Somewhere around February of 1997, I received a large envelope that, in many ways, has defined my life. I was a senior at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, LA. The envelope contained a President's Endowed Scholarship offer from Texas A&M University, roughly a full academic scholarship and one of Texas A&M's top honors. The following four years were some of the greatest in my life, as I received an outstanding college education and developed a set of core values uniquely entrusted to Aggies.
Football is quite important to people in Baton Rouge, and I was no different. I most certainly grew up an LSU Tiger fan, spending many Saturdays tailgating on the Parade Grounds and attending many games in Tiger Stadium. I distinctly remember how much I despised the Aggies, as they came to Baton Rouge and thumped the Tigers year after year after year. Those feelings, though, changed quite rapidly as I started looking at top notching public engineering universities. I visited Texas A&M several times, and simply fell in love with the campus, culture, academics, and traditions. In fact, I couldn't wait for the next time the Aggies and Tigers met on the gridiron -- Tiger Stadium or Kyle Field! I had become an Aggie.
Little did I know that it would be over 14 years before LSU and Texas A&M would play a football game again. 1995 was the last time they played, and that was *just* before I started to bleed maroon. Dang.
Fast forward 14 years to 2011 (zipping past a pair of national championships by LSU and a number of disappointing A&M seasons), I couldn't contain my excitement when LSU and A&M were paired in the 2011 Cotton Bowl!
With a bit of classic help through the Aggie Network, I scored a pair of face-value tickets -- 45 yard line, 14 rows up, in the magnificent new Cowboys Stadium.
As hard as it was to procure the tickets, it was even harder deciding *who* would get my second ticket... Countless Aggie friends would have given almost anything for that ticket. And my wife Kim, Mom, Dad, and both sisters are all LSU grads. It was a really tough call, but in the end, it was only right to bring dear old Dad -- the football coach and most important man in my life. He has taken me or given my tickets to dozens of LSU football games, and when it came down to my choosing A&M for college, he supported me all the way (which had to be a really tough thing for him to do).
So we met in Dallas the night before the game (Mom came too -- it was great getting to hang out with Mom as always), and caught up with some of our best friends, the Pattersons. Like me, Connor and Craig graduated from both Catholic High of Baton Rouge, and went on to Texas A&M. Unlike me, they really liked school and went for another 10 years or so and became doctors, bless 'em! :-) Connor was actually responsible for scoring the tickets for all of us. I've done my share of teasing Connor about his fraternity, but not a word emerged on that day, as it was a fraternity brother of his who had hooked us up.
We spent an overcast day in the parking lot, sipping beer and enjoying the scenery.
It was almost like a dream, seeing Aggies and Tigers tailgating next to one another. Two of the most important colleges to me, their fans converged here, in one place, having a good 'ole time!
In fact, Kim and I named our dogs "Tiger" and "Aggie" after our respective alma maters. It really was a fun day!
It was pretty getting to hang out with my Dad, and my father-in-law, Bob. My dad is an LSU alumni, and Bob holds degrees from both LSU and A&M!
Needless to say, we had a great time :-)
The new Cowboys Stadium is nothing short of spectacular -- a modern wonder of the world. The NFL Superbowl would be held in the very same venue less than a month later, and many pundits called this Cotton Bowl a "dry run" for the coming Superbowl spectacle.
The hosts spared no expense. LSU and A&M logos were laser etched in glass scores of times around the stadium.
Our seats were every bit as good as they looked on the seating chart.
And the higher-than-HD television monitor was just totally dumbfounding.
We had a great time, and that's in spite of the fact that I was thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly disappointed with the outcome of the game.
(I was sure the Aggies had a better defense, and would have held the Tigers to within a single score, if not somehow pulling out an ever-so-rare post-season win!) It was a classic matchup of my two favorite teams -- something I *wish* would happen on a regular basis (please A&M, take the SEC offer!!!). That said, it was pretty special, just the way it was.
This is a memory that I'll treasure forever. Thanks, Connor, for helping me out with tickets.
Thanks, Dad, for coming to the game. Thanks, Mom, for coming to Dallas, being so close to the game, but letting Dad and I go. And thanks, Kim, also for letting my Dad and I do this.
Gig 'Em Ags, and Geaux Tigers!
:-Dustin
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