Like many people around this time of year, I find myself reflecting. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are times when memories are easily traceable: “Where was I five years ago today?” “Where was I 10 years ago today, and what’s changed?”

Every New Year’s Day for the past 10 years, I’ve made sure to give myself 10 minutes to sit in peace and remember where I was, who I was with and what made that day so special on January 1, 2008.

The Lead Up: A Football Season Unlike Any Other

I was a bright-eyed, out-of-state, excited and confident 18-year old freshman when I arrived on the campus of the University of Illinois in August 2007.