John van Vliet
Guest Writer
As the Sports Editor the number one question that I get asked is, “Why do they make the football players go against these college powerhouses just to get embarrassed on national television?”
I asked senior offensive lineman John van Vliet to write an article for “The Bengal” to address that question.
Arizona State. Oklahoma. Georgia. Utah State. BYU. Air Force. Nebraska.
When I began my career here in 2008 for the Bengals, I never would I have thought that I would be playing against schools with such tradition and success. Having 80,000 fans booing your entrance and playing high-caliber teams are memories I will cherish forever.
Any aspiring athlete dreams of playing in front of large crowds in massive stadiums while being broadcast on national television. In my five years here, I have been blessed to be involved in those games.
This year’s “big games” were very special to me. Our trip to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. will be cherished for quite some time. I have seen jets fly over games before as a spectator, but it is completely different as a player. Looking up as you prepare to kick off the season and see four powerful jets scream by is nothing short of exhilarating.
Plus, having nearly one-thousand Air Force cadets chant and trash-talk behind us was quite entertaining. As we entered our locker room for the last time before kickoff, the entire Air Force marching band formed around us and drummed out military tunes and chanted.
Quite cool.
As far as football atmospheres go, Nebraska is held in my mind’s highest regards. Bussing to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. just felt like college football. Every building in the town was draped in red, as were the people, who were busy tailgating in any parking lot they could find. Rather than booing, Nebraska fans gave sincere welcomes and treated us with respect. I am sure players from any other Big Ten schools would say otherwise.
Playing in front of 80,000-plus fans is something that any football player wants to do. But for me, that is not the foremost aspect that I look forward to in big time games. I look forward to playing against the nation’s best players, the ones that you will most likely see on Sundays.
My first start against a big school, Georgia, in 2010 featured a bevy of NFL-caliber players that my fellow offensive lineman and I battled against. Sure, they are bigger, stronger and faster than us but we are playing the same game. I am proud to say that we did not allow a sack against the Southeastern Conference (SEC) leader in sacks when we played Georgia.
Still, nothing will beat the noise of a packed Holt Arena. Playing in front of our home crowd against our rival Big Sky opponents has been a wonderful experience. I hope everyone reading this will make an effort to attend home football games next season. Your passion and enthusiasm adds to our fire to play and win.
John van Vliet is a graduate student in rhetorical studies.
