I guess you could say that I was a student during some of the most formative years of Johnnie football 2000-2004. I was a freshman as Beau LaBore was laying the wood in Salem, VA falling a mere field goal short of the Bronze and Walnut. Then as a senior at SJU the magical run up to 408, then the record breaking 409, all the way to a perfect undefeated 14-0 season.
[SJU] is a truly special place.
I first began to realize how special and unique the Johnnie football experience was in Tommy Hall as a young, impressionable freshman at SJU. Spending a casual fall evening, Ryan “PigPen” Weinandt (future star Johnnie defensive tackle), introduced me to the unusual practice techniques of the highly successful Johnnies football team. I followed that night with research on d3football.com and my interest was piqued.
The great thing about following the Johnnies isn’t always the overwhelmingly dominant wins (Monkey Stomps = wins of 21+ pts). It is the people you meet along the way. The gorgeous Saturday afternoons spent behind the Pine Curtain catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. The camaraderie among the tailgaters at Mike Fahey’s Stiftungsfestivities. It is a truly special place and I feel blessed to have made the wise decision to choose SJU over Gustavus Adolphus in the fall of 1999.
Max Stein
touchdowntommy@johnniefootball.com
