VALDOSTA — Riley Howard and his wife, Jenny, got to Valdosta State University’s P.E. Complex early.

“We’re football fans, oh, yeah,” he said. “I was here when they started the program.”

The Howards were among hundreds of people who attended a blowout celebration for VSU’s football team Thursday. Amidst lights, music and smoke machines, the Blazer Nation cheered on the team that won its fourth NCAA Division II national championship in 14 years on Dec. 15 with a 49-47 win over Ferris State.

Riley Howard is retired from VSU, having taught biology, anatomy and physiology at the university in the 1990s.

“We got married, and my wife became an avid fan,” he said. “We’ve been to just about every home game.”

Jenny Howard said she attended Valdosta High School, “where you just about have to be a football fan,” and graduated from Valdosta State “before they had football.” 

Her Blazers fandom even extends to making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the team once a week.

The Howards are “proud sponsors of the athletic program” and members of the team’s booster club, Riley said. The couple have held Blazers season tickets since 2005.

As a band played and fans waited for the team to make a victory march into the complex, Jenny Howard waved a big Valdosta State foam hand.

“I really want to see Kenny Moore,” she said, referring to the former Lowndes High School Viking and VSU Blazer who went on to play professional football with the Indianapolis Colts. Moore was on hand Thursday at the big victory party.

At 6 p.m., the wait was over, as the lights dimmed, music blared, game footage videos played on large screens and the university’s football heroes entered the complex.

Blazer supporters had a chance to get autographs from the players and to buy VSU football merchandise.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.