Growing up that continued, my siblings and I would get out of school some Fridays to make weekend trips to Fayetteville, Oxford, Auburn, or wherever the Hogs were playing that weekend. If we weren’t at the game we were watching TV. I even got to stay up for all of Arkansas’ 7 OT games. Both of them.

I’ve been all over SEC Country watching the Hogs and through all the ups and downs, and man, there have been enough ups and downs to make any roller coaster enthusiast have second thoughts. I’ve made it through two seven OT games, a six OT game, a four OT game, and a three OT game against the number one team in the country. I’ve seen Darren McFadden bring dat wood, I ran around the house after Brady Toops hit that grand slam in 2004 and lost my dang mind over Michael Qualls’ dunk against Kentucky. There’s also been plenty to test any fan. The John L. Smith year, Nolan’s exit, the entire Houston Nutt Era. Oh god the drama that came from those years is enough for any fan, but its just par for the course in Fayetteville.

Through all that good and bad, there was no question where I was going for college. I only applied to one school. There was no question I was always going to be a Razorback. My dad’s name was on the sidewalk in front of Old Main, I was going to do the same.

My mom was there the entire way as well. She isn’t from Arkansas but has become as big a fan as any, and when she wanted to get her Master’s, she went to Arkansas as well. We graduated the same year, so our names on the side walk are just three apart. Right on Dickson Street, some prime real estate for our names. My younger siblings are currently going to Arkansas as well, meaning in a few years all five of us will have our names somewhere on campus. A family full of Razorbacks.

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