has been a big part of my life. I’m 69 and have been going to the games since I was 5 or 6. I started going with my parents, of course. I used to go to sleep on the concrete lying in the peanut hulls in the 2nd half when I was too tired to watch any more. The night games used to start at 8:00 p.m. and lasted past my bedtime. Those were the days the men wore a coat and tie and everybody had a bottle of bourbon in their coat. The place smelled like a bar. Jack Mitchell was the coach and our uniforms were dark red and we wore grey pants. Single bar face masks and everybody ran a 4.8 except for Clyde Scott. He was long gone when I started to watch the Hogs.
My whole life I have been going there…my parents who took me to the Hog games and then to Church the next day are now gone. Frank Broyles who took us out of obscurity and made our program great is gone, too. We loved watching him fly down the sidelines with his shirttail out screaming at the players. He was a wild man on game day. He was the most conservative coach I ever saw, but he was a great coach. I loved his Georgia drawl.
I was there in 1958 when we lost to Ole Miss 10-7 on a last second field goal, which was clearly way wide. Allen Green kicked it for Ole Miss, and thus, my hatred for the Rebels was born that day. Back in those days, the fans hated Ole Miss more than Texas, but things changed except for me. I still hate those +#$%^%$ as bad as ever.
I was there when Kenny Hatfield was ready to return a punt against Texas and the Public Address announcer said, “Run it all the way back, Kenny”. The crowd roared in laughter. I remember that like it was yesterday.
I remember crying when we lost to Texas one sunny, Saturday afternoon when I was 11 or 12. My face was sunburned, and I had the chills that night.
I remember Anthony Davis getting his butt knocked off all night by Dennis Winston as we beat John McKay['s powerful USC Trojans Also, when we played Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett and the Stanford Indians, back before political correctness became a religion.
I think back and remember all the girls I dated who I took to the games in Little Rock. It was quite a collection of young beauties.
Matt Jones throwing that ball to DeCori Birmingham against the Tigers at the Miracle on Markham.
I will never forget Bobby Petrino driving a stake into the heart of LSU with that 4th down play call where Ryan Mallett gutted the Tigers with a long bomb. Darren McFadden just gave us all unbelievable memories with his touchdown runs against the powerful LSU Tiger defense.
My life reminds me a little of the Forrest Gump movie with all things and how they relate to the Hogs and our football history. War Memorial Stadium was once a proud and great place to play the games. It was the pride of Arkansas. I am going to miss the games and the wonderful times I had there.
She was a beauty and the excitement and noise there was just incredible. She was built the year I was born in 1948. She has grown old like me, but I will never forget her. Never.