Colorado State University Athletics
Schafer, Wife, Have 50 Years of Fond Memories
7/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 9, 2007
When Colorado State University faces Cal in the team's first home game Sept. 8, the Rams will be wearing "throwback" jersey tops and helmets.
Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk announced last month the throwback attire to honor the 50th anniversary of the school's name and mascot change to its current form. Before that time, the school was known as the Colorado A&M Aggies.
Darrel Schafer no doubt remembers the original uniforms worn by the Rams in 1957.
Schafer, a native of Wray, Colo., enrolled at CSU in 1957 and four years later earned his bachelor's degree in Vocational Agriculture. Schafer, now retired and living in Fort Collins along with his wife, Rita, has been a football season ticket holder for 50 years.
For 30 years, he was a CSU employee, working for the extension service in various Colorado counties. Though his employment moved him from location to location, one thing never changed.
"Many of those years, we lived up to 150 miles from Fort Collins," Schafer said. "Holyoke. Woodland Park. Castle Rock. But we always managed to drive to Fort Collins for the games."
Schafer has many vivid memories of Rams games through the years. But he counts CSU's win over Oregon in the 1990 Freedom Bowl among his best.
"We had not played in a bowl game for so long, it was a thrill for all of us. We had a great time, and the game was so exciting," he said of the 32-31 CSU victory. "It was an absolute thrill when we won that game."
Schafer's passion has spread to the rest of his family as well. Through the years, their grown children and spouses along with Schafer's grandchildren regularly attend games.
Schafer makes no secret of his love for CSU athletics.
"Anything that is good for CSU, I'm for it," he said. "I'm a dyed-in-the-wool CSU Ram fan."
