The Moms Behind UCF Football’s Success
Winter 2018 | By Jenna Marina Lee
Donned in her son Anthony 麻豆精品 S檚 No. 89聽jersey, Harriet Roberson moves with聽purpose toward Gate 16 of Spectrum聽Stadium.
麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e got to get the moms聽together for a prayer, 麻豆精品 S� she says as聽she heads toward the parents and聽families of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 football players who聽arrived for the American聽Athletic Conference聽championship game聽that 麻豆精品 S檚 set to kick聽off in less than two聽hours.
And while she succeeds in huddling聽up several members of the UCF Mom聽Squad, on this day everyone has an聽invitation to become an honorary聽member of the group.
麻豆精品 S淎nyone that wants to participate聽can participate 麻豆精品 S� doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 matter聽whether you 麻豆精品 S檙e a mom or a dad or an聽aunt or an uncle or a friend. If you聽want to participate, you 麻豆精品 S檙e welcome聽to join us, 麻豆精品 S� says Renee Washington,聽a minister at Mount Hermon Baptist聽Church in Avondale, Louisiana,聽and the grandmother of UCF聽junior linebacker Nate Evans.
Surrounded by a circle of聽moms, families and fans alike,聽Washington begins to pray aloud.聽For the next 4 minutes she asks聽God to watch over injured junior聽quarterback McKenzie Milton.聽( 麻豆精品 S淲e have one that has been injured,聽but he will not stay down. 麻豆精品 S�) For the聽next man up, freshman quarterback聽Darriel Mack Jr. ( 麻豆精品 S淔ather, he will have聽courage. He will have strength. His eyes聽will see every man on the field. 麻豆精品 S�) And聽for their 119 sons, the UCF Knights.
麻豆精品 S淭his is not an accident. We are not聽an accident. We were appointed for聽this time, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey are not聽just one person. They 麻豆精品 S檙e a team. The聽unified UCF, undefeatable [24-game]聽winning team. All the games have聽been beautiful. Lord, I ask right now that you declare a victory today. Protect聽every player on the field. 麻豆精品 S�
The group claps. They cry. They聽hug. And then they put their game聽faces on.
麻豆精品 S淥ur boys have a lot of heart. They聽play for each other. They play for the聽coaches and their fans, and they play聽for the love of the game. They are聽there to support one another, and聽that 麻豆精品 S檚 what we are there for 麻豆精品 S斅爐o support them in that, 麻豆精品 S� says Julie聽Loudermilk, mother of senior punter聽Mac Loudermilk 麻豆精品 S�18. 麻豆精品 S淚 love those聽boys like I love my own son. We聽embrace the meaning of the聽UCF family. 麻豆精品 S�
Loudermilk says she bonded with聽a small group of moms early on, but聽she credits Roberson for growing the聽UCF Mom Squad into the dozens of聽members it is today.
The Robersons are from Virginia聽but followed Anthony to Orlando聽when he joined the team in 2016.聽Roberson is affectionately known聽as a 麻豆精品 S渟elfie queen 麻豆精品 S� and used photos聽as ice breakers as she continued to聽meet more parents at tailgates, during聽games or while greeting the team聽outside the locker room after their聽victories.
麻豆精品 S淥ur selfies started getting bigger聽and bigger. There was one game we聽were at, maybe the SMU game last聽year, and more and more moms聽jumped into the photo, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
麻豆精品 S淲e took this picture, and one of the聽staff photographers for UCF said,聽 麻豆精品 S榃ow look at this 麻豆精品 S� this is like the聽Mom Squad. 麻豆精品 S� I thought, 麻豆精品 S榃ow, that聽is a cool name for us. 麻豆精品 S� And we聽just rolled with it. 麻豆精品 S�
The squad 麻豆精品 S檚 exposure聽got a bump early this聽season when they聽were interviewed聽on the Today show聽by news anchor Craig聽Melvin. A small group of聽them planned a trip to New聽York City before they traveled to聽Connecticut for UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 first game of聽the 2018 season.
While they 麻豆精品 S檝e enjoyed cheering聽on their sons, meeting fellow fans and聽forming friendships, the Mom Squad聽is about more than that.聽When redshirt sophomore聽defensive back Aaron Robinson was聽concussed during the opening kickoff聽against UConn and needed to be taken聽by stretcher off the field, his mother聽was watching her nightmare unfold聽on the television screen. Although聽he would eventually return to the聽field later in the season, he required聽a two-day stay in the hospital until聽being cleared medically to聽return to Orlando.
Robinson 麻豆精品 S檚 mother couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 make聽the trip to Connecticut, so the UCF聽Mom Squad delivered. 麻豆精品 S淚 feel like the whole team is my聽son. If something is wrong聽with them, something is聽wrong with me, 麻豆精品 S� says聽freshman quarterback聽Darriel Mack Jr. 麻豆精品 S檚聽mother, Hope Mack,聽who was in the stands聽when Robinson took the聽hit. 麻豆精品 S淚 told my husband,聽 麻豆精品 S榃e have got to go see about聽this baby. I 麻豆精品 S檓 not leaving until we go.聽I don 麻豆精品 S檛 care what it takes. We need to聽stay another day if we have to so I can聽lay my eyes on him and I know he 麻豆精品 S檚聽OK. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 feel like the whole team is my聽son.”Hope Mack, mother of freshman quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.
The Macks had never met Robinson聽or his mother before that moment.聽They took a hamburger to the hospital聽with them, and Mack insisted the聽player eat it while she spoke to his聽mom to reassure her, the way only聽a parent could. 麻豆精品 S淚 knew if it was me, I would want聽someone to contact me and tell me聽how my son is really doing, 麻豆精品 S� Mack聽says. 麻豆精品 S淸His mother]聽was a wreck. She was聽panicked. I said, 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓聽here with your son.聽Don 麻豆精品 S檛 worry, he 麻豆精品 S檚聽doing well. It 麻豆精品 S檚聽not what it looked like. He is eating; he 麻豆精品 S檚 talking;聽he 麻豆精品 S檚 laughing. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S澛燭he families have bonded ever聽since. Robinson says the Macks聽communicate with him regularly聽and have welcomed his mother into聽the squad.
麻豆精品 S淚 feel like I gained some more聽support outside of my family, 麻豆精品 S� he says.聽The squad has also banded聽together for community-service聽initiatives such as pooling resources聽to send to Puerto Rico after聽Hurricane Maria. Or spearheading聽a drive to donate hygiene products聽to the on campus.
When they traveled to the 贵颈别蝉迟补听叠辞飞濒, they sorted diapers, decorated聽birthday gift bags and assembled聽first aid kits for foster children and聽their families through the nonprofit聽organization Arizona Helping Hands.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 so special that we have so聽many people who have open, caring聽hearts that want to do for others, 麻豆精品 S澛爏ays Roberson. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a really big聽family and there are so many things聽we can do, especially making a聽difference in the community. 麻豆精品 S�
To hear the prayer led by Renee Washington, watch this video:
