Hail to the Victors! – Michigan Football Starts Tomorrow

I have been excruciatingly busy this week. It’s my last free week before I return to college for the first time in six years, next Tuesday. Despite that fact, my excitement level has been building up extensively for this weekend. It is the first week of NCAA Football. This is my favorite time of year. I’m a huge sports fan, but no other sport is as near and dear to my heart as NCAA Football.

It isn’t just because I love the Michigan Wolverines that I’m so excited about our first game against Western Michigan tomorrow. This is my first game as an actual Wolverine. I am, officially a U of M Wolverine. I start school Tuesday at the University of Michigan. I will be attending the Flint campus, but all that really means is I pay close to half of what I’d pay to attend in Ann Arbor, the teachers for my program are just as good, and my degree will simply say “University of Michigan” on it. I am a Wolverine even if I am not in Ann Arbor, and I am proud to be so.

Slightly off topic, I visited the University of Michigan as a freshman in High School. We were visiting colleges we hoped to one day attend. As someone in a wheelchair who received assistance for their education through the state of Ohio (where I lived) I was told I could attend a school in Ohio, but not outside the state if I wanted to receive assistance. The reason for this, I was told, was because Ohio has a wheelchair accessible school, Wright State. That pretty much threw out my fleeting dreams of attending Michigan.

When I first moved outside Flint, I didn’t really realize the U of M – Flint was officially the U of M, just a different campus. In some way, I’ve been able to make that small dream come true and am now attending the school I’ve always wanted to attend. Since I live in the area, and my tuition is cheaper at the Flint campus, it’s the perfect way for me to finally complete my Bachelor’s and attend Michigan.

Back on track, I cannot tell you how pumped I am about tomorrow’s game. I’ve been singing “The Victors” all week. I feel nervous for our guys and for the way they struggled last year, when Rich Rod was left with practically nothing from the exiting Carr program. I have confidence that Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson can help us turn the team around.

I’ll be watching with Ash and the rest of the family tomorrow rooting on our team, but despite all that, I’m also glad that I will be receiving a quality education from my favorite Big Ten school.

Let’s Go Michigan!