Bradlee Van Pelt

Truth be told, when I first visited CSU, no one in the athletic department brought me to Hughes Stadium. I had no idea what the stadium looked like or where it was located. I suppose the coaches thought that a transfer from Michigan State University might not be too impressed with the size of the stadium or the facilities. Rather, as I like to believe, coach Sonny Lubick knew that I just wanted to play football and win, regardless of how many people were in the stands or how many seats Hughes Stadium held. In my mind, winning games filled the seats, and sold out stadiums were where I wanted to play my college football.

HUGHES STADIUM: CSU fan's tailgate features a lot of green and gold

As it turns out, Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium had all the grit, character and panache that so well defined Colorado State University football during that era. Dirt parking lots, classic cement staircases and the iconic “A” painted vivid white in the foothills are all burned into my mind. It was in 2001 on that beautiful grass field, where I first realized how special it was to be a CSU Ram. Even though my style was unorthodox, semi-awkward and, at times, controversial, CSU fans piled into Hughes Stadium every game night to show their support and root on their Rams.

Now that my playing days are far gone, I am left with only vivid memories of my time at Hughes Stadium. Looking back, I often wonder what are my best memories on our home field? Was it the smiling faces from young fans as I brought them down on the field after the games? Or was it the sold-out Thursday night games that aired on ESPN? Maybe it's the teammates, mentors, coaches and friends that I made during my brief time in Fort Collins.

All of these are great memories, but my best memories of Hughes Stadium are the faces of all the CSU fans as I looked into the crowd during home games. Because, in my world, a stadium is nothing without its fans.

I’m forever grateful.

Van Pelt was a CSU quarterback from 2001-03 and the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003.