“I can’t define it. I can’t tell someone who isn’t a cougar what it’s like. There’s something that happens at Washington State; you quietly and subtly become infected... Washington State is a passion. Being a cougar is a passion.”

That was former WSU football coach and broadcaster Jim Walden describing what it means to be a Coug in his book back in 2004. I don’t think many people could have said it better. Once you become a Coug, whether you’re a student, alum, staff member or just a fan, it’s something that’s hard to shake.

Now, WSU is putting together a project, attempting to tell the stories of Cougs everywhere and how they became part of the community. The project is called “Faces of WSU,” and they’re asking everyone to help out.

You can check out their Adobe Spark feature on their website here. Right now, there are only two stories posted, featuring former WSU football player and current staff member Tony Thompson along with communications instructor, videoboard director and all-around great guy (pardon the editorial on that last one) Kanele Rhoden. Thompson looks back at his fondest memory at WSU, while Rhoden recaps the moment he became a Coug.

We all have stories like those, and now WSU wants to here them. If you’re interested in helping out, you can head to their Google Doc form here, sign in to your account and fill it out. In addition to the examples already on the site, you can answer questions ranging from “what wasa specific moment involving any Coug Sports Team that moved you?” to “What is your definition of being a Coug?”

It’s a cool project put together by the school and, as we enter a football season that will likely look VERY different on Cougar Football Saturday, these stories will be a great way to look back and learn more about other people in our Cougar family.

Links!!

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