Who's In & Who's out

Every single person reading this will enter this story at a different point in time and therefore a slightly different perspective.  I graduated in 2007 and Doc passed away the week of our graduation.  So for me I have about a 20 year reference point roughly.  It was pretty stunning as I like most had always just assumed God would allow Doc to see his vision through, particularly on the enrollment side.  It really didn't feel possible that we could ever get BYU to play us at home, much less beat them.   As a freshman in  2003 and I remember sitting in Convo hearing Doc talk about his BHAG's (big hairy audacious goals) and sayings like "what would you set out to do if you knew you wouldn't fail".  The quote that lasted in my mind the longest was that the true measure of a man was what it would take to make him quit.  None of this seemed remotely possible in 2006 when we went 1 and 10 and had terrible facilities, even by FCS standards.  As I got older I realized that Doc had lived through all of these struggles and started from nothing which was why he was so good at the underdog message.   Liberty has been an underdog for most of it's athletics existence.  When Coach Freeze showed up many of us dared to dream big that maybe, just maybe this thing could actually happen in our life times. We knew we had a great AD and support staff, infrastructure, facilities & a path toward competitiveness and now we had the coach to take us there.  Like Doc, Coach can command the attention of a room and sell a vision with the best of them.  Over the last 4 years you could steadily hear Coach beginning to feel and walk in that same vision that most of us had carried out of Liberty.  I spent a lot of time reflecting last week on how far we had come and what the future would hold.  The day of the game flew by so fast and when it was over I was more emotional that I would have thought.  I love sports and I love what Liberty did for me and for so many of my friends.  It's much bigger than just winning a football game or an athletic event.  So many lives have and will be changed through Doc's vision that has played itself out.  Saturday was an exclamation point on the fact that God is still on the throne and when a person yields themselves to his will, literally anything is possible.  We may not see it in this life, it may be our children or their children but his promises are still true today.  That was a day I won't forget.  

Below are a few more comments from other Liberty fans on what it meant for them. 

BeloudwearRed

Regarding the win over BYU, I don’t even know where to begin. That win was undoubtedly the greatest win ever for Liberty in any sport. Not because it was a great football win. It was very good but not great. It was the greatest because it was a distinct milestone in the Vision cast by Jerry Sr. Rising to a level in which we can compete with BYU is something I thought would take many years to accomplish, yet here we are. Even better, the crowd and atmosphere was not something I really ever expected at Liberty. When BYU went up 14-3 and looked to be running away, the air left the stadium, but when Liberty came back, the explosion from the crowd still gives me chills. Even the middle-aged ladies in front of me were standing up screaming as loud as I was. Being a part of a university that is succeeding in everything from academics to sports to blessing the world, especially that, gives me joy. I can’t wait for the next chapter in Dr. Falwell’s vision.

Matt Cook

What the BYU game meant to me I was born and raised here in Lynchburg. I can remember when Ken Karcher was at Liberty, then Danny Rocco, then Turner Gill and now Hugh Freeze. Danny Rocco started the process. I remember going 5-5 and that was huge for Liberty. Then VT and UVA transfers started coming to Liberty. That was even bigger. Then we got Rashad Jennings from Pitt. Then names and players kept getting bigger and bigger. My dad would take me to Liberty games and i thought i was at a High School stadium because it was so small. Now we call it the Mountain for a reason. What God has done at Liberty is nothing short of a miracle. I know most people come to school here and stick around, but for me I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. I’ve loved it. Keep this in mind, whoever is at Liberty, no matter if it’s HCHF or Jerry Falwell, God will take care and watch over his people. Liberty keeps doing it the right way and one day we will hoist that National Title trophy. I’ve seen laughable Liberty like i said go from 1-10, to 5-5 and that was the talk around town. Now to 4 bowls in a row. Why can’t Liberty win a Natty!!!

Mark Journell

The BYU game was the best I have seen in my 33 years of watching Liberty Football. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think the Flames could win a home game like this! I remember hearing Doc state his dream over and over while I was a student band now it has happened!

Turtlepower98

40 years ago Jerry Falwell Jr. cast a vision that Liberty could be to evangelicals what BYU has been to Mormons and Notre Dame has been to Catholics. I am sure many scoffed at the time, just as they did when Liberty joined FBS football. In just a few short years, we've won bowl games, defeated Virginia Tech on the road, and beaten a ranked undefeated team. But to be able to beat BYU so soundly on our home field gave fans the moment many have been waiting for all their lives. The goal was always to be BYU or Notre Dame, and for the first time in history, pundits had to say Liberty was in a better position than BYU. This felt like the ultimate fulfillment of Falwell's vision and it was impossible for younger players to realize the impact on the older generation, who saw Liberty when no one even heard of the university or knew where it was. To see what happened Saturday is just remarkable.

Keep it up Flames Nation.  Saturday was special and I believe it's just the start.  

Brent