• Florida A&M football defeated Texas Southern 52-28 to extend its 23-game winning streak at Bragg Memorial Stadium on its homecoming.
• Thousands of FAMU alumni celebrated life and friendship.
• Watch now to hear alumni share why reunion means so much to them.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

A big FAMU win on the biggest FAMU day of the season

I’m Alberto Camargo, your local college reporter.

Homecoming on the Hill is always more than just the game on the field, I ask Rattlers what the big picture is. what this weekend means to them and what it does for them.

FAMU claims to have graduated more than 75,000 alumni in its history.

And when you look at scenes like this, it makes you think that all 75,000 people were in Tallahassee on Saturday.

Turn a day at Bragg Memorial Stadium into a party.

Outside the stadium, the party continued after the match ended.

That’s where I met Thomas Dow and asked him about the message on his T-shirt.

“The t-shirt says FAMU changed my life. FAMU changed my life because FAMU gave me the opportunity to meet people I probably never would have met and who became lifelong friends.

Thomas says he wouldn’t miss a trip home for anything.

Especially when the ability to monitor your friends is not guaranteed.

“Life isn’t promised to anyone. We just lost someone last week, one of our classmates. Something tragic happened and I just wanted to come see everyone.”

For other Rattlers I’ve spoken with, coming home is something they plan their downfall around.

A weekend escape.

“It really restores you. When you come home, it gives you that sense of purpose that you needed, that push that you needed to thrive, and it’s so fulfilling.”

“It’s more than just a party. It’s all about restoration, reunion, redemption. We can relax, have fun and go back to slaying dragons on Monday.”

And yes, there was also a football match!

The Rattlers beat Texas Southern 52-28 to continue their 23-game winning streak at Bragg.

The reunion was also a day of giving. The FAMU Foundation announced more than $26 million in contributions last fiscal year.

At FAMU, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.