SEC Football Media Days kicks off in Hoover

By Ken Rogers

Published: July 23, 2008

The SEC Media Days summed up in one word: humbling.
I went through the steps to acquire a credential into this massive preseason event—retinal scan, DNA profile, three-page essay on why I think the league is superior to the Big 12—and got that little head rush when I was approved.
And then a stroll through the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover deflates the ego a bit. Hundreds of print and broadcast professionals on site, looking for a creative way to tell the same stories.
Hey, I’m not complaining. Twenty-four years out of college and I still get excited about talking to the Heisman Trophy winner or the SEC commissioner. I wouldn’t trade jobs with many folks this week. And neither would hundreds of my colleagues, eager to pick up this year’s media guides and goody bags.
I used to wonder how a coach could get excited each and every season, how the “newness” never fades.
But the atmosphere at functions like this, or alumni association meetings, where coaches interact with fans, has to be rejuvenating. The enthusiasm that surrounds college football on the eve of another season is like a cool breeze on a hot day. It doesn’t get old.
Besides, everybody’s undefeated at this point.