Photo by: Frank Fortune - Georgia Southern Athletics
Eagle Nation Celebrates Georgia Southern's Championship
11/30/2014 9:05:00 PM | Football
Glenn Bryant Field covered with fans soaking in the Eagles' first Sun Belt Conference title
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Photo Gallery | Seniors' Sacrifice Pays Off
By Mike Brown
In a scene the likes of which had not been seen at Paulson Stadium since Georgia Southern's 1990 national championship win over Nevada a celebration players and fans following the 22-16 Sun Belt Conference championship clinching win the love of Eagle Nation for the Eagles was never more evident.
Among the thousands of fans mingling with players on the floor of Paulson was Greg Reynolds, class of 1993, and his daughter, Savannah, who had made the trip from Cumming in hopes of celebrating a championship.
Savannah, an 8-year-old second grader who was also a Georgia Southern cheerleader for a day, perhaps summed it up best for everyone when she said, "This is super, super dooper. This was fun. "
"I've been dreaming about this for 15 years," Greg said of the Eagles' move up to FBS. "We talked and talked about moving up. Then to do it and win a conference championship our first year after been picked near the bottom is amazing."
Ring Bearer
Eagle linebacker Antoine Williams said when he watched a game on television where fans poured onto the field to celebrate with players he thought it would be great to be part of something like that. He finally got his chance and it was as good as he had imagined.
"It's an amazing feeling," Williams said. "We've worked so hard all year for this. I'm nearly speechless.
"To come in and win the Sun Belt in our first year is just amazing. I can't think of another word to describe it. To be able to celebrate with our fans who are the best in the world makes it even better."
This is the third championship ring in as many tries for Williams, a fourth-year player who missed last season with an injury. In his first two years the Eagles were Southern Conference champions.
Sounds like a guy who would make a great best man. He won't lose the ring.
They've Come A Long Way
Gene Sauers played several years on the PGA Tour, and is now a member of the PGA Champions Tour. However, before that he was an All-America golfer at Georgia Southern and is a member of the school's Hall of Fame.
Sauers turned pro in 1984 just as the fledgling football program was starting and playing its first season in Paulson.
Nervously pacing the sidelines in the game's waning seconds Sauers said he was "blown away" by how the school had grown, the football facility and winning the Sun Belt in its first year.
"This is big-time football," said Sauers as he eyed the stadium, especially the second deck which was added for this season. "This is a great facility. It makes you proud to be a Georgia Southern alum.
"I'm really proud to tell people I went to school here. The way the campus has grown from what it was when I was in school (6,000 students) is truly amazing. Very, very proud."
More Amazing Pride
Sauers' pride and feelings were matched by Gena and Clay Woods of Twin Cities who are regulars at Paulson Stadium. Their words were an echo of nearly everyone else's.
"This is awesome," said Gena who is an Eagle alum. "This team is very deserving of this.
"It's a tremendous accomplishment. They should be able to go to a bowl, but that's the rules. But, we've got a championship, and no one can take that away."
A Special Accomplishment
"Doing it our first year in the Sun Belt makes it special," offensive coordinator Doug Ruse said. "After we strung a few wins together the conference—the teams not the conference office—were hoping we would get beat.
"This is a special tribute all of these players, and for Izzy (Youyoute) to do what he did made it special, too," Ruse said. "Izzy is a senior and a team guy. He comes with energy every day, and it's all about the team.
"It's very fitting he came in and did what he did."
Youyoute, as every Eagle fan knows by now, is a fifth-year senior who saw his career plagued by injuries and a coaching change, but he ran for 81 yards and directed two touchdown drives after starter Kevin Ellison and backup Favian Upshaw went down with injuries.
Finally A Winner
Sophomore nose tackle Jay Ellison was so excited he found trouble expressing himself.
"This is just amazing," Ellison said of the Eagles' championship. "This is the first time I've been playing sports I've won a ring. I'venever been on a team that won a championship.
"We had a lot of guys step up," Ellison said. "We went out and got it. We deserve it."
Players Mentioned
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