Cheering for Arkansas’ Brightest Talent

When I moved to Arkansas three years ago, I received a curious email in my inbox with the following subject line: “Taylor Wilson or Tyler Wilson: In Which Young Arkansan Should We Invest?”

I was new to the state and still learning this “hog calling” business. Tyler Wilson, as starting quarterback for the Arkansas Razorbacks at the time, earned the kind of celebrity status that comes with being a Southeastern Conference quarterback. Athletes of his talent who wear the cardinal and white play to the cheers and adulation of 72,000 screaming fans on any given Saturday in autumn in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Spurred on by cheerleaders brandishing bright signs and bold letters, thousands of spectators roar in unison. With every successful pass sent gliding through the air, complete strangers leap to their feet, high five and holler. This kid, they would say with every yard gained, this kid is one of the best in the state. Across Arkansas, thousands of people who will never meet Tyler Wilson or any other Razorback football player in person follow their every collegiate moment, share in their defeats and champion their successes.

Read the full article at Arkansas Money and Politics.