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Once Upon a Homecoming Page 4 Goal Mouths bring in energy to USF soccer Page 6 Beefs offers discounts for charity Page 9 Homecoming calendar Page 10 Jamie Byrd comes home for Homecoming Page 12
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USF then and now: 50 years of Homecoming By Alex Rosenthal E D I T O R
I N
C H I E F
Once upon a time, Homecoming at USF was very different. Decades ago, the campus was smaller, faculty would play softball and basketball with students, Homecoming week featured small folk bands on the back of pickup trucks instead of nationally known hip hop artists and festivities focused on the basketball team and not the football team. To display how Homecoming has changed at USF over the years, the Alumni Foundation and the Library’s Special Collections teamed up with Centre Gallery to present “Once Upon a Homecoming.” Assistant librarian Andrew Huse curated the exhibit that contains approximately 35 photographs from alumni and old newspaper clippings over the years. Huse, who first came to USF as a student in 1995, said he has seen the campus change drastically over time. “I’ve been working with USF for a long time,” he said. “So I’ve seen the ways traditions have changed, come and gone. Its an important part of USF’s
identity … and a lot of stuff can be easily lost.” One point Huse said he hopes students find out from the exhibit is that the university is actually celebrating its 50th Homecoming, rather than the “Homecoming Superbull XVIII.” Back in October 1964, the university held the first homecoming: a luau-themed event that included a folk music singalong and a concert by singing group The Platters. It wasn’t until the creation of the football program in the late 90s that Huse said USF restarted the count on Homecoming. “Its bigger than an institutional history, it’s the history of the students here: one of the most important parts of what makes traditions happen and what traditions we follow through with,” Huse said. In the earlier days of USF, homecoming events would have attendance of only 700 to 1,500 students in the 1970s and 80s. These events included an annual basketball game between Student Government and the university president’s administrative faculty, which started in 1971. Now, Homecoming is centered around football games,
which have attracted a crowd of 30,000, according to the exhibit’s online gallery. “The campus was a much, much different place,” Huse said. “There were only a few thousand students here at the time, and it has grown exponentially since then. It’s interesting to see some of the things that are easily forgotten.” While the online gallery contains the photos, larger reprinted photographs will be on display all week in the Centre Gallery in the Marshall Student Center. According to Huse, one photograph will show formal Sunday dinners where students had to dress in their Sunday best if they wanted to eat in the dining hall that day. “You’ll see a big picture of a bluegrass band playing on the back of a pickup truck, and this was in 1980 or so,” Huse said. “These aren’t big national names like T.I. or Wiz Khalifa. At the time, we could only afford entertainment that was so popular. That’s an indication of how USF has hit the big time.” To see the digital gallery, students and alumni can visit exhibits.lib.usf.edu/exhibits/ show/usf-homecoming.
In 50 years of Homecoming, USF has changed physically and culturally through generations of traditions. To see the full gallery, visit exhibits.lib.usf.edu/exhibits/show/usf-homecoming. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY USF LIBRARY
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USF soccer finds energy in Goal Mouths than most other fan groups with other sports.” “Players have told us specifically, if we’re keeping up the energy and keep The football team has Beef Studs, chanting, later on in the games they the baseball team has Diamond Dolls, feel the intensity they need to finish so the soccer team has Goal Mouths. the games,” Rhineman said. If you’ve ever attended a USF socAs they stand behind the opposcer game, you’ve probably ing teams goal chantseen or heard the Goal ing and distracting Mouths. Located behind “These guys come the opponents, Kopke the opposing team’s net it can get pretout, rain or shine, said is a group of dedicated ty intense. He said USF students and alumni several goalies have every time and cheering on the Bulls. turned around to look no matter what. at the Goal Mouths In addition to the Goal Mouths, a group of and one goalie even If it’s early and females were also added threatened to punch this year to help pump up him. there’s only 10 fans in the stands, calling “They either don’t people here, themselves the Goal Girls. like us or they really One of the founding us because they’re louder than appreciate members of the Goal they understand we’re Mouths, John Kopke, said doing something great 100 people.” the tradition started about for the game of socsix or seven years ago. cer,” Rhineman said. Tyler Blackwood Kopke said the Goal Senior forward Unlike the opposing Mouths were created team, the USF soccer when five soccer fans who attended players appreciate the Goal Mouths games were bored with just sitting because they are always there to supup in the stands. Eventually, the five port the team and provide them with of them went back down behind the motivation. goals and started jawing away at the “These guys come out, rain or shine, goalies, trying to distract them. every time and no matter what,” senior Since then, this tradition has grown forward Tyler Blackwood said. “If it’s to approximately 30 to 40 energetic early and there’s only 10 people here, Goal Mouths at any given home game. they’re louder than 100 people.” “You just have to be passionate This week, soccer fans can see about USF athletics,” Kopke said. the Goal Mouths in action when USF Holden Rhineman, president of the hosts Tulsa on Wednesday at Corbett Goal Mouths, agreed with Kopke and Stadium at 7:30 p.m. said being a Goal Mouth member means “you are a lot more involved
By Cassidy Wallace C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Goal Mouths help bring spirit to USF Soccer and can be found at every home game behind the opponent’s net. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
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Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to offer Homecoming discounts for charity USF Dining will partner with a number of campus organizations to bring charity to the Homecoming week festivities. All week long, students can drop off canned goods at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to receive discounts and free offers. If a student donates one can they will receive a free fountain drink, two cans and they’ll receive 10 percent off the bill and if a student donates four cans they will get 20 percent off their bill. All donations will go to Metropolitan Ministries, a donor-based service organi-
zation that gives food and housing to families in need of assistance. “Being part of something that benefits the local community and contributes to the greater good of society is something that we knew we needed to be part of,” said Ashley Horowitz, director of marketing services for USF Dining. The canned food drive promotion will last until Oct. 10 and is sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement and Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. — Staff report
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Homecoming calendar of events More event information and descriptions can be found at homecoming.usf.edu Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Transfer Student Homecoming Kickoff Meet & Go! Sponsored by: Transfer Student Organization MSC Atrium near Einstein’s Bagels 4:30 p.m.
Back to School Honors College Alumni and Student Event Sponsored by: Honors College JPH 1317 5:30 p.m.
Homecoming Carnival Sun Dome Parking Lot 4 p.m. - midnight
Homecoming Kickoff MSC Amphitheater 5:30-7 p.m.
Homecoming Ball MSC Ballroom 8:30 p.m. - midnight
Team Competition: Flag Football Magnolia Fields Team check-in: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Competition: 8 p.m.
Thursday
Tuesday USF Faculty and Staff Alumni Lunch Sponsored by: USF Alumni Association MSC Ballroom – prior RSVP required Noon Once Upon a Land of Chemistry Sponsored by: Chemistry Society MLK Plaza 1:30 p.m.
Transfer Students Carnival Meet & Go Sponsored by: Transfer Student Organization In front of USF Library 3:30 p.m. Homecoming Carnival & Student Showcase Sun Dome Parking Lot 4 p.m. - midnight Team Competition: Mechanical Bull Riding Sun Dome Parking Lot Team check-in: 5 - 5:45 p.m. Competition: 6-7 p.m.
Transfer Student Organization Ice Cream Social Sponsored by: Student Government MSC3709 4 p.m.
Team competition: Tug-of-War Grassy area along maple and Sun Dome Parking Lot Team check-in: 7 p.m. Competition: 8-9 p.m.
Team Competition: Green & Gold Rush Alumni Center Team Check-in: 4:15-4:45 p.m. Competition: 5 -6 p.m.
Homecoming Extravaganza Step Show 2014 Sponsored by: National Pan-Hellenic Council MSC Oval Theater 7 p.m.
Stampede Comedy Show featuring Jo Koy Sun Dome Doors open 6:30 p.m. Showtime 7 p.m.
School of Music Alumni Reception Sponsored by: USF School of Music South Side of Music Building 4:30 p.m. Alumni 50th Anniversary Reception Sponsored by: USF College of Engineering Hall of Flags 5:30 p.m. Running with the Bulls Night Parade Holly Drive & Maple Drive 7 p.m. Women’s Soccer Game Corbett Stadium USF vs. UCF 8 p.m. Homecoming After Party featuring T.I. Sun Dome Parking Lot 8 p.m.
Saturday Homecoming football game USF vs. East Carolina Raymond James Stadium 7 p.m. kickoff
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Bull comes back home to Florida for junior season By Jacob Hoag A S S T .
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Before every game, junior safety Jamie Byrd Jr. sits in the locker room scrolling through pictures of his 6-month-old daughter Aniya, which remind him why he plays football. The hard-hitting Byrd left his hometown of Dade City after his senior year of high school to pursue a football career at Texas Christian University. Byrd struggled adjusting to life away from home and after two years with TCU and a year at Iowa Western Community College; he said it was time to come home. “It’s a great feeling (being home), because I have thousands of followers here,” Byrd said. “I had them in high school, but in college it grew. When I went to TCU I wasn’t playing much so they wondered what I was up to. Then I went to junior college, which was another step off the planet. Here, I’m right here in front of them, in front of my hometown like coach T told me.” But Byrd’s return home has more to do with living near his family again, who have been an important factor in his success on the field. “My parents played a big roll (in my athletic career),” Byrd said. “My mom, she’s my biggest critic and was always stricter. I kept asking ‘why can’t I do this? Why can’t I do that?’ and never understood it. Now I do. I look at my friends that had parents that would let them do whatever they wanted to do and where they’re at now compared to where I am. I thank my mom for being so strict on me.” As Byrd grew up, he filled his time with football and that was all he needed. “I played both youth football and middle school football and at one point I played both of them at the same
time, so I really had a busy schedule as a young boy,” he said. When he didn’t have his eyes set on a quarterback, he focused his sights on a TV screen, challenging his friends. Byrd’s competitive nature enabled him to wreak havoc on the football field of Pasco High School, much like his father did years before. “I’ve just tried to live up to my dad,” Byrd said. “All my life I’ve heard how hard of a hitter he was, so I just tried to be better than he was.” Byrd’s dad remains his biggest critic and coach. “My dad was just that coach in my ear, coaching me up on everything football and the things my mom couldn’t,” Byrd said. The biggest thing Byrd took away from his dad was his love for tackling and big hits. “It’s always been my focus to be the hardest hitter, to be the most feared guy on the field,” Byrd said. “I look up to safeties like that. I model my game after them like Ed Reed, or even Ray Lewis as a linebacker. They made me want to be a bigger hitter.” These hard hits caught the eye of second year coach Willie Taggart. “He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low (with his emotion), but he’ll hit you, “ Taggart said. “That’s what we saw on film when we recruited him and that’s what stood out; he’s going to make you feel him when he hits you.” Out of high school, Byrd committed to Boise State, but when a school with a closer proximity to home called, he didn’t hesitate to take the offer. “I ended up getting that call from (Texas Christian University) a couple of days before signing day so I figured Texas was a little closer,” Byrd said. “They were both winning teams so I wanted to choose the school that was closer to home.”
Junior safety Jamie Byrd currently leads the Bulls in tackles with 45 this season. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
Moving day is a rough day for anyone, but for Byrd, it was an opportunity. “I try to hide my emotions, but it was an emotional day,” Byrd said. “My mom and my girl took it to heart, but I was ready to get away and find out what that college life was like after seeing so much about it on TV I wanted to make a name for myself, so I was more focused on that.” TCU was nothing special to Byrd. He said there was little to do for him off the football field. “In Florida, this is home,” Byrd said. “I have so much I can do here. I can go to my hometown, which I do every other weekend. I have to see my daughter as much as I can.” Byrd was only able to come home twice during the year he spent at TCU, and after lack of playing time and a coaching change, he would once again uproot his life and move.
Word about his discontent with the school traveled quickly and Byrd soon received a call from an old high school teammate, who persuaded him to come to Iowa Western Community College, which had just won the 2012 Junior College National Championship. “I didn’t touch the field hardly at all so I had no confidence in what I could do, so I felt like why not go to (junior college) and build that confidence back up and get bigger and better offers,” Byrd said. Byrd described his time at Iowa Western as simply a business trip, he didn’t want to spend anymore time than he had to, but knew it was an important leg of his journey. “(Junior college) made me a better man and made me want things more,” Byrd said. “Once you go back to that level, it’s every man for himself. You don’t get all of the perks of a D-I school; you
have to take advantage of what you have.” Once the time came to leave Iowa, Byrd said he had offers from around the country, but knew it was time to go home after being away for almost three years. “My parents thought it’d be a bad idea, worrying that I’d get in trouble and get into some stuff at home, but me being away made me more mature than that,” Byrd said. Byrd said his family now makes it to every home game and watches on TV when the Bulls hit the road. The distance between him and his daughter is now almost nonexistent, something Byrd appreciates the most. “It’s the best feeling in the world,” Byrd said. “I look to my daughter for motivation, so for me to be right here, with her and see her grow is just amazing.”
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