By Emily Martin

I have never been a huge fan of football. I lived overseas in Singapore for seven years, so the only “football” we had involving playing with a round ball and our feet. Attending Baylor has definitely changed my outlook on this popular American sport, and now it is one of my favorite things about this university.

My favorite football memory by far is my very first experience running the Baylor Line. I was in the very front of the Line, which seemed like a great idea at the time. However, as soon as the rope dropped and people started darting across the field, I was dragged down by a girl behind me and trampled until my roommate pulled me back up. It’s been a year, and I still have a scar from the turf burn. I love that scar because it reminds me of how much fun it was to run the Line. I never missed a chance to put on my Line Jersey and help to support my school.

This year is a little different now that I’m not running the Line, but it is still just as much fun to attend games! It is funny how you form such bonds with total strangers during a game. You’ll be high-fiving people you’ve never met before and bonding with your neighbor over a bad call made by the referees. Football definitely brings out a different side of people when the game intensifies!

Another aspect of football that I never really understood until I came to college is watch parties. I thought that football was boring, and I didn’t understand why people would want to waste four hours of their lives just to watch a game on TV. Now that I am a Baylor student, however, I absolutely love cheering on my team! My favorite watch party by far was for the OU game. All of the Waco Young Life leaders got together at my friend Sharon’s house and had a pancake watch party. Sharon’s husband, Ronnie, made us any kind of pancake we wanted (I had chocolate chip…SO GOOD!), and we all just hung out and cheered on the Bears! I think that is one of the best things about going to a Division 1 school – You have a team that you can actually watch on TV and cheer on even when they’re not playing at home. Of course, it helps when your school’s team is good, but it also gives you a reason to hang out and bond with the people you love.

Football never used to mean much to me, but now it is one of my favorite things about being a Baylor Bear. I have the privilege to go to an amazing school that has a wonderful Christian heritage, great academics, a beautiful campus, friendly students and an awesome football team! It’s hard to find a university with all five of those things, and Baylor definitely beats them all. Sic ‘Em Bears!