#1 Boston College

Mike W
Sep 1, 2002
2 min read

Updated: Aug 22, 2023

Chestnut Hill, MA Every Home Game Fall 1999 – Fall 2002 Vs Virginia Tech 2007 Vs Clemson and Virginia Tech 2012

An important part of the equation about my obsession with college began in an improbable location: Massachusetts. At the time, the only state in New England with a 1A/FBS program in Boston College (UMass and UConn were 1AA at the time). My sister went to BC during my four years of high school. The brilliance of my parents to send me to public school in order preserve my Saturdays for trips with combinations of my parents and grandfather to Alumni Stadium was prescient. Had I attended Deerfield Academy, Williston, or NMH, my Saturdays would have been spent playing high school soccer and I may never have uncovered the joys of big-time college football.

There was a unique talent pool in the Big East those four years:

Miami, Virginia Tech, Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, Rutgers and Temple featured 3 to 5 ranked teams at all times. Miami won a National Championship in 2001 and was close in 2000, and was robbed by referees in the BCS title game in 2002. If Miami hadn’t beaten Virginia Tech in 2000, they would have likely won the Natty. Those Canes teams featured Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Willis McGahee, Antrel Rolle, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, Vince Wilfork, and Ed Reed.

Virginia Tech had Michael Vick. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQsB22tnz2k) Notre Dame had Justin Tuck Pitt had Larry Fitzgerald (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzr44J6JNwU)

BC had William Green, Will Blackmon, and Tim Hasselbeck. Coached by Tom O’Brien to a perennial 9 or 10 win season plus a win in a mediocre bowl, it was a blast watching the games against that talent and beating Notre Dame’s green jerseys at a home night game in Boston when Willy Green ran wild.

From parking in Needham and taking the shuttles, to eating the sausages in our section, to my superfan shirt I still have 20 years later, to tuning out the Screaming Eagles Marching Band at halftimes, to not knowing Salerno was a couple rows next to us in the same corner end zone section for all four years…memories.

I returned three more times to campus, both for big games: In 2007 to catch Matt Ryan orchestrate an amazing Q4 comeback against a very impressive defensive VT team on a Thursday night game…this time as members of the ACC.

In 2012 to catch a very talented Clemson team with Tajh Boyd, Andre Ellington, Sammy Watkins (injured), Deandre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant, Vic Beasley…and also to see Virginia Tech with Amanda and Peter.

I missed Mathias Kiwanuka and Luke Keuchley’s careers but I did get to see Brian Gionta and Troy Bell’s careers.