If the NFL is considered America’s new religion, then the college game is our nation’s biggest cult. The most rabid U.S. sports fans, millions of them fill stadiums across the country each fall Saturday and literally live and die college football..
In what other American sport can you find a fan like Giles Pellerin? The greatest college football super fan ever, he viewed 797 consecutive USC football games – home and away – before passing away at the age 91 in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl during the second half of the 1998 USC-UCLA game. His streak stretched all the way back to 1926, nine years before the first Heisman Trophy was handed out.
Or how about Cecil Samara? Oklahoma’s super fan that used to drive his Model-T car to each home game before passing away in 1994, Samara was buried in his trademark red jacket, an OU tie and Sooner belt buckle. He had “Boomer Sooner” played at his funeral, but his family decided against Samara’s wishes to have his index finger put in the “No. 1” position in his casket.
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Whether they have a ridiculously long consecutive attendance streak, dress up like it’s Halloween, have become performers on game days or complete other acts of sheer lunacy, all these super fans ask is to be recognized for their dedication.
So as diehards endure another tortuously long summer in preparation for the 2010 college football season, we honor the greatest fans in the FBS. As featured on ESPN.com, here’s our list of the Top 20 College Football Super Fans based on their passion, loyalty, flair and celebrity status on campus.
20. Barry Erickson (Washington)
19. Tom Pounds (Washington State)
18. Terri Jackson (Utah)
17. John Chubb (Ohio State)
16. Mike Woods (Georgia)
15. Nathan Davis (Alabama)
14. Jim Brown (Kentucky)
13. John Sheldon (Michigan State)
12. Robert Lipson (Kansas State)
11. Paul Layne (SMU)
10. Lance Smith (Vanderbilt)
9. Wendell Wolka (Purdue)
8. Freeman Reese (Alabama)
7. Dwayne Gilbert (Georgia)
6. Mitch Lavinghouze (Ole Miss)
5. Tony Brandino (Alabama)
4. Tommy Thompson (Iowa)
3. Tom Ables (San Diego State)
2. George Edmondson (Florida)
1. Dick Coffee (Alabama)
there is no team in the country that gets the fabulous support and enthusiasm that the south carolina gamecocks get for (I hate to admit it), a mediocre team over the last 100 years. but I still love them!
How about a college fooitball stadium that has sold out for over 300 straight games.Suffice it to say that all Nebraska Cornhusker football fans fit the definition of loyal, rabid football fans. For flair walk down ‘O’ Street in Lincoln any game day saturday and you will find all the clothing stores have their manakins dressed in Nebraska red.I was one of those loyal fans for 23 years until we had to move to another state where our son could be close to a hospital where he could be close to a hospital that specialized in the kind of intensive care that he requires. Go Big Red
A real Husker fan would’ve gave his son to the cause.
Oh gee….ESPN putting four (4) ‘Bama fans on the list? Shocking. And very ghey.
You want to see some die hard fans go to Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, TX home of the BAYLOR BEARS. Comparable to (USC’s) Giles Pellerin I’m talking “old geezers” still wearing their BAYLOR garb outdated since the early 70′s Grant Teaff days. But regardless how the BEARS are doing on the field these fans stay all 4 quarters. Watching their enthusiasm is worth the price of admission alone. And if they beat A&M or Texas on their field, I’m afraid one of these guys may have a major cardiac.
i guess you never came to madison wi. thats how you spell
loyalty. badgers are up there with anyone
“Fred The Head” from Florida State was the charismatic fan that painted the top of his bald head with the FSU logo. He was a celebrity all over the town and football stadiums in the southeast. Unfortunately Fred died young but still bled garnet and gold and is worth a mention on this list.
There are no better fans than those of the Clemson Tigers!!
notre dame fans go everwhere. greatest tradition of them all.
LSU HAS THE WILDEST FANS!!
OU SOONER’S BABY