This Saturday will be my final game at Doak Campbell Stadium as a student of THE Florida State University. Wow, how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that I was scrambling around trying to figure out how the whole student ticket system works just so I can go to my first game as a student.
It was one week into my freshman year at FSU and my friends and I had no idea how were supposed to get tickets to our upcoming home game against Troy. After asking around, we finally figured it out and eventually ended up getting tickets to the game.
I remember the Friday night before was like Christmas Eve. I had been to several Florida State football games before as a life-long Seminole fan, but this would be my first as a student sitting in the rowdy student section.
I woke up Saturday bright and early that gameday morning. Some friends and I decided to paint out faces garnet and gold for the game and then we hit the tailgating scene. Everywhere we looked on campus was nothing but a sea of garnet and gold. Florida State fans everywhere doing the Warchant ready to head inside the best stadium in college football and watch our ’Noles take it to an under-matched opponent.
A little later, it was finally time to head to Doak and watch the pregame festivities. We filed into the student section and watched the Marching Chiefs perform the fight song and spell out NOLES on the field. Then, Chief Osceola rode out onto the field on Renegade and planted the flaming spear right in front of Troy’s bench as all 83,000 fans went crazy watching the best pregame tradition in all of college football.
Then, the game. Florida State was just five days removed from beating Miami in the Orange Bowl on Labor Day night and it showed as they struggled with the Trojans. The Seminoles were in the top 10 of both polls at the time of the game and the season was about to come to an abrupt halt as we trailed unranked Troy in the fourth quarter.
The Seminoles then scored two late touchdowns to cap the come-from-behind victory and save the season for the time beings. This is where the story really gets good…
The game was over and we were walking to the exit when I noticed a group of students standing by the tunnel cheering. I went over to see what was going on and noticed legendary coach Bobby Bowden walking over following the victory. I stood back and cheered loudly for him and out of nowhere, he tipped his hat to us and then tossed it up in the stands.
The group immediately in front of me mistimed their jump and Bowden’s hat bounced back and landed in the isle. I then dove after it like it was a loose ball in the final four and ended up coming out of the pile with it. My friends and I rushed out in excitement and as we were walking back to our dorms about half a mile from Doak, and then examined the hat. It was then when we noticed that Coach Bowden had signed the hat under the bill.
I couldn’t think of any better way to end my final home game as a student at FSU. A great day with tailgating, watching the Seminoles win with 83,000 of my closest friends and coming out with the best souvenir that no amount of money could have bought that day.
Some of my closest friends and oh yeah, Bobby Bowden's hat.
This Saturday will be bitter-sweet. It will be my final home game as a student and I will witness history as it will also be Mickey Andrews’ last home game at FSU. Coach Andrews is a huge reason as to why I followed Florida State throughout all of my youth and I will find it special that we will both share this game as our last as a coach and student.
I’m sure I will get emotional this weekend as football has been a HUGE part of my time at Florida State. I have been to all 25 homes games at FSU during my time in Tallahassee as a student and Saturday will be my 26th and final one. Even though the Seminoles have been down by FSU standards the past four years, I consider myself extremely lucky to have been a part of some so special as watching Florida State football put it all on the line every weekend as a student of the university.