As the clock ticked down and FIU players and staff finished making their way off of the field at M.M Roberts Stadium, a security staffer slammed shut a fence barricading the general public from the Panthers’ locker room.
The moment not only closed the door on the 2021 season — it signified the start of new beginnings, the ending of careers and an impending uncertainty that comes with a regime change.
Several players refused to enter the dressing room in the immediate aftermath, instead, embracing position coaches and staffers with the realization that Hattiesburg, Miss could serve as the final time they would see each other in this capacity.