Planting seeds of loyalty for future Illini fans

September 10, 2008 10:31 AM

Memorial Stadium. By Dan O'Brien

I went to all the games as a kid, mostly with my Dad, who is a UI civil engineering grad and worked for the UI. We had season tickets for football and basketball. Later on, I went with a buddy of mine and sold concessions. From my earliest recollections, I just loved the massive stadium and all the sights, sounds and smells. The band was fantastic. Always, the most striking moment was the Three-in-One and the Chief snaking, almost hidden through the band before bursting into the open and starting his war dance. Amazing! Majestic!! Breathtaking!!! As I got a little older, I'd cry during the a cappella singing of the Alma Mater (long, long before I myself became a student and an alum). Oh, and watching Butkus crush opposing ball carriers in dramatic goal line stands was almost a religious experience.

What marvelous memories, and they started when I first started going to games, probably when I was around six years old.

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Filed under: Illini Basketball, Illini Football