There are certain Glen Rose traditions that don’t need much of an introduction anymore. The Jr. Tiger Football Program is one of them. This year’s kickoff may have looked a little different. Instead of the traditional reveal at the golf course, I had the privilege of setting up what I’ll unapologetically call the greatest Tiger Tunnel in Texas right there on the track at Tiger Stadium. And while the setting changed, the reason everyone was there certainly didn’t. Because the Jr. Tiger Program has never really been about the reveal, the jersey, the pictures or even football. It’s about who is wearing that jersey, and who is watching him wear it. Years ago, Tracie Hansen started this program with a pretty simple idea: pair young Tigers with varsity football players and give those kids somebody to look up to. What has happened since then is much bigger than that. Every year, another group of kids gets paired with the guys they already think are ten feet tall. These are the players they watch underneath the Friday night lights. The names they hear over the speakers. The guys they see running through the tunnel. To a little kid wearing Tiger red, these aren't just high school football players. They're their guys. And suddenly one of those varsity Tigers knows his name. He talks to him. Takes a picture with him. Signs something for him. Sees him at a game and gives him a fist bump. Those little moments matter. But here is what I think sometimes gets overlooked about this program: The Jr. Tigers aren't the only ones being impacted. There is something powerful about a 17- or 18-year-old young man realizing that somebody is watching him. Really watching him. A little boy or girl doesn't care how many tackles you had Friday night. He doesn't know your Hudl stats. He probably doesn't care what college is recruiting you. He cares that you're his Tiger. And with that comes a responsibility that these varsity players may not completely understand when the season begins. Somewhere in the stands is a kid wearing your number. Somewhere around town is a little boy telling his friends who his player is. That's a pretty big deal. And over the years, there have been so many stories come out of this program that could probably fill an entire newspaper by themselves. Relationships have formed that lasted far beyond one football season. Young Tigers have grown up still remembering the player they were paired with. And varsity players have learned that being a role model has very little to do with what happens between the sidelines. That's the beauty of what Tracie started. Once again, Marilyn Phillips' generosity was all over this year's program. Marilyn has supported the Jr. Tigers for years, but I'll admit the sponsorship hits a little differently this time around. Marilyn and Tracie have now joined forces at Sunrise Properties, and if Glen Rose didn't already know it, we've got ourselves a pretty dynamic duo. One created a program that has connected generations of Glen Rose Tigers. The other has continually stepped up to help make sure it keeps happening. Now they're on the same team. I'd say that's a pretty good pairing itself. Of course, all of the sentimental stuff doesn't change one undeniable fact about this year's kickoff: It was HOT. Not "Texas is warm in August" hot. I'm talking miserable, dog-days-of-summer, why-in-the-world-are-we-standing-on-a-track hot. So I couldn't help myself. If we're going to bring the greatest Tiger Tunnel in Texas out for the kids, we might as well cool them off too. Enter the Bomb Pop. Sometimes changing lives means mentorship, leadership and being a positive example for the next generation. And sometimes it means handing a sweating kid a red, white and blue popsicle before he melts onto the Tiger Stadium track. Both are important public services. The pictures from the day are great. The kids will remember posing in front of the tunnel. They'll remember getting their custom rally towels and meeting their players. Hopefully they'll even remember the Bomb Pops. But what happens after that day is what makes this program special. Now the season begins. Now those little Tigers will be looking for their guys on Friday nights. And those varsity Tigers will start noticing a little face looking back at them. That's where the real Jr. Tiger Program begins. Because football seasons eventually end. Jerseys eventually get too small. Little Tigers eventually become big Tigers. But you never really know when a handshake, a conversation, a fist bump or simply taking the time to make a kid feel important might stick with him for the rest of his life. And you never know when being looked up to by that little kid might change something inside the older one, too. That's why this program matters. Here's to another season of Jr. Tigers, Friday night role models, friendships, mentorship and relationships that have the opportunity to become much bigger than football. We can't wait to watch them grow.