Intro and three excerpts from College Football Traditions and Rivalries

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The full text of “Intro and three excerpts from College Football Traditions and Rivalries”, from the Vol 2 — Fall 2018 issue.

The new book, ‘College Football Traditions and Rivalries’ focuses on the top college programs around the country mixing chants, pranks and pageantry. Included is the 12th Man Tradition from Texas A & M and Running Down the Hill, a tradition at Clemson University’s ‘Death Valley.’ The excerpts are published with the permission of Morrow Gift, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

You can obtain a copy of the book by contacting Andrew Gibeley of HarperCollins at 212 – 207-7545 or by emailing him at Andrew.gibeley@harpercollins.com. College Football Traditions and Rivalries Chants, Pranks, and Pageantry M any college and professional football programs have adopted the notion that the fanbase is truly the 12th man on the gridiron. This idea originated at Texas A&M. Back in 1922, Texas A&M student E.

King Gill had left the football team to focus on basketball instead, but his experience with the team and players made him a great resource up in the press box for reporters trying to identify players on the field during games. During the tough-fought Dixie Classic (a precursor to the Cotton Bowl), the Aggies faced a high number of injuries and coach D. X. Bible called on Gill to suit up and join the team on the sidelines.

When the game ended, the Aggies were victorious; Gill was the final player standing on the sidelines, still ready to play for his team. He said, “I simply stood by in case my team needed me.” Now all Aggies fans think of themselves as the 12th man—standing by to support the team, suited up for game day in maroon and white, and cheering their hearts out for the players on the field. This dedication to the team and the game of football is an Aggies tradition that’s endured for years.

The 12th Man TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

M ost college football teams have a ritual surrounding their entrance into the stadium, and the Clem - son Tigers are no different. Their entrance into Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, is so exhilarating that sportscaster Brett Musberger dubbed it “the most exciting twenty-five seconds in college football” back in 1985. The entrance into the stadium is fairlystraightforward in execution—the Clemson players and coaching staff begin at the top of a hill and run down it into the stadium.

But the experience of being there makes that simple descrip - tion pale in comparison. Running Down the Hill CLEMSON UNIVERSITY This entrance began out of necessity. After the stadium was constructed in 1942, the gate at the east end zone was the closest stadium entrance to the team’s locker rooms at nearby Fike Field House. Since then, the stadium has undergone renovations and locker rooms were built near the west end zone, but the tradition has remained intact many years later.

Now the team leaves their locker room at the west end of the stadium and boards buses that take them around to the east end of the stadium, where the hill cuts a path through the seats in the end zone. As the buses circle Memorial Stadium, Tiger’s fans inside the arena cheer loudly. The sound reaches deafening levels as the team stands ready at the top of the hill; the noise is so loud that it’s been measured at almost 133 decibels—the same sound level as a gunshot.

Cannonfire booms and the team heads down the hill to the field, passing through a sea of Tiger fans, all in orange.