Whether FAMU or HU, Celebration Bowl is all about family

For Theresa Davis, a 1974 graduate of FAMU, being at the Celebration Bowl wasn’t just like being with family, it was literally being with family.

The Miami native’s father was also a graduate of FAMU as was her daughter, Zandra Davis-Taylor of Atlanta, who graduated in 2004.

“We love the HBCU experience. When I went to FAMU the professors and everybody were so wanting you to succeed … it was that nurturing part for me,” Theresa Davis said as the grill was heating up and a screened tent waited to be filled with other family members who were also attending the game.

Davis recalled her parents taking her to the Orange Blossom Classic in Miami, an event founded in 1933 by the son of FAMU’s president. The inaugural game featured a matchup between FAMU and Howard (FAMU won 9-0). The Classic ended in 1978 and took a 43-year hiatus before it returned in 2021.

The Celebration Bowl was founded in 2015 to carry on that same tradition of HBCU classics. Saturday’s game was the first Celebration Bowl appearance for both Howard and FAMU.

Davis-Taylor bought 15 tickets to the game weeks ago, even before she knew FAMU would be playing, and put her family on notice that she expected them to show up. As soon as the youth in her family hit their pre-teen years, she takes them to games on the FAMU campus, buys them t-shirts and introduces them to the culture, pageantry, and community of the HBCU game experience and FAMU.

Like many fans, Davis-Taylor said she enjoys the football but specifically loves to see the marching band. “Most people are tied to FAMU because of the Marching 100,” she said, “Even when our football game wasn’t good, people still came to the game because they wanted to go to the half-time show.”

Paraphernalia or at least school colors were pretty much a requisite at the game, and neither school disappointed on Saturday.

Cherlyn Maeweather, of Pelham, wore orange and green head-to-toe, including Crocs she designed with orange crystals, green soles and FAMU-themed jibbitz. She also wore custom made jeans designed by a friend with “Florida A&M” on one leg and “Rattlers, FAMU” and the school crest on the other.

A custom-made jersey was the clothing of choice for Richie Ilarraza, who was attending the game in support of his son, Richie Ilarraza, a junior from Clearwater, Fla., a wide receiver for the Howard Bisons.

The elder Ilarraza attended the game with his wife, pastor, best friend and his son’s best friend, some of whom also wore blue Howard jerseys with “Ilarraza” on the back.

“It has been a great year for them,” said Ilarraza of the team. “This is their second MEAC championship.” While he said it was a blessing to come watch his son playing for Howard, he also felt it was meaningful for his son to get an education at the famed HBCU. “The education is first and for him to get a degree from Howard is a blessing,” he said.

Xiomara Okonkwo, Howard University class of 2009, was excited to be at the game and celebrating with old friends.

“As soon as I heard they won the MEAC championship, I bought 6 tickets. We were planning that day,” said Okonkwo who lives in Albany.

She left home at six a.m. on Saturday to meet Atlanta-based alumni as well as other alums who flew in from Detroit for tailgating.

Okonkwo, who was wearing a Howard hoodie, said she heard that vice-president Kamala Harris might be attending the game. “She should be out here,” Okonkwo said.

Though she was optimistic that Howard could win the Celebration Bowl, Okonkwo couldn’t resist one last bit of rivalry.

“Even if we lose, we win the party,” she said.