Joe Tessitore salutes lonely, dedicated Vanderbilt fan

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College football can be a cruel game.

On Saturday, Vanderbilt fans arrived at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville hoping the Commodores could pull off the upset against the visiting No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels. While Vanderbilt entered the game as 9.5-point underdogs, sometimes magic happens in college football. Could it possibly be one of those special days for the ‘Dores?

Reader, it was not. Vanderbilt got run out of their own building behind another stellar performance from Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. After a 28–0 run by Ole Miss in the second quarter put the score at 42–3 heading into halftime, the crowd at FirstBank Stadium understandably decided to head out and get on with the rest of their day.

But as the stadium emptied out into the streets of Nashville more and more through the second half, one lone, dedicated fan in a Vanderbilt hoodie remained in the stands. As the broadcast got into the fourth quarter, announcer Joe Tessitore saluted the fan for standing with his team through thick and thin.

“Can somebody bring that guy, like, just a blanket, or maybe a salted pretzel? Just anything,” Tessitore said. “He deserves something. That is faith right there. That is dedication.”

“Can somebody bring that guy, like, just a blanket, or maybe a salted pretzel? Just anything. He deserves something. That is faith right there. That is dedication.” – Joe Tessitore on the last remaining Vanderbilt fan in the building https://t.co/dzOmWCrYUj

Whoever that fan is, we join in Tessitore in saluting your dedication. In a way, his perseverance was rewarded with a stronger performance from the Commodores in the second half, as they wound up outscoring Ole Miss 14–10 over the final two quarters, putting the final score at 52–17.

When Vanderbilt hosts Arkansas next week in a battle of two teams looking for their first SEC win of the year, let’s hope this fan gets a better seat. He’s earned it.