Honoring The Champs: 2013, 2014 Players Weigh In On Celebratory Weekend

WACO, Texas – On Oct. 11, 2014, tied at 58 apiece with less than 30 seconds remaining in the battle between two unbeaten rivals — No. 5 Baylor versus No. 9 TCU — senior quarterback Bryce Petty took the third-down snap and handed the ball to sophomore running back Shock Linwood, who bruised up the middle with some help from his offensive linemen for a nine-yard rush.

A few plays later, with four seconds left and Petty covering his eyes on the sidelines, redshirt freshman kicker Chris Callahan trotted out onto the turf and nailed the 28-yard field goal to send McLane Stadium into a frenzy and etch the score, 61-58, and his name into the history books forever.

Ten years later, against the same opponent in the same fashion in the same end zone, history repeated itself.

On fourth and nine near midfield with the game knotted at 34 apiece, redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson calmly dropped back in the pocket, looked off his first read and then delivered a perfect ball to redshirt junior tight end Michael Trigg over the middle to move the sticks and keep the possession alive.

On the following play, redshirt freshman running back Bryson Washington capped off his career night with a physical 13-yard rush into the gut of the TCU defense and was assisted by his offensive linemen to set the stage for a 33-yard field goal for redshirt junior kicker Isaiah Hankins.

"When I was running the ball, one of the O-linemen got behind me and started pushing me, and all I could think of was, 'Let me fall to the ground! Let me fall to the ground!' so the clock wouldn't expire," Washington jokingly said post-game.

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Baylor’s walk-off win over TCU was the first victory over the Horned Frogs in Waco since 2014 and had an eerily similar finish to the all-time classic matchup a decade prior.

With five seconds remaining and Robertson on the sideline facing the other direction, just as Petty had done 10 years prior, Hankins drilled the kick, giving the Bears their first victory over the Horned Frogs in Waco since 2014. Like a decade before, the Baylor fans stormed the field to celebrate the walk-off win over their arch-rival.

It was almost déjà vu and a perfect tribute to the 2013 and 2014 back-to-back Big 12 Championship teams, who were formally honored for the first time on Saturday during half-time at McLane Stadium.

"You couldn't have written that up any better," Petty said of the win over TCU in an interview with SicEm365. "How cool is it to have almost the exact same game-winning drive? I didn't even realize until I saw a side-by-side video on Twitter. You can't even make that stuff up."

For many former players, the weekend was a special moment to celebrate achievements, but the most memorable part was gathering again as a team.

"My favorite part was being together with everybody again," former linebacker Eddie Lackey said. "There were a lot of hugs, daps, slapping hands and jumping on each other's backs. It felt like old times; we had to take it all in."

"The energy was not as much cracking jokes as it was loving up on guys, which I think makes it that much better and cooler," Petty said. "Naturally, guys are always going to crack up on each other or whatever else, but there was such a genuine spirit about everybody being there together."

Many people, namely David Wetzel, the executive director of the "B" Association, deputy athletic director Jovan Overshown and athletic director Mack Rhoades, worked hard to put together the celebratory weekend and make Saturday night's recognition possible. 

"It was absolutely important from our administration that these guys be given what they deserve in terms of honoring what they did as back-to-back Big 12 Champion football teams, and for them to know that they are valued and they are a special group in Baylor football history," Wetzel said.

Over 80 former players were invited back to Waco and encouraged to bring other family members, including wives and children.

"There were a lot of logistical pieces with that because you're not talking about 10 people," Wetzel said. "You're talking about a load of people, and most of them had a lot of guests with them because they brought their families, and it was fun to see that, meet their families and watch them interact."

The festivities started on Friday with a 'Lunch with Legends' at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, followed by a Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame banquet later that night. At the banquet, the 2013 and 2014 teams were honored alongside eight other inductees: Ronnie Allen (T&F), Whitney Canion Reichenstein (SB), Mark Cochran (FB), Michael Griffin (BSB), Brittney Griner (WBB), Nina Secerbegovic (WTEN), Odyssey Sims (WBB) and Epke Udoh (MBB).

"The banquet that night was the first time I had seen some of those guys in over 10 years," Petty said. "Obviously, it was a tremendous honor to be recognized and call ourselves Hall of Famers, which is something that I never could have dreamed of, but most importantly, the really cool part was that we were able to do it together."

On Saturday morning, while some former players went on a golfing trip, other players, including two-time All-American wide receiver Corey Coleman, got a tour of the recently finished Fudge Football Development Center for the first time.

In the entrance hallway of the facility, Coleman, alongside his wife and daughter, took a picture in front of a larger-than-life mural of him holding the 2015 Biletnikoff Award, which honors the nation's top wide receiver.

"That was a special deal," Wetzel said. "We got to show Corey around, and he was so grateful. Many times, he talked about how appreciative he was to be able to come back and be a part of things. Stories like that make you feel good."

During the game, the players were camped inside the sparkling new Magnolia-branded suites behind the berm in the south end zone, which current head coach Dave Aranda entirely paid for on Saturday night. Refreshments were also complimentary.

"It was a couple steps above your typical 10-year high school reunion," Lackey said, laughing. "We felt like we were celebrated plenty. It was like living a life of royalty. They couldn't have made us feel any more special. We felt very appreciated by Baylor Athletics and the fan base."

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Over 80 former players and their families were invited back to be part of the celebratory weekend. Prior to the game, some of the players ran ‘The Baylor Line.’

"It was an incredible weekend," Petty said. "Coach Wetzel, Jovan and everybody that was associated with putting it together, we felt that that the celebration was very genuine. It meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to us. I can't thank them enough for doing that."

Before the game, some former players opted to run 'The Baylor Line' alongside the thousands of current BU freshmen.

"Obviously, none of us got to do that while we were playing," former all-conference wide receiver Levi Norwood said. "When we were planning this, myself and a few others' one request was to be able to do that."

"I don't think there was any pulled hamstrings or anything, which is always good," he added. "I didn't want to get hurt. When I realized I was in the back and looked behind me and saw a storm of students, I dipped off to the sidelines real quick."

At half-time between the Bears and Horned Frogs, the back-to-back conference champions were marched onto the field and received a standing ovation from a forever grateful fanbase.

"For them to be down there and get the moment that they deserved to be recognized and honored like that, it was super gratifying to be able to see," Wetzel said. "To see it all come together was awesome."

Technical problems prevented the tribute video from being properly shown on time, but the players didn't notice. They were too busy soaking up the moment.

"To be there on the field, under the lights, a blackout game against our rival — you couldn't have drawn it up much better," Lackey said. "To share that moment and to be around the guys again was a glimpse of the old days. It probably sounds cheesy, but it filled my cup up. It was very emotional."

"That was a surreal moment walking back onto the field with a group of guys that I hadn't walked onto a field with since Jan. 1, 2015," Norwood said. "To hear that same type of recognition that we received back then was an honor."

Before the game on Saturday, in an invite-only event at George's Restaurant hosted by owner Sammy Citrano, over 80 players were reunited with former head coach Art Briles, defensive coordinator Phil Bennett and some other assistant coaches for the first time in almost a decade. Regardless of how the public perceives Briles, the players' admiration for their former head coach remains clear.

"The highlight of the weekend was definitely all of the guys getting together before the game at George's and being able to love on Coach Briles, Coach Bennett and the other coaches who many of us hadn't seen in a while," Norwood said.

"Coach Briles gave generational opportunities to guys that were the first in their family to graduate college or get out of some of the environments they were in," Petty said. "That was the narrative for a lot of guys: 'You were the one to give me this opportunity.' For them to express that in that moment was awesome."

"The thing that I loved the most was seeing Coach Briles so happy," Lackey said. "At one point, we started chanting 'CAB! CAB!' I remember looking over to Coach Briles; he had tears dripping down his face. You could tell he was so, so, so happy. He didn't stop smiling the whole night."

As Briles was leaving the event, he turned to Bennett and asked him, "That was good for our soul, wasn't it?" Bennett looked back at him and responded, "Yes, it was."

For many of the former players, there's a lifelong bond created with their coaches. Lackey, an all-conference linebacker in 2012 and 2013, even named his third child, Bennett, in honor of his defensive coordinator. Saturday's gathering at George's was the first time the two Bennetts, over 65 years apart in age, got to meet.

"When my wife walked in with our baby, she handed Coach Bennett our Bennett, and he got to hold him for the first time," Lackey said. "Those kinds of moments were happening every time you turned around. There was a lot of love, reflection and gratitude."

The emotional connection wasn't just reserved for players and coaches throughout the weekend; it was also the first time that many players were able to see each other again. Petty mentioned a special moment with former All-American defensive lineman Shawn Oakman that will be a memory that "lasts a lifetime."

"I was able to be pretty close to the door when Shawn walked in," Petty said. "I got to hug Shawn, and he hugged me. It's hard to describe, but it was one of the most genuine hugs I've ever gotten." 

Petty told him, "'Man, I love you. There is a reason and a purpose for everything you've been through.' Shawn was always a fun-loving, high-energy guy, and there was so much love in his spirit coming off of him this weekend."

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"It was an incredible weekend," according to former Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty.

For Norwood, seeing Oakman's towering presence alongside former tight end LaQuan McGowan was one of the highlights of the reunion at George's. While at Baylor, McGowan was listed as 6-foot-7, 410 pounds, and Oakman was reported as 6-foot-9, 280 pounds.

"Those are not small people or average-sized people at all," Norwood said, laughing. "Standing next to both of them, for whatever reason, brought back a bunch of memories."

Everyone involved, from former coaches to people who planned the celebrations, could see how grateful the players were to have the opportunity to rekindle relationships and spend time bonding with their former teammates.

"For them to all be together was really special; they were so gracious and appreciative," Wetzel said. "I wasn't their coach, but they treated me with such great respect. The respect they showed warmed my heart. They were awesome to deal with."

"Those players on the 2013 and 2014 teams have a love for Baylor that is a lifetime love," Bennett said on Monday in an interview with 365 Sports.

The celebratory weekend was the perfect finishing touch to honor two of the best teams in program history who defined an era of football with high-flying offense, cutting-edge uniforms and unmatched confidence and swagger on the field.

"We already had this book written, and then it was reopened, and an additional chapter or two was added to reflect on where they are now," Lackey said. "The memories are going to be there forever. We're going to remember this weekend for the rest of our lives, just like we'll remember those championship teams for the rest of our lives."