After a nightmare decade for fans, players and coaches, football at the University of Colorado is an absolute joy to behold once again. But it was not easy to find the joy, even though the Buffs have made the biggest turnaround in the entire country this year.
What really made the joy pop out to me was watching the students rush the field following the win over the #20 ranked Washington State Cougars. They did not run to the goal posts. They ran and surrounded their young men who represent their school. They bobbed up and down in euphoria and hugged and high-fived everyone they could.
The picture above does not really show the immense emotional impact, but the video's I shot show it all. I got a lump in my throat while watching these students celebrate. It reminded me of some times around 30 years ago when my wife and I were students and in the celebratory throngs.
I was lucky. When I was a student, the Buffs made their turnaround under Bill McCartney in my first year at CU. Mac won coach of the year in the Big 8 for taking a one win team from 1984 to a seven win team in 1985. And the next year we beat Nebraska for the first time in 20 years. The joy we felt was intensely palpable.
Then it dawned on me. For the Colorado students of 2016, the Buffs had not been in as big a game since most of them were in elementary school (or pre-school for some of the younger students). They joy they showed after the big victory Saturday evening was also intensely palpable.
Some writers have penned that the Buffs students should respect the sanctity of the field and not rush onto the gridiron to celebrate. That attitude is BS. After all, WE rushed the field when we were students. We wanted to celebrate with our classmates in the stands and on the field. We wanted to be overcome with joy. And like the students this year, we most certainly were.
The job being done by head coach Mike MacIntyre is phenomenal. All the coaches deserve credit for a turnaround that was three years in the making. Quarterback Sefo Liufau, the unquestioned leader of this Buffs team, has taught his teammates how to have the heart and resolve of a champion.
Sefo Liufau and his teammates deserve to celebrate with their classmates in the stands and on the field. The other seniors like Liufau only have a few more games before their careers are over. They have been through the worst times and through sheer will and determination have brought Colorado football back from the abyss.
They deserve to revel in absolute joy. They've earned it.
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