The 26 Best (And Essential) Parts Of Being A High School Football Player In Texas

1. Getting through practice and somehow surviving.

via GIPHY

2. The smells of the Friday dusk.

via GIPHY

3. Making friends that will last a lifetime.

via GIPHY

4. Having a gladiator mentality and physically overpowering an opponent.

via GIPHY

5. Girls, girls, girls.

via GIPHY

6. Getting some much needed zzz’s on the bus ride home.

via GIPHY

7. Hilarious locker room antics.

via GIPHY

8. Coaches as mentors and father figures.

via GIPHY

9. Learning from defeat.

via GIPHY

10. Watching the last seconds tick off a clock before earning the win.

via GIPHY

11. Being able to get away with anything.

via GIPHY

12. Reciting necessary pregame rituals.

via GIPHY

13. The community support.

via GIPHY

14. Offseason training, when it’s you against the world.

via GIPHY

15. The feeling of the pads and jersey, knowing you’re representing your entire school.

via GIPHY

16. The home crowd always has your back.

via GIPHY

17. Being taught necessary fundamentals that will be utilized in adulthood.

via GIPHY

18. Campus visits.

via GIPHY

19. Catching the gaze of a loved one in the audience and seeing how proud they are.

via GIPHY

20. Pep rallies.

via GIPHY

21. The joy of running through the inflatable tunnel.

via GIPHY

22. Always dreaming big.

via GIPHY

23. The nerves and excitement of game day.

via GIPHY

24. When a play is run perfectly.

via GIPHY

25. The exhilaration of scoring a touchdown.

via GIPHY

26. The illumination of the Friday night lights.

via GIPHY