SAGINAW -- If you've played SVSU football in the past 15 years, you know Ted Hackenberg.
Call him a super fan, call him a father figure, either way, the Cardinals are happy to have him.
Ted Hackenberg doesn't just know their names, he knows their stories.
And if he doesn't, he makes a point to find out about you the next time.
You could call Ted Hackenberg SVSU's biggest fan, but the guys call him something else.
"I call him Triple-OG," Cardinals Junior Safety Jon Bryant said. "It’s what I call my Grandpa, it’s a respect thing."
Most guys see Hackenberg as a father figure.
"Ted’s a great guy, I’ve known him since my freshman year, he’s always there with a welcoming hug," Senior Running back Ronnie Lark said.
"He’s a great guy," Four-year Player Tevon Conrad said. "He shakes our hands, he like a father for guys."
"It’s great to have Ted out here," SVSU Head Coach Jim Collins said. "Everyday he puts a smile on your face when you come on to the field."
Hackenberg has been coming to SVSU practices regularly for years. It's a tradition he and his wife, Ann, both Cardinals season ticket holders, started in the mid 1990s.
"Some of these kids are far from home, some are from Florida and other states, and they don't have anyone here," Hackenberg said. "So we started this so they always have someone here for them to pat them on the back and say 'good game.'"
Hackenberg and his wife also invited players to their home for dinners and holidays on occasion.
It's something they've done for years, so when Ann passed away in June, the Cardinals family was there for Ted. The football staff and players planned a memorial service for Ann on campus in August.
"The support has been miraculous," Hackenberg said.
It's what a family does, support each other.
Ted, has no plans to stop supporting his favorite team any time soon.
"[Ann] would be mad if I did," he said. "Plus, I’d miss them too much anyway."
The Cardinals are 5-1, heading into a nationally-televised game with Wayne State on Thursday.
