Pre-Gaming History

Mobile Football Students alumni and fans reveled in the pregame excitement of the first-ever USA football game.

by Chad Petri

Published: Sat, September 05, 2009 - 6:25 pm CST Last Updated: Sat, September 05, 2009 - 8:31 pm CST

MOBILE, Alabama - Between the screeching fans, sincerely psyched cheerleaders, and big crowds--you'd think USA Jaguars football had been around for ages.

“Because it's the first football team south has ever had and it's our first game, it's going to be great,” says USA junior Ashley McGee. Ashley's just one of the hundreds of students, alumni and fans zoning in on the Ladd-Peebles Stadium parking lot for her taste of college football history

“I didn't know everyone was going to be excited as I was but I'm glad to see everybody is, it's good,” says Ashley. Many of the students and alumni here today, 09/05/09 say they're so happy to see this team play, even those not all that interested in football.

“My teams at high school weren't very good but now I got a team that I can support and I'm going to support it, and follow it and we're going to do well,” says excited freshman Matthew Newton. For the fans, September the 5th, 2009 will be remembered as the day people got to toot their own horns and someday be able to say they were there.

“First football game ever, tell my kids, say 'hey, I was here when this started' about to go paint it up get that spirit going got my horn, make some noise,” says Newton. Some USA alums say today marks the beginning of a new tradition for their old school.

“I think it's fantastic, it's been a long time coming I think we've wanted a football team for a long time and we're glad to finally see it here,” says class of ’82 graduate Susan Eschete. Fans say they're happy to add the Jaguars to the pantheon of Alabama football teams.

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