One of the things I fell in love with about KU when I decided to go to school there was how every single person in the school - the town of Lawrence, even - shared a mutual love for the Jayhawks. It's hard to NOT fall in love with KU sports because everyone gets so fired up and excited that you just can't help but immediately become invested. Every single person in the town of Lawrence shares a mutual bond over the Jayhawks, making everyone your instant best friend on game day.
At the end of my freshman year at KU in 2008, I watched each game in the NCAA tournament in awe because I had never really gotten into college sports, let alone had any idea that KU had one of the best basketball programs in the nation. And now during my first year, my school was winning every game and advancing on all the way to the national championship. And with each win, the town went crazy. Everyone was so fired up that you just couldn't help feeling intense pride and pumped up with adrenaline. It was like being on top of the world.
On the night of the national championship all the students piled into Allen Fieldhouse to watch the final game live against Memphis on the big screens. Everyone was decked out in Kansas blue singing the Alma Mater and waving the wheat. The energy in that building was incredible - the stands vibrating from everyone jumping up and down, our ears ringing from the deafening noise of fans cheering, and our hearts pumping through our chests while butterflies erupted in our stomachs. We couldn't have been more simultaneously happy and nervous at the same time.
Kansas was behind at the end of the second half. I'm not gonna lie, there was about 5 seconds left in the game and I sat down because I thought it was over. This was our chance, and we lost it. All this excitement building up for weeks, all for nothing. We would all be going home and crying tears of sadness and disappointment. But then something I will never forget in my entire life happened. Mario Chalmers hits a 3 pointer AT THE BUZZER to tie up the game. They go into a sudden death overtime and Memphis falls apart while Kansas comes back with a fiery burning passion and wins the game.
Everyone rushes to the middle of the court,
jumping up and down, screaming, hugging everyone in sight,
and crying tears of JOY.
Everyone - I mean EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. rushes down to Mass Street to celebrate. There's people jumping on cars, flashing people out of their apartment windows, "We are the Champions" is playing loudly on repeat and everyone is singing along, cheering, thousands of high fives, more crying, screaming, climbing up light posts, crowd surfing. Thousands upon thousands of people all celebrating in unison to the biggest, most exciting win of all time. The 2008 national championship was ours.
I will never forget that night as long as I live because I have never felt so proud and excited. I was proud to be a Jayhawk, proud to be an athlete at a school where sports is celebrated in that manner, and excited to be a part of the biggest celebration I have ever seen. There is just nothing in this world like being a Jawhawk.
Tonight Kansas will fight again for the national title. They have spent the entire tournament as underdogs, winning when the world was sure it was their last night, and coming up from behind over and over again to make it all the way to the end. Whether they win tonight or lose, I will always be so proud of this season, and proud to stand by KU and watch them shine.
I may have finished my education at a different school, but KU will always be my first love, and I will always be proud to be a Jayhawk!
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK
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