GULF SHORES, Ala. (WPMI) It’s a Super Bowl tradition spanning almost four decades.
“We’ve been meeting every year for the past 38 years,” Charles Love told Local 15. “We haven’t missed a single year.”
Ever year, Love and more than a dozen of his college buddies travel hundreds of miles to be together for the big game.
“Whenever we’ve changed careers or switched jobs, our employer knows we need the Super Bowl off,” Love said.
Gathered in a Gulf Shores beach front rental for their 38th annual party, the group explained how the Super Bowl party is about more than just football.
They all bonded in 1975 as some of the first black student athletes at Arkansas State, breaking down racial barriers as track stars and football players.
“Back then, we were considered trailblazers,” Love said.
Their lives and careers have scattered them far and wide, from Seattle to Chattanooga, but every Super Bowl Sunday, they know exactly where they’ll be.
“It has strengthened the whole group,” Love said. “It’s a way to stay connected, keep in touch.”
Local 15 asked Love if there was any special reason they’ve gathered in Gulf Shores for the past four years.
“The weather,” Love said, laughing. “Where we’re all from, it’s winter.”
