Let’s be honest. After the Razorbacks lost three of their first four games in September, how many of us thought they would defeat both Ole Miss and LSU on the road in November? And who thought, with two games left on the schedule, they’d be in a strong position to finish the regular season at 8-4? I sure didn’t.
Razorback football players and coaches have given us a real good picture this season of what it looks like to face adversity and then find a way to overcome it. Surely, they have earned our respect for the way they have fought through disappointing losses, bad breaks and injuries to key players, as well as the resolute manner in which they have endured the sort of criticism so prevalent in today’s world of college athletics. Their perseverance has been admirable.
Perseverance is defined as “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” That just about sums up this season for the Razorbacks. They didn’t flinch when things got difficult and never gave up on their quest to achieve success. To somehow stay positive and keep playing hard is a real testament to all the Razorback players and coaches.
Sports can’t be scripted, and that’s what makes the games so compelling. You can never be sure of what’s going to happen in a college football game. The only certainty is, at the end, there will be a winner and a loser on the scoreboard. No one could have envisioned how the Arkansas-Ole Miss game would play out down the stretch. Even the most imaginative scriptwriter would have been unable to concoct such a spectacular and unbelievable finish. It was college football at its finest, another dramatic example of why football — especially in the South — is so ingrained in the American culture.
My father loved the Razorbacks. When we lost, he took it hard. When we won, he reveled in it. Amidst the euphoria of the epic 53-52 win over Ole Miss, I thought of my father, knowing how much he would have relished the outcome and the miraculous fashion in which it was achieved. It seemed fitting the day of that game would have been his 89th birthday.
Vince Lombardi famously said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” This Razorback team did more than just get up. They are standing tall now, and that’s a tribute to every player and coach. After all they have been through, it’s nice to see them smiling and having fun.
Razorback football bonds the University of Arkansas to its broader community and brings together Arkansas people from every walk of life on Saturdays in the fall. Let’s enjoy these next two games in Fayetteville as many gather on campus to pull for the Razorbacks and show our appreciation to a team and a coaching staff that kept the faith, never quit and taught us “it ain’t over till it’s over.”
Woody Bassett is a lifelong Fayetteville resident and a local attorney. Email him at [email protected].