Student/Alumni/ Or Just Fan?

[Gyle41386]

Originally Posted by Jack Garnet

I saw this on another team's message board and thought it was a pretty good question. I'd kind of like to get a poll of what we have here at cockytalk. I hope this doesn't bring the whole "you're not a real fan unless you went to the school" comments. But here goes: Are you a current student, alumni, or just a fan of the school?

My answer is I started just a fan, and am currently a student. My father was a pastor who went to seminary. He didn't care much for football, so Gamecock football wasn't in my blood. When I was in 3rd grade my best friend, whose dad attended South Carolina, told me that I should be a Gamecock fan. So I became one that minute. Simple as that. In high school I always intended to attend USC, but due to some circumstances ended up going to a 2-year college. Now, I'm 26 and last year started a career that requires me to get more education, so I've finally enrolled at USC. I guess it's never too late, right?

Bingo. It's never too late.

Enrolled at USC after high school. Made it through two and a half years before having to withdraw for family reasons. Three and a half years later, finally re-enrolled and returned to Columbia. By the end of the first full week of class, I was so sick that I couldn't leave my house. Ended up withdrawing again and missing the entire year due to illness. After several treatments and surgeries, I ended up at USC Aiken to be closer to my medical team and family. Graduated last December...took 10 semesters spread out over nine years

[JerseyBird]

Congrats on your perserverance!

[Cocked & Locked]

Alumni 1988

My father was a huge tater fan and everyone thought I was a show in to play football for Clemson, however I was heavily recruited by Michigan, FSU, UGA, NC State and Illinois. My Defensive Coordinator in High School played with Coach Joe Morrison in the NFL on the Giants and was pretty good friends with him. My DC asked if I ever considered USC because they were running a defensive that he thinks I would fit into perfectly. I told him that I really hadn't thought about it but I would love to hear what they had to say. Well my DC said good cause they are driving up this afternoon to talk to you and your parents. I thought it was pretty cool that Coach Morrison came up the 1st time to see me.

My parents took me to an official visit and a lot of things happened that aren't allowed any more for recruits. We went to the NC State game and the fans were the best I have ever seen. The players were almost to nice to believe and answered any question I asked. The tour around the campus and the university was so neat and weird at the same time and I just can't explain. I just felt at home but I also felt like I was in the "big city" at the same time. You know how our campus is built in downtown Columbia where other schools are built and then the a city builds around the campus. That experience carried over until I graduated and I am so proud to say that I am a Gamecock that I tell everyone where I went to school. I don't care if we are winning or losing cause by god I'm a choosing the to be a Gamecock fan. So cut me I don't care cause when I bleed it will be Garnet and Black that flows on the shirt I wear.

GO COCKS!!!!!!!

[CarolinaCJAM]

Current student

[BigRedCock]

Class of 08

[markymark550]

Alumni - Class of 2005

[Cock Kool-Aid]

I like the designation of "just a fan"... that's right... you're just that... nothing more... know your place.

[A. Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Cock Kool-Aid

I like the designation of "just a fan"... that's right... you're just that... nothing more... know your place.

Pretty sure the reason being...most students and alumni are also fans...

[G&B]

class of 99...BS business administration was my 2nd degree. Had done an earlier A.A. 2 year degree.

[St. Louis Gamecock]

Born in Charlotte, moved to Charleston (James Island) when I was 8 and become a Carolina fan right away. Moved to Greensboro right after high school, so stayed in Charleston and went to CofC my first year of college, then transferred to UNC-Greensboro my second year. Finished undergrad at Mars Hill College (north of Asheville – love the mountains!) and then moved to Columbia and eventually (10 years later) furthered my education by going to grad school at Carolina (class of 1991).

Long before I became a grad student, garnet and black ran through my veins like no other!!! Whether a student or not, there is something special about being part of the Carolina family.

Moved to St Louis in 1992 with my partner (a North Carolina grad!). YIKES! I met him while living in Columbia and the good news is that he loves the Gamecocks, too, believe it or not. And he feels the same about Clem Tech as we do!!!

[St. Louis Gamecock]

Originally Posted by Cocked & Locked

Alumni 1988

My father was a huge tater fan and everyone thought I was a show in to play football for Clemson, however I was heavily recruited by Michigan, FSU, UGA, NC State and Illinois. My Defensive Coordinator in High School played with Coach Joe Morrison in the NFL on the Giants and was pretty good friends with him. My DC asked if I ever considered USC because they were running a defensive that he thinks I would fit into perfectly. I told him that I really hadn't thought about it but I would love to hear what they had to say. Well my DC said good cause they are driving up this afternoon to talk to you and your parents. I thought it was pretty cool that Coach Morrison came up the 1st time to see me.

My parents took me to an official visit and a lot of things happened that aren't allowed any more for recruits. We went to the NC State game and the fans were the best I have ever seen. The players were almost to nice to believe and answered any question I asked. The tour around the campus and the university was so neat and weird at the same time and I just can't explain. I just felt at home but I also felt like I was in the "big city" at the same time. You know how our campus is built in downtown Columbia where other schools are built and then the a city builds around the campus. That experience carried over until I graduated and I am so proud to say that I am a Gamecock that I tell everyone where I went to school. I don't care if we are winning or losing cause by god I'm a choosing the to be a Gamecock fan. So cut me I don't care cause when I bleed it will be Garnet and Black that flows on the shirt I wear.

GO COCKS!!!!!!!

^^^ I love this story!!!

I was watching football practice many years ago when Morrison was coach. He walked over to me and my buds and chatted with us for a while. We asked about tours of the stadium and he said he had some extra time and gave us a personal tour of underneath the stadium that very day – it was great and that is a wonderful memory of mine even to this day!

I agree with you 100%. Win or lose, I proudly bleed the garnet and black!

[Jack Garnet]

Originally Posted by A. Pilgrim

Pretty sure the reason being...most students and alumni are also fans...

Yeah. After I posted it even I thought it might have been a poor choice of words. But that's what I meant by it. I guess if I just put "fan" everyone would vote, because like you said most students and alum are fans too. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. Like I said, up until the spring semester I would have been in that category.

[Cock Kool-Aid]

Originally Posted by Jack Garnet

Yeah. After I posted it even I thought it might have been a poor choice of words. But that's what I meant by it. I guess if I just put "fan" everyone would vote, because like you said most students and alum are fans too. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. Like I said, up until the spring semester I would have been in that category.

I was not being sarcastic. I really do like it. I'm not offended at all. I am alumni.

All I'm sayin' is... I'm on board with what you're doin' here. We gotta keep 'em down. Let 'em know what's what. I got your back.

[henmania]

Class of 81. I am an old fart...

[SECgamecock453]

Class of 2010

[usc1]

Alumni.

My story's a little different. Grew up in Columbia as a diehard gamecock fan (Dad went there). Went to USC for 3 years then got accepted to the PharmD program at MUSC in 2012. I'll always associate myself with the class of 2013 because that's what I was. As much as I wanted to graduate, it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. Nevertheless, I spent much of my "senior" year making trips to and from Columbia so I feel I didn't miss a whole lot. So- proud USC alumnus here, still wear my ring around, and follow the gamecocks like it's my job.

[USCBatgirl21]

Originally Posted by CockinAthens

Student then fan then alum, class of 96. Grew up a *cough* Clemson fan *cough* but chose to be a Carolina fan before the start of the 92 Carolina-Clemson game and been a fan ever since.

THAT was a fun game!

[rdwylie]

Originally Posted by JerseyBird

Fan and recent convert - went to Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison here in NJ so school pride in athletics was modest (at the time I went, at least; the women's basketball team did win the Division III title this past March ).

Long story slightly shorter - my wife's father is big into genealogy along with one of his cousins, and last summer I asked them to look into my father's history. I didn't know much about him other than he was born in SC then the family moved to Chicago when he was 2 then to NJ when he was 6. So I figured they had moved around a lot before that but as it turned out she was able to trace the family all the way back to the 1830's as constantly living in the town of Johnston, SC. It also turned out that my great-grandfather had some interesting history in the Civil War.

So, pretty much on a whim based on that info I checked out what the closest major college was and it turned out to be USC. Saw they were ranked #6 in the preseason football polls so figured they had to be worth following and here I am today

You had posted a short version of that before but I enjoyed hearing the longer one. More stuff about Great Grand Pa would be welcome too......

[Roosterboy]

I think this also give credence to the fact taht when you go to a Carolina game, a large amount of people in the stands are alumni...go to a Clemson game, most people there are just fans...never went there.

[Spurz]

Class of 2009 and had no connections to the Gamecocks before becoming a student. I was born in NC and spent my childhood there, so I grew up a Tar Heel fan (my older brother went to UNC as well). When I was in middle school, we relocated to SC, which is mostly how I ended up a Gamecock. I always thought I'd follow my brother to Chapel Hill, but I decided to give USC a chance and absolutely fell in love with it when I took a tour. NC is my home and my state, but I have no regrets whatsoever about being a Gamecock.