It did not hit me as a "fan" until I attended my first game as a high school senior when I went to the Texas/Rice game in September 1983 and watched Edwin Simmons break a long run. I was sitting in the upper deck with my then girlfriend and her family. Her dad was a Federal Judge and a UT grad so he had always talked the school up. Plus my girlfriend would be attending UT in a couple of years and her sister would be there as well. Up until that moment it was just a school that I had been accepted to. That was also the first time that I had sat foot on the campus. We had toured the campus earlier on Saturday. I was definitely hooked! Being that I was a first generation college attendee I really did not know what all was going on. I had several scholarship offers to play baseball elsewhere but none of the schools offered the degree program that I was interested in. My dad was not exactly thrilled that I passed up the opportunity to play baseball. To this day I believe that it still bothers him a bit. Nonetheless, both of my parents are proud of what I have achieved albeit it is more reserved with my dad (due to his upbringing).
I enrolled in the Fall of 1984 and was blown away on the first day of class! I thought that I was going to be in for a great sports ride as the Horns started the season ranked number 1 under Fred Akers. We ended up tying OU in the rain at the Cotton Bowl and then went on a slide the remainder of that year and for the next subsequent years while in was in college.
As I age the more meaningful it is to me to be an alum from UT. I cheer for them through thick or thin. I have also learned, with age, to temper my expectations.
My daughter and son grew up being Texas fans and attending games and have the same passion for the school as well. My daughter only really considered Texas as her school of choice. She did visit some other schools just to appease the ex-wife. I finally shut down the other school visits as it was a waste of time and money. She graduated from Texas in 2014. My son elected to go to and graduate from SFA because hunting and fishing were easier to do on the weekends (priorities I guess?).
I still make at least one home game and one road game (usually WVU) per year and also always go to the Alamo Bowl each year.
Hookem!