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Kenyatta and Janelle Sparks are hoping for strong cell phone signals next week.
Because when they’re in the stands watching son Adam play for Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27, they’re also going to have their phones out watching a live stream of their other son, Jared, playing for Purdue at the Foster Farms Bowl.
And that’s not a scenario too many would have predicted a month ago.
Both sons were on programs that needed furious finishes to reach this point.
Jared’s Boilermakers won three of four games in November to get to 6-6 and reach bowl eligibility, and Adam’s Tigers won their final six games to scorch into the postseason at 7-5.
“It’s a tremendous blessing because that’s something they always talked about growing up,” Kenyatta said in a phone interview from Louisiana, the family’s home base, late last week. “Ideally, the talk was not just a bowl, but having a chance to play in the playoffs and playing for, possibly, the national championship. Both of the teams, having the season they had, they had a whole lot of people who probably felt like they didn’t have a shot, but one of the things we always do, we believe ’til the end.
“I told it to both of my sons, ‘Y’all are right there. Just keep practicing, keep focusing hard, stay committed to each other, stay committed to your craft because you’re right there.’ We were ecstatic to see that both of them are blessed to have the opportunity to play in a bowl game. It’s just unbelievable, man. It’s a great feeling.”
Janelle had been doing as much research as she could of the different potential destinations for each team, even booked a couple hotel rooms in Nashville in case the Music City Bowl popped. But when the family saw Purdue was going to be playing in the Bay Area and Missouri would be in Houston on the same day, that’s when the gears really started churning.
Kenyatta and Janelle considered splitting up, with one heading to Texas, the other to California.
They knew they’d have a significant presence in Houston because Janelle has several siblings, cousins and nieces and nephews who live in the area, so Adam’s game would be well-attended.
They also live near Baton Rouge, La., so from a sheer travel perspective, Houston was going to be the easier route. Flights and lodging in the Bay Area, simply, are not cost effective for most families, especially considering the timing of the bowl: It’s two days after Christmas with a short window to book travel. So not exactly the time to catch travel deals.
So, ultimately, Kenyatta and Janelle decided to both attend Adam’s game in Houston, which kicks off about 30 minutes after Jared’s starts in Santa Clara, Calif.
“Trust me, it was the hardest decision,” Janelle said late last week. “I’m still hedging. I still was like, ‘OK, I’m just going to hold out and maybe I’ll change my mind because I want to have at least one of us there.’ But Jared is really good about it. He was like, ‘When they said California, I know what that’s going to mean.’ Because it’s holidays. It’s last-minute holiday travel. And you’re talking about right at Christmas day. It was crazy. It’s a tough decision to make, and you’ve got so many different factors playing into it.”
Knowing how Jared would respond helped, actually, Kenyatta and Janelle said.
They’re proud their sons have developed into unselfish men, and one of Jared’s first responses was how happy he was Adam, a year younger, would have support at his game. If it all works out, Jared should have some extended family in the stands in Santa Clara, too, just not to the magnitude of Adam’s group. Kenyatta projected at least 40 people will be in Houston for Missouri’s game.
Though not all of them will be doing double-duty with cell-phone watching, too, there are plans for a “watch party” at one of Janelle’s brother’s houses in Houston either later that night or the next morning.
Because all the uncles and aunts and cousins know how special this is.
“It’s not like they’re at schools where they go to the bowl every year. They’re both a part of something big with their teams,” Janelle said. “But, to be honest, I wasn’t all that surprised because I just know for them — and the rest of the team seems to be exactly the same way — they want to win. So when you constantly have that drive and that mindset, you’re telling me that’s what you’re going to do. Especially after looking at the Louisville game, that first game (for Purdue), I’m like, ‘Oh, we definitely can make it to a bowl game.’ It’s amazing.
“Then (it’s) Adam’s first year and Jared’s second year of college and he’s a redshirt, so it’s his first year playing, so it is both of their first times playing and they get to experience the whole bowl game experience. And they’ve been dreaming about that kind of stuff since they’ve been little, so it’s amazing. It’s really a blessing. Our Houston family, they are so excited.”
There already are plans being made for a bus trip from Houston to West Lafayette — with a pit stop in Louisiana, of course — next season for the Purdue-Missouri rematch. Purdue won at Missouri this season with a big Sparks contingent in the stands, though Janelle joked the heat that Saturday in September “dropped us like flies,” so they hardly were bunched together at one time.
Still, sacrifices were made then, whether it was towels propped on heads, waters being guzzled, anything to allow them to be there in physical support.
Those sacrifices will be made again next week, with one son in Houston playing in front of a large group and another son in Santa Clara playing with so many cheering him on from afar.
Kenyatta and Janelle made it clear, though, when — they say when, not if — this happens again, they’ll definitely be watching Jared in person at a bowl.
For now, though ...
“How does that happen? How do you have a situation, out of all the bowls, that they’re on the same day, at roughly the same time?” Kenyatta said. “But God is good. I’m happy both of them have the opportunity. All this does is breed more championship mindset, breeds belief. It gives them confidence. Because once you get something and you know how it feels and you know how it tastes, you want it again. I think both of these coaches, at both of these universities, we’re ecstatic for both of our sons. With the situation that took course last year with the old coaching staff (at Purdue) — just think about this — to take same players and to have these kind of results so quick? Oh my gosh. Me and my wife, we’re so excited.
“We still have our closest friends and family members are like, ‘Do you realize what’s going on right now? You have two sons playing major conference football in two of the most predominant conferences.’ It really hit us hard when they played against each other. When had our moments then. But it’s still breathtaking every weekend. It’s amazing.”
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