How One Fan Has Inspired the Colorado Football Team

By Jace Hinton November 06, 2024 10:10

Photo by AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Boulder, CO—At 99 years old, she has seen every era of the Buffs, from McCartney to Barnett and Neuheisal, MacIntyre, and now Coach Prime. Peggy Coppom has always been there cheering on the Buffaloes in not just football but every sport, along with her twin sister Betty. However, since Betty passed away, Peggy has been there, and Coach Prime had one goal, and that was to get Peggy to a bowl game because she has been through it all.

Peggy and her twin sister Betty Coppom were born on November 19, 1924. The Boulder natives started going to games when they were teenagers. In the last row of section 104, the twins had been at every game, even through marriage and motherhood. Waving those yellow pom poms, the twins became an iconic tandem in Boulder. Everyone who knew Colorado football knew of the Coppom Twins.

"Betty and I said we would never leave those kids alone on that field," Peggy said in an interview with College Gameday when the Gameday Crew came to Boulder, and she never has.

For 95 years, the twins were a duo, but then, in August 2020, Betty passed away at the age of 95. The university did something to honor the twins: They placed a plaque with a picture of the twins on the section of campus outside of Folsom Field, where the team does their legendary "Buff Walk" before games. Peggy told her sister in prayer, "I am doing the best I can down here (to cheer on the team)."

After a 1-11 season, Colorado made the coaching change and hired Coach Prime. On January 27, 2023, Colorado Athletic Director Rick George took Coach Prime on a drive to meet the Buffaloes' biggest fan and support, Ms.Peggy. "I never would have dreamed one man could bring this much excitement," Peggy said in the interview with College Gameday when asked what it has been like to have Coach Prime in Boulder.

Since coming to Boulder, Coach Prime has brought Peggy on the field to kick off the spring game; in the locker room, to celebrate a victory gave her a game ball, and she even signed a NIL deal with Blenders, and they made sunglasses sleeve with a picture of her on them, but that was the final goal for Coach Prime. Coach Prime had told his team they want to dominate and go as far as they can, obviously all teams are attempting to make the 12 team playoff, and while the buffs are in the hunt Coach Prime had one goal. GET PEGGY TO A BOWL GAME. The buffs have done just that and are not satisfied as they look to continue their phenomenal season, and after their win two weeks ago against Cincinnati, there was only one thing left to do. Tell Peggy she was going bowling. Peggy had been sick with COVID-19, but Coach Prime and the Buffs called Peggy from the locker room to let her know she was going bowling.

Peggy has been through all the hurt that Buffs fans have felt in the past 20 years, and now she can finally celebrate. Peggy's Buffaloes are on the road this week to take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech, so she will not be in attendance, but she will be watching from her Boulder home at 4 PM EST on Fox.