We spent a large amount of time watching football Saturday.  The Bulldogs played at 6:30, so we switched from one game to another, all afternoon, waiting for our game time. 

There were a lot of "down to the wire" games.  Some really exciting matchups.  As always, there seemed to be some big plays that either helped seal a win or guarantee a loss. 

I'm just here to tell you....the mothers of those college football players are some tough cookies. 

Yes, indeed. 

They have to be. 

I was watching the end of the Florida and Tennessee game as the kicker trotted out onto the field to try to win the game for Tennessee.  Hundreds of thousands of people watching all over the country as he steps back from the ball to line up and attempt the field goal.  Make it and he's the hero.  Miss it and the loss sits on his shoulders along with the grumbling of thousands of fans.

I thought about his Mama.  Bless her.  Was she covering her eyes....too afraid to watch?  Was she experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath?  Was she screaming his name at the top of her lungs?  Had she fainted from all the emotion?  Was she rocking back and forth and praying for good wind direction?  Was she puking in the restroom? 

The ball is snapped and he kicks it too far to the right, but the Florida coach had called a time out to ice the kicker.  He gets another chance.  He steps back.  The ball is snapped again and he kicks and it looks really good........until it barely misses by inches.  Game over.  Tennessee loses.          

Well, no matter how she coped with the stress of waiting for the kick, I can almost bet what her feelings were after he missed.  She wanted to run down on the field with everything in her and grab his 6 ft., 195lb., 21 year old self and say, "It's ok, little man....you'll get it next time, buddy," and then whisk him away for ice cream with a cherry and sprinkles, while telling him not to listen to all of those meanie heads. 

Just like she did when he struck out in little league. 

I thought that, for every mama whose son made a big play to win a game Saturday....garnishing the admiration of thousands of fans, receiving accolades from the media, and becoming an on-campus rock star....there was another mama whose son blew it and cost his team the game.....a missed field goal, a thrown interception, a dropped pass, a devastating penalty and you didn't know what kind of feedback he was in for from some of the crazy fans these days.  

I don't know how they do it.  I mean, most of us get all knotted up when our little Mary has a two liner in the school program.  "Oh, please, Lord, if you just help her to remember what she's supposed to say, I promise I'll try to be a better person and not remove the tags from my pillows and return the shopping carts to their designated areas," we plead as we mouth the lines along with her from our seat.  And it's not out of the question that little Johnny, who's up for class president, would find his mother spending an extensive amount of time in the restroom until the results are in.             

Y'all know how we are about our young.   

Not much different than the lioness.  
Or the elephant.........who'd stomp your head in if she thought you were coming for her baby.

Mamas don't play when it comes to that. 

They just don't.

And it doesn't matter if the baby is 15 lbs. or 250 lbs. and on scholarship. 

So, I'd like to salute all the mamas of college ball players everywhere.  Their kids are on a BIG stage and their audience is full of big jerks with big mouths and big egos, who've been making big claims all week on social media, around the water cooler, and everywhere in between.  

Takes a BIG woman to sit and listen to all that.

So.

Hats off to you. 

This Mama thinks you're a BIG person! 



Hope you all had a great Monday!