Football season. The fall sport known to bring families, friends, and communities together and also incite the intense rivalries that can tear them apart. No matter the colors on your jersey, football gathers masses to sidelines in little small towns or NFL mega-stadiums. In my little corner of the Northeast the first drafts of autumn air brings excitement and anticipation as we all anxiously wait to welcome the boys of fall.

More than dive bars and back roads, little towns like the one I grew up in holds only one thing more sacred than not being too late to church on Sundays, and that is football. Football, as long as I can remember held almost a magical sense of prestige. Everyone from seasoned players to those who never oncer stepped foot on the gridiron seemed to speak in hushed tones when discussing their team. Whether it was their high school alma mater, college team, or NFL favorite, nothing matches the support and unconditional love of support of your favorite team.

Growing up, football always seemed to be at the center of the life of our small town. From going with my mom to pick up my brother and friends from two-a-days in the summer and being front and center in the stands at every game to finally being able to be under the lights playing in our high school's powderpuff tournament, no sport ever seemed to make me feel the way football did.

Football it seemed, was more than just a sport, but a way of life that taught teamwork, perseverance, and grit more than anything. Football welcomed all shapes and sizes needing a variety of talent to fill out positions on the field. Football taught me what it meant to love and believe and support against all odds and that nothing could bring you down enough that you couldn't come back from.

So let's hear it for the boys of fall. May those Friday night lights always shine brightly.