This was not the tunnel that James Clifford was used to. The tunnel where the ceilings were low and the walls paid tribute to bowl games dating back to the 1930s. The tunnel where thousands of University of Washington football players discovered, then rediscovered, their program’s storied legacy with every step towards the bright lights. The tunnel where Clifford, and many before him and many after him, felt safe among their brotherhood.
This was not that tunnel.
When Clifford looked up, he didn’t see low ceilings. He saw a giant gold “W” against a purple backdrop. When he looked to his sides, he didn’t see bowl game posters.