Gene Chizik: Why we love college football - AL.com

Chizik, a former Auburn University head football coach, is an analyst for the SEC Network. His son, Cally Chizik, plays at Furman University.

I was asked a pretty simple question recently that I had to give a lot of thought to. “Why do we play College Football?” Let’s not ignore the obvious, MONEY! In reality, money drives just about everything on the planet. Let’s pretend money is off the table, then ask the question again. Why do we play college football?

Before we start, this is not an attempt to try to convince someone why we should play football this fall (although unequivocally I think we should). This is a reminder to everyone as to “why” we play college football to begin with. This is about perspective. It is a unique one, not because I coached for 30 years, but because I am the parent of a college football student athlete as well. “Why we play College Football” has multiple layers, but at the heart of it all, the most important layer begins and ends with players and fans. I’ll start with the players and why they love this crazy game. Then let’s look at why fans are hooked.

Generational Impact

Football is not just a game, it’s a mirror image of life itself. The highs, lows, wins, losses, adversity, disappointments …. The list goes on.

For players, it is the most physically and mentally challenging proposition they will ever face. It is in essence, a gladiator sport that leaves players completely exhausted on the field of battle. Short of combat, it’s one of the few things that teach them things about themselves they never knew. It pushes them to and through limits they never knew existed. It teaches young men that when they want to quit, quitting is NOT an option.

There are days when they want to pack it in and QUIT, but teammates won’t let them, and vice versa. Football never lets them off the hook. Players are good with that. Players come to understand that in this business, you get what you EARN. It’s that simple. Nothing is inherited and there are NO handouts. If you don’t compete and empty your tank every day, the other guy will. Consequently, you’ll be watching, not playing. The daily grind becomes WHO they are. As a result, they will become better fathers, husbands and leaders in their own homes. It will ultimately have an effect in their job, their marriages, with their children and their children’s children. College football has GENERATIONAL impact. The results are profound for a MAN trying to find his place in this world. Ultimately, MEN want to be tested. They want to know how they measure up. They want to know where they stand. Football is the ultimate measuring tape. Bank it.

Love of the Game

Football players LOVE playing this game. Players want to play! Period! Sometimes, I feel like that is lost in translation with all of this chaos. Players live for the 12 days a year they have, to display the talents they’ve worked on for the other 353 days. Most players work 10 to 12 years for a chance to live their dream of playing college football, with the hope of playing beyond that. The amount of time, sacrifice, dedication and discipline they put in, is nothing short of amazing. Not only have I seen it from a coach’s lens, but also from the lens of a parent.

Players love the comradery, fellowship and relationships that will last a lifetime. They have the DEEPEST passion and bond with their teammates that the normal fan wouldn’t understand. Not unless they’ve been there. They eat, sleep, struggle, cry and fight with each other. The locker room is their refuge. They win, lose, love and defend each other. They are truly family. They learn that being the ultimate teammate is the ONLY way to be great, no matter how good you are as an individual. Selflessness in this world is becoming extinct. This game gives them no other alternative, if they want to be champions. In most cases, former players will tell you that College Football was the best 4 years of their lives, regardless of how many years they may have played in the NFL. Each year, thousands of college football bonds are formed across this country. Ultimately, it only makes this country better.

The Great Escape

Make no mistake, college athletes love playing for the fans. They love jumping over the walls, taking pictures and singing the fight song with them after a huge win. It provides for great entertainment for both fans and players. The FANS are what makes college football special. Let’s be honest, football provides memories for fans that are hard to get elsewhere. I call it “The Great Escape”. It gives people an opportunity for one weekend, to escape bad jobs, bad finances, bad family situations, bad health issues and the list could go on and on. 12 times a year, fans can fellowship with others and celebrate their favorite teams and players. College football has the ability for a single moment, to clear peoples minds and let them recalibrate. Believe it or not, scientists have found that being a sports fan is good for people’s emotional, psychological and social health. Since college football has grown to be one of the most popular sports in America, do the math. Mental Health in America is a hot topic. That being said, I stand firm in my belief that college football has an enormous positive affect on our mental health. That’s not me reading an article in a health magazine. That’s an opinion formulated by having hundreds of conversations with family, friends and fans.

The Cinderella Story

Lastly, fans love the Cinderella stories. The feelgood stories that give people HOPE! Look at the movie “Invincible”. Vince Papale made the Philadelphia Eagles roster as a 30-year-old rookie, having never played a down of college football. He gave people hope that anyone could overcome their seemingly insurmountable circumstances. There are countless people every day who get up feeling hopeless. Part of the excitement with college football, is the fact people can’t wait to see who the next underdog team and player will be. Underdog stories resuscitate peoples hope. Look at Joe Burrow. Very few ever saw that coming. In his Heisman speech, he spoke of giving people in his hometown hope that they can overcome and realize dreams. It gives little boys the license to dream big. It provides adults the notion that they too, can be the underdog and achieve something great. Giving people hope is important. Especially in these uncertain times.

Decisions will soon be made on whether there will be a college football season. I understand there are many layers to this decision. There are hundreds of conversations and elements behind closed doors that we are not all privileged to. We have brilliant leaders determining what is best for everyone and I am confident they will accomplish this. I am not minimizing the tragedy of this pandemic and the havoc it has caused. It has been devastating. I can’t speak for every player and every coach. However, I have had hundreds of conversations with both. Simply put, players want to play. In this climate of having to be politically correct, most coaches won’t say it, but they want to play as well. Without a season, the financial collapse of athletic departments is a real possibility. I know commissioners, presidents, athletic directors and medical personnel are working 24/7 to figure everything out. It’s a moving target with so many unknown possibilities. The best quote I heard was the most accurate. “Predict nothing, prepare for everything.” It won’t be easy, but it’ll be necessary.

We first walked on the moon 51 years ago this week. At certain points in time, that seemed impossible. We conquered. My hope is that we can again conquer. As a country, we need it. Plain and simple.

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Gene Chizik: Why we love college football - AL.com
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