Kudos to the author. Georgia Southern’s joy after winning Amid the shock and disgust that filled the stadium after the final whistle blew there was an entirely different emotion from the team in all white. Jubilation. As Mornhinweg’s final pass hit the dirt (at the six yard line), the Eagles stormed the field, jumping into their teammates arms. A normal reaction for a team that just pulled off an upset. That wasn’t the picture that stood out. The team circled around their band — yes, Georgia Southern brought their band (something even Vanderbilt didn’t do) — and they sang their alma mater. They didn’t leave the field. They couldn’t. Instead, players hung around on the field. Their hands on their collective heads and hips, trying their hardest to realize the magnitude of what they had just accomplished. Florida is filled with NFL talent. When the Gators season ends next week it won’t be the last football game for a lot of the seniors and junior Gators. This was, however, the last game for just about every senior on Georgia Southern. The Eagles are in a transition period between FCS and FBS. That means they don’t qualify for the FCS playoffs or a bowl game. The game against Florida was their season finale and thus, the final game of many of those young men’s’ careers. What a way to go out for a group of players who didn’t have big D1 scholarship offers from schools like Florida. As I walked out of Muschamp’s press conference a player stood in the end zone in cargo shorts, a Georgia Southern football shirt and flip-flops. He stood, hands on hips and mouth open, soaking up the moment. A coach walked over to his player, draped an arm over his shoulder and they walked off the field together. It’s all right to be upset or angry that your team lost but when you take a step back and think about what this game meant to a bunch of football players who were told they’re too small or too slow to play against the big boys, you can’t help but feel good for a team like Georgia Southern.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 16:16:49 +0000
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