News Taffy

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Following Arkansas State University's trip to the GoDaddy.com Bowl Sunday in Mobile, Ala., Tammi Tryon shares her thoughts on the season's end. Her son, Andrew, a freshman at Arkansas State and #32 on the field, returned the opening and finished the game with 114 yards on four attempts.)

By Tammi Tryon

The end of a season always brings so many emotions.

The events leading up to the GoDaddy.com Bowl were especially thrilling for me because it was my son's first time to play in a bowl game and my first bowl game as a football fan.

Seeing the excitement in Andrew's eyes as we watched the parade and the fireworks Saturday night with some our best friends touched a mother’s heart in ways that are hard for me to describe. What a great feeling it gave me to see the stands at Ladd-Peebles Stadium not only packed with Red Wolves fans, but excited Red Wolves fans. Seeing that sea of red made me smile from ear to ear.

Just when I thought I couldn't be any happier, my son was the first Red Wolf to touch the ball and took the opening kick off back for 50 yards! My phone was buzzing nonstop with friends and family all over the United States telling me how excited they were to see Drew return the ball for what everyone thought was going to surely be returned to the house! Andrew ended up with more than100 return yards and was second on the team in total yards.

My excitement was filled with nervousness when Drew had to fill in on punt return for an injured athlete. On kick return, you normally have more time to catch the ball and then set up your return behind blockers. On punt return, the players are in your face before you know it.  So, I have to admit I couldn’t watch the first one but after that I didn’t miss any of the others.

Even though our game didn’t play out as we wanted and did not end as we wanted, I have to say I am still proud of the entire ASU Red Wolves team, and of course, proudest of my son. Number 32 made his mother, friends and family who were there and those watching far away on ESPN very proud of him and his performance on the field.

Though this was the end of the 2011 season, it is only the beginning for Andrew Tryon and his football-loving mom. He has three more years to play football for Arkansas State and I could not be more proud.