Huskies Enjoy ‘Great Experience’ At Hall Of Fame
December 28, 2016 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Each floor of the College Football Hall of Fame offers visitors a unique, interactive experience.
Travel to the top floor of the building in downtown Atlanta and there is an exhibit that honors each member who has been enshrined. Ringing the circular room are the names of those in the Hall of Fame, etched in glass, sorted by their induction year.
Then, in the middle of the room, there are 10 augmented reality displays. It was on one of those rectangular machines that a group of Washington football players pulled up a name from the program's past: Steve Emtman.
The Huskies surfed the display, looking at his accomplishments, stats, awards and videos.
It left an impression.
"It you want to be a hall of famer, this is what you have to do," safety Budda Baker said, standing next to one of the glass panels that listed the names of the hall of famers.
The experience provided further context to the significance of the spotlight the program has stepped into as Washington prepares for Saturday's matchup with top-ranked Alabama in the Peach Bowl.
"We wouldn't have this if we didn't make it to the college football semifinal, so it's a great experience," Baker said.
When the Huskies arrived, cheers from a welcoming committee greeted them as they walked into a foyer filled with helmets. Players walked up a flight of steps and into a theater to watch a brief video before being turned loose in the museum.
Each corner of the building seemed to offer a new interactive option and Washington's players took advantage of the opportunity to learn a little about the game while mixing in some fun.
There was a virtual reality exhibit and, on a different display there was a photo taken inside Washington's locker room not long after Husky Stadium was renovated. Several players were able to find themselves in the image
Once Washington toured the Hall of Fame, the Huskies joined Alabama for a team welcome dinner inside the venue to cap another day in Atlanta.
"This was a big history lesson, learning about all the past players, the greats," said senior Brandon Beaver after looking up Ronnie Lott in the Hall of Fame. "This is good. We get to appreciate it a little bit more, take it all in."
Beaver has been busy since he arrived with his teammates. He was selected as the Washington player to be interviewed by CNN after Tuesday's trip to Ebenezer Baptist Church.
"It was crazy," he said. "I didn't realize how big it (the interview) was until I looked at his badge. I'm appreciative I got to do that for my team."
Each day so far has presented a unique experience for the team. The history lessons of the past two helped add a little extra depth to the fun and football.
"We get to mix in the experience with practice and the fun events we do," Beaver said. "It's good we're doing all of these things. The balance has been great. That's what we need to stay focused, get ready for Saturday."
