The Spider connection lasts a lifetime and we know that alums go to great lengths to stay in touch and be a part of each other’s lives. This sentiment especially rings true with teammates from the 2008 national championship football season who just returned to campus.

The team and the 10th anniversary of our big win were celebrated during last weekend’s basketball game and Senior Day football game. That championship represents not only a launch pad for future careers, but certain traits that all Spiders share. For starters, that means resiliency and tenacity — seeing that we began that season unseeded, but ultimately took home the No. 1 spot.

“We kicked it into gear and came together — that’s what I remember most about that season,” quarterback Eric Ward, ’10, said in a recent interview. “Midway through the season, we had a team meeting — no coaches, just us as players — and said we were going to do this. We knew we were good enough to make it happen.”

Jared Decker, ’09, former left tackle and current attorney, said it’s always great to talk about the old days, but he also enjoys getting together and learning what’s going on in everyone’s lives now.

“This event is great to celebrate the championship,” Decker said, “but it’s great to see what this university has afforded people the opportunity to do after football.”

We’re still proud of the 2008 team, and we love hearing these kinds of stories from our Spider alums!