I didn’t grow up watching Aggie football. My parents both attended the University of Oklahoma, and neither were big college football fans. But my grandfather (whom we called Ghido) was an ardent Sooners fan. At least once when I was young, he took us to a game in Norman. All I remember about the game is that Ghido seemed to know every person in the stadium. I came to realize over the years that he seemed to know everybody wherever he went. He was one of those rare individuals who could walk into a room of strangers and quickly turn them into friends.
Still, Ghido loved his family above all else, especially his nine grandchildren. Each one of us secretly believed we were his favorite, and we loved him deeply. In fact, it was my love for my Sooner grandfather that eventually cemented my love of Aggie football.