CFB Travel Guy

Honoring the life of a tailgating extraordinaire who left us too soon

Two weeks ago, I got the kind of call everyone dreads. The kind of call that stops you in your tracks. The kind of call you never forget.

Only 12 hours and a night of sleep after texting with one of my closest friends about potential plans to attend the Egg Bowl together on Thanksgiving night, his name lit up on my phone. He’s not usually one to call when a simple text will do, so I assumed it was big news.

I picked it up excitedly, hoping and even anticipating that he was calling to tell me his wife had given the green-light to the previous night’s discussion and to assess whether we had the logistics in place for his brothers-in-law to join us. I could immediately tell from the sound of his voice that wouldn’t be the case.

That’s when he hit me with the devastating news: his sister Lindsay, also a longtime friend and one of the most ardent supporters of my college football journey, had passed away unexpectedly in her sleep.

I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say.

I still don’t know what to say.

But over the past couple of weeks, as I reflected back on Lindsay’s life, our friendship, and the moments we shared together, I realized how many of my fondest memories with her were spent hosting tailgates with her family at the University of Florida. Her love of Gator football and socializing with her friends was infectious. The excitement she brought — frequently along with impeccably decorated UF-themed cookies and other delectable snacks — was palpable. There was very little she loved more than tailgating with friends and family before a big game.

Even on the one weekend I typically took off from hosting, the annual Cocktail Party against Georgia in her hometown of Jacksonville, her family would set up a small tailgate as a central meeting point for everyone to gather. That’s where I first met her future husband, a proud Tennessee grad she met in Birmingham during PA school.

In what now seems like a blur, Lindsay married that strapping Tennessee grad, bore a couple of beautiful baby girls, and transformed into the kind of Tailgate Mom she always seemed destined to become.

Not long before Lindsay passed, I posted a request for feedback on my Instagram Story, hoping that my early followers would give me some tips on which content they enjoyed, which stuff didn’t really land, and ideas for potential content I may be missing. Unsurprisingly, Lindsay was one of the very first to respond.

Her request: more cheerleaders! (Imagine more exclamation points and a string of emojis)

While I took her recommendation under advisement, I was like, “Look, Linds … if you know a way for a single guy over 30 to get exclusive content with college cheerleaders without coming across as a total creep, I’m all ears.”

We shared a laugh, but I understand now where Lindsay was coming from, because that’s what she was: a cheerleader, both literally as a competition cheerleader when she was younger, but also in the way she treated those around her. She was an encourager, someone who actively rooted for the dreams of her friends and family to come true. She was the kind of person you always knew would have your back, the kind who genuinely celebrated the success of others.

So because of Lindsay, because of her family, because of her tremendous impact on the people around her (myself included), and because of her love for a good college football tailgate, I’m honored to introduce the Lindsay S. Memorial Tailgater of the Week Award to both recognize the people who provide incredible hospitality during my travels and remember a friend & world-class tailgater who left us too soon.

Moving forward, I’m going to do my best to highlight the gracious hosts who pour their hearts into the love of college football we all share, knowing that in some small way, it’s reflective of the joy Lindsay brought to a tailgate tent.