Last season, Texas went 5-7, the school’s first losing season since 1997. It had been a long time since Longhorn fans have had to cope with so many losses. Although last year was an abnormal season, to say the least, the freshmen around campus are ready for the season to start. They plan on being supportive of the team through thick and thin.
“I always watched Texas football growing up and we’ve always been one of the best teams,” said freshman computer science major Jack Medellin. “Last year was disappointing, but this year I think we can do a lot better.”
Medellin is confident that the new recruits will make a difference and help Texas rebuild this season. He says that his first football season at Texas will be a positive experience, even if the team doesn’t live up to expectations.
“It would be nice to be a really good and competitive team, but it will be a good time no matter what,” Medellin said.
He is excited to watch the freshmen grow as he progresses through his college years and will remain a Texas fan no matter what, and he believes his classmates will follow suit.
Freshman longhorn band member Emilee Crowther, whose parents went to Texas Tech and sister attends OU, has always been a Texas fan and football is one of the reasons why she decided to go to school at UT.
“It’s really a surreal feeling being here at UT,” Crowther said. “Going to such a prestigious University and then having such great people representing you is amazing.”
She hopes that because last season was such a rough one, students, especially freshmen, will show even more support for the team and get them excited to play and win. She believes that if students are spirited and cheering during games, the team will feed off of that energy and play better.
“The team really needs our support, especially because football is such a tough sport both physically and mentally,” Crowther said.
Although freshman Chandler Zamarron believes that games will be more fun if the team does well, she hopes that her freshman class, as well as the entire student body, will continue to support the team. Zammaron graduated from a very small school and is proud to be a part of the UT community.
“It’s a good feeling to finally be a part of something so big,” Zammaron said.
The massive amount of school spirit and the sea of burnt orange that is around campus has overwhelmed many freshmen around campus. Although this season may not be what Longhorns are accustomed to, they are still Longhorns.
By the end of last season, the student section of Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium was becoming less and less populous.
But the freshmen around campus are now assimilating into the UT culture and ready to don their burnt orange on Sept. 3.
“The other morning I was walking across Main Mall and the tower chimed and I just got this huge sense of pride to be a Longhorn,” Zammaron said. “I love it here, and just because our team is struggling doesn’t change that. I’m really excited to be here.”
