Learning Experience: Never Give Up

          I spent this Saturday just like I spend every Saturday, watching college football. This particular Saturday I was at home because it was Thanksgiving break. Thankfully, I did not have to worry about school or any of the stresses that come along with it. I could not have been happier to be lounging in my favorite spot on the couch all day. There was unlimited food in the pantry, my dog was hanging out with me, and most importantly the Television we have at home is glorious. My tiny T.V. at school does not even compare to the 60 inch, high definition behemoth that sits in my living room in Arizona. The games on this Saturday were better than any other day of games college football has seen this year. A large amount of them were rivalry games and had huge implications for postseason play. There was Ohio State vs. Michigan, Florida vs. Florida State, Arizona vs. Arizona State, UCLA vs. USC, and countless others.

Despite all the great games, I was specifically interested in two of them. The first game being TCU vs. Baylor and the second game being Auburn vs. Alabama. Unfortunately, TCU lost on a last second interception thrown by senior quarterback Casey Pachall. Like many other games this season, the frogs made repeated mistakes and lost. To say the least, I was disappointed. However, I was glad we kept it as close as we did with Baylor, a top ten team in the country this year. Right after the TCU game ended, I flipped to Auburn vs. Alabama. What I saw next was absolutely unbelievable.

At this point, the score of the game was 28-28. On the last play of the game, Alabama kicked a field goal that ended up short of the uprights. Auburn player Chris Davis fielded the missed kick and hightailed it out of the end zone. Thinking the game was over, a majority of the Alabama players ran to the sideline after the missed kick. Auburn on the other hand, kept playing. Chris Davis took the ball to the house behind a brigade of blockers for a 109-yard return touchdown. Auburn ended up winning the game 34-28 in spectacular fashion. It was absolutely incredible. Students stormed the field and a massive celebration ensued. While watching the game I was in disbelief. I had just witnessed one of the craziest plays in years in all of sports.

I took one major tidbit of knowledge out of what I witnessed last Saturday. Never give up. The expression “it’s not over till the fat lady sings” is a good one to keep in mind not just playing sports, but also for life in general. The lesson I learned watching the Auburn vs. Alabama game came just in time for the end of the semester. As everyone knows, finals are coming up soon. Like a lot of other students at TCU, life is about to get extremely busy and stressful for me. Presentations, tests, papers, and homework assignments are all I have been able to think about since coming back from Thanksgiving break. The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. After the end of the next week, I will be able to go home and relax for an entire break. The key to surviving my finals is perseverance. Unlike Alabama, I will not give up.