What does it mean to be a fan of the U football program? For superfan Bryce Bigelow, it means a lifetime of passion and dedication to his favorite sport.
“I remember I first started watching games with my dad when I was about five years old. I remember watching cartoons on Saturday morning, and I got upset when the games would come on, because I couldn’t watch my cartoons,” Bigelow said, chuckling as he recalled the memories. “Fortunately, I eventually saw the light and I grew to love watching football.”
His love for the game moved beyond the television screen to the backyard, where he and his siblings would often play impromptu games of football. From pick-up games in the backyard, he moved on to playing the game he loved in high school.
“I would play football with my friends during lunch in junior high, and I would pretend like I was playing football for the U,” Bigelow said. “Utah football has been in my life for so long that it is now part of who I am.”
Bigelow’s favorite players are Eric Weddle and Tom Hackett.
“I know they played at different times and different positions, but I always loved watching them and seeing both of them compete, Weddle especially,” Bigelow said. “I loved watching his competitiveness and the drive he had to play hard each game.”
A life-long fan, Bigelow says he tries to attend as many games as possible at Rice-Eccles Stadium every season.
“I love being there in person, because the atmosphere is so different,” Bigelow said. “The noise from the crowd really gets you excited, gets you going. There’s no commercials, you can see everything that happens. Being there live is so much better than watching it on TV.”
His favorite football memories include the infamous 3-0 victory against BYU, as well as the 2009 Allstate Sugarbowl against Alabama.
“I loved that game, because everyone thought Alabama was going to kill us,” Bigelow said. “Everyone went in talking about how we didn’t deserve to be there and how Alabama was the better team. I loved watching the audience during that first quarter when we were up 21-0, because everyone was shocked at how well we were playing.”
A recent graduate from the U, Bigelow says his goal is to get season tickets this year, and every year for the rest of his life.