1. Getting through practice and somehow surviving.
2. The smells of the Friday dusk.
3. Making friends that will last a lifetime.
4. Having a gladiator mentality and physically overpowering an opponent.
5. Girls, girls, girls.
6. Getting some much needed zzz’s on the bus ride home.
7. Hilarious locker room antics.
8. Coaches as mentors and father figures.
9. Learning from defeat.
10. Watching the last seconds tick off a clock before earning the win.
11. Being able to get away with anything.
12. Reciting necessary pregame rituals.
13. The community support.
14. Offseason training, when it’s you against the world.
15. The feeling of the pads and jersey, knowing you’re representing your entire school.
16. The home crowd always has your back.
17. Being taught necessary fundamentals that will be utilized in adulthood.
18. Campus visits.
19. Catching the gaze of a loved one in the audience and seeing how proud they are.
20. Pep rallies.
21. The joy of running through the inflatable tunnel.
22. Always dreaming big.
23. The nerves and excitement of game day.
24. When a play is run perfectly.
25. The exhilaration of scoring a touchdown.
26. The illumination of the Friday night lights.
