There's a bridge to finish, Baylor Nation

Let me be honest for a moment: I’ve opened and closed more than a few handful of text documents over the last couple of weeks as story ideas that sounded appealing flamed out as I began to put my thoughts on paper. 

Writing about the 2019 season was becoming confusingly and infuriatingly more difficult as the season moves forward. I couldn’t really understand why until I realized I was focused on the wrong subject.

This is about the 2019 team, not the 2019 season. 

My attempt to reminisce on the 2016 and 2017 seasons only stir up negative and pessimistic emotions. Embellishment aside, waking up those mornings two and three year ago was watching a replay of a television episode of someone opening up my chest, finding the area of passion for Baylor football in my heart, and removing it. I awoke every morning and in search of that passion for Baylor football and typically found it in a new area of the gutter a little further away than previous.

My first son arrived in July of 2017, removing the burden of issues that I had placed on myself but had no control over. I had no answers. Just hope. Hope that one day I could go pick my passion again and not lose it.

Make no mistake, as painful as enduring losses to North Texas, UAB, Army and many more to start the new century was, the isolated results on the field were relatively tolerable compared to what was the new reality. Watching Baylor football verbally bruised, battered and beaten over and over again for a time period close to 24 months was insufferable. 

The losses to Liberty and UTSA to kick off the 1-11 2017 season were bad. But losing was still tolerable. Frustrating, but tolerable. At least for me. The anger inside me was directed in a variety of areas, but none fell back on the present Baylor football program, the new leaders at every level of the University who bravely stepped into circumstances that many people would never dare consider because of imminent backlash, or the players. 

And that’s what will make tomorrow so sweet. The seniors. The freshmen. The All-Americans. The walk-ons. The players that stayed and the players that came, the abundance of players that endured more than you and I, the players who stepped out on faith for a vision that many who have followed closely for decades likely did not see. 

The sweetness comes for a group of seniors and upperclassmen who endured and absorbed things that they never asked for all because of their decision to stay true to their commitment to Baylor University.

Baylor’s 2015 recruiting class signed with the Bears on the heels of sold out and record setting crowds, a 2014 appearance on ESPN College Gameday, two Big 12 Championships and much more. Until this day, the expectations of success have not been reached and because of no fault of their own.

Baylor’s 2016 recruiting class was ripped at the seams. Half of a nationally ranked recruiting class made the decision to endure the journey in Waco when they had the opportunity to take their playing career in another direction. The other half left for greener pastures and rightfully so.

From 2017 to 2019 Baylor signed three classes on increasing faith, specifically faith in a new staff that brought stability to the program in 2017 followed a bowl appearance and victory in 2018.

Now, I accept that nothing I can type in an article, post in a tweet or say on the radio can credibly or justifiably praise the actions of being faithful when those players didn’t have to be. But there is something that can be done.

Cliche warning: actions speak louder than words.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 15, 2019, the faithfulness, the patience, the hard work, and the ability to endure a walk through the depths will result in an opportunity to bridge the gap not for the future, but for the present. 

For any Baylor supporter, this is your chance to help a team full of players who call them Bears to bridge that gap, to help a group of upperclassmen meet expectations, and to show the young and future Bears what being a part of Baylor Nation is all about. 

Come early, come hungry, come prepared to be loud and provide an experience to these players that they will remember for a lifetime. They deserve it.

See you at McLane Stadium tomorrow, Bears!