An estimated 4,500 people, including nearly 2,000 students, attended the game at the BBVA Compass soccer complex. Photo by Baili Grace BighamJack Ryan - Contributorjackryan@uab.edu
On Monday, Aug. 29, the first day of classes for the fall semester, the UAB football team took to the field for its first official scrimmage game after the program was cut on Dec. 2, 2014.
After what has been a long and shaky road, support for the program was seen in full force on Monday. UAB administration dubbed it a “historic day” for UAB, which began with the official groundbreaking of the new football operations facility at 9 a.m. At 7 p.m. the first official scrimmage of the year kicked off. An estimated 4,500 people, including nearly 2,000 students, attended the game at the BBVA Compass soccer complex.
Jon Solomon of CBS Sports recently referred to UAB as the “Second Chance U.” After the program returned in the summer of 2015, UAB head coach Bill Clark targeted junior college recruits to build experience on the newly-revived team. Quarterback AJ Erdely, a graduate of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, passed for 253 yards and added 44 yards of rushing in Monday’s scrimmage.
“UAB has grown so much on and off the field,” said former UAB kicker Ty Long. “To see the growth that is happening on and off the field is huge. I personally feel like UAB football has the most support they have ever had, but importantly they [also] have financial support which is crucial in the growth of the program. The new facilities that are coming will help the student athletes reach their full potential and I assure you it makes the players from the last 20 years smile because we all laid down the foundation. So many people played a huge part in this and for me to see how many people came together to put this program that was in shambles back together and to make it better than it was before makes me excited for the future of the program.”
Timothy Alexander, a current member of the football team and one of the leading activists for the return of the program said that being on the field was “breathtaking, and it shows that history is in the hands of the students and that the UAB family believes in UAB. That’s why we say ever faithful, ever loyal.”
“I feel great about the current state of UAB athletics and the university as a whole,” said UAB graduate Jimmy Marion. “For a while, it felt as if there was a dark cloud over UAB because the decision to shut down the football program. Since it was announced the program would be returning, a lot of progress has been made. Relationships have been repaired, new fans have been born, and positive momentum is widespread all across the board. Enrollment is up and support is at an all-time high. And the best part is that this is only the beginning.”
Though UAB will not play an actual game until September 2, 2017, when the Blazers face Alabama A&M at Legion Field, the Blazer family can look forward to another scrimmage game on Thursday, Oct. 20. The upcoming scrimmage will be a part of the homecoming week festivities.
“UAB has grown so much on and off the field,” said former UAB kicker Ty Long. “To see the growth that is happening on and off the field is huge. I personally feel like UAB football has the most support they have ever had, but importantly they [also] have financial support which is crucial in the growth of the program. The new facilities that are coming will help the student athletes reach their full potential and I assure you it makes the players from the last 20 years smile because we all laid down the foundation. So many people played a huge part in this and for me to see how many people came together to put this program that was in shambles back together and to make it better than it was before makes me excited for the future of the program.”
Timothy Alexander, a current member of the football team and one of the leading activists for the return of the program said that being on the field was “breathtaking, and it shows that history is in the hands of the students and that the UAB family believes in UAB. That’s why we say ever faithful, ever loyal.”
“I feel great about the current state of UAB athletics and the university as a whole,” said UAB graduate Jimmy Marion. “For a while, it felt as if there was a dark cloud over UAB because the decision to shut down the football program. Since it was announced the program would be returning, a lot of progress has been made. Relationships have been repaired, new fans have been born, and positive momentum is widespread all across the board. Enrollment is up and support is at an all-time high. And the best part is that this is only the beginning.”
Though UAB will not play an actual game until September 2, 2017, when the Blazers face Alabama A&M at Legion Field, the Blazer family can look forward to another scrimmage game on Thursday, Oct. 20. The upcoming scrimmage will be a part of the homecoming week festivities.
