The first time Jalin Conyers put on the Texas Tech scarlet and black was the most nervous he’s ever been for a football game. Forget the 60,229 screaming fans in attendance for Tech’s season opener against Abilene Christian; Conyers had 40 of his friends and family members there specifically for him.

His grandfather, Colin Locke, was among them. Conyers’ ‘Pops’ was a lifelong Texas Tech fan who used to scour Seat Geek for last-minute deals to football games that he could take his grandson to. Since every fan stood the entire game, Pops used to hoist Conyers onto his shoulders to see over them. When he got tired, Conyers would stand on the stadium chair. 

He and Pops were seated in the middle of the North End Zone where Michael Crabtree scored a game-winning touchdown against No. 1-ranked Texas in 2008.

“Since he was in diapers, he had a Texas Tech jersey on,” Pops said.

Now Conyers, a college senior, was playing on the Jones AT&T Stadium turf he used to watch his heroes on. At that moment, this grown man was again the kid on his grandfather’s shoulders.

“I can’t tell you how many times he walked up to me before the game started and said, ‘Man, how awesome is this? Look at this place. This is something I dreamed of my whole life,’” Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley said.

Saturday’s Big 12 opener against Arizona State, where Conyers spent two years of his career, is not a revenge game. He’s thankful for his time in Tempe and still has friends there. Conyers decided to leave because he had to return home. 

“Football can end in a second,” Conyers said. “If it was going to end next Saturday, I want to be playing in front of my family, friends and everyone who supported me through high school.”