PHOTO BY BREEHAN YOHE-MELLOR. Cal Poly football fans wearing “Throw it to Ramses” T-shirts cheer during the Mustangs’ 49-3 win over North Carolina Central on Saturday.
At Saturday night’s Cal Poly football homecoming game, North Carolina Central probably wished it could go home – and not just because of Cal Poly’s 49-3 win.
Directly above the Eagles’ sideline, about 25 Cal Poly supporters stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the student section, their voices loud, their thunder sticks clapping mightily and their green T-shirts adorned with yellow lettering proclaiming “Throw it to Ramses.”
As one of the loudest sections in Alex G. Spanos Stadium, the group chanted encouraging cheers in unison for All-American senior receiver and NFL Draft hopeful Ramses Barden and his teammates.
Architecture senior Thomas Reichert decided that starting this football season, he wanted to make a few shirts for himself and about 20 of his football-loving friends.
“I actually decided to make them because ever since me and all my friends watched the game since freshman year, we’ve been saying, ‘Throw it to Ramses,’ ” Reichert said. “He’s the best damn receiver in college football, period.”
By the Oct. 4 game against South Dakota, Reichert had the shirts made. Little did he know how popular they would become.
“We had about eight to 10 of us who were guaranteed to buy the shirts,” said Nate Jones, a mechanical engineering senior and friend of Reichert. “But he figured since it was going to be the same price for 20, he might as well get (them), and we just went to the game, and I think we got to the game an hour-and-a-half before, and within an hour before the game, he had sold off the remaining 10 or so.”
Since then, Reichert has sold about 50 of the shirts. He’s tried to get an extra-large for Musty, the school’s mascot, and has even been in tentative talks with El Corral Bookstore to sell the shirts there, as well.
During the homecoming game, Reichert stopped cheering long enough to talk to several people who came by to ask for shirts. Although it’s become a business of sorts for him, Reichert said profit was never the incentive for making the $15 apparel.
“I now make $3 a shirt, but it really wasn’t to make money,” he said. “It just started off to be for just me and my friends, just because it’s fun and exciting to get out there and cheer for our football team.”
Although Micheal Leahy graduated in June 2008 with a degree in economics, he drove four hours from his home in Orange County just to watch the game, and proudly wore his “Throw it to Ramses” shirt.
“I went here for five years and just to see so many more students involved in watching sports is awesome,” Leahy said. “This isn’t organized by the school or anything; it’s just students who wanted to. I think that’s really neat.”
Recreation junior Taylor Schenton lifted his sweater to display his shirt to the group, which pointed and cheered.
“Cal Poly football is Ramses Barden,” Schenton said. “You’ve got to love the ‘Throw it to Ramses’ T-shirts because you know that when it’s coming to a third down or something like that, it’s going to Ramses, so it’s the perfect phrase.”
Barden, who was projected as a fifth-round pick by the NFL advisory committee when he considered declaring his draft eligibility after last season, has caught 49 passes for 996 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
With his first of two touchdown catches Saturday, he tied Jerry Rice’s Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) record of 17 consecutive games with a scoring reception.
After eight games, the Mustangs (7-1), ranked third in the FCS coaches and media polls, are leading the subdivision in both points (45.9) and yards (490.1) per game.
Through it all, Cal Poly fans have bonded, architecture senior Megan Ackerson said.
“Even though I may not know the 10,000 people that come together in the stadium, when they see the shirts, they’re like, ‘Hey, go!’ ” she said. “It’s like they’re your best friends. It’s pretty cool.”
Reichert said shirts will be available at this weekend’s game against UC Davis, and perhaps for a long time to come.
“After that, I’m going to the NFL with the Ramses shirts,” he said. “As long as he keeps playing, I’ll keep making them.”