School of Law wins fifth-annual Turkey Bowl

Students in both seminary and law school took to the field at Williams Stadium to raise funds for the Liberty Godparent Home

Routes were run, passes thrown and whistles blown at Williams Stadium Saturday, Oct. 27. Men and women donned in red and blue T-shirts lined up against each other on the gridiron, fighting for the Turkey Bowl title to see which team would emerge as victors — seminary students or law students.

With all profits benefitting the Liberty Godparent Home, Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary and School of Law students took the field in a game of flag football to compete for a trophy and bragging rights.

Entering this year’s contest, the series was 2-2 overall. The School of Law won in 2011, and while seminary students looked to have the trophy returned to their halls, they fell short. The law students won 26-6.

“It was good to see the law school take the lead in the series, 3-2,” law student James Johnson said of his team’s victory.

The event raised more than $600 during the night and will continue to raise more through the week from various donations, Turkey Bowl organizer Melissa Smith said.

“Although it was nice to see the law school get the win, it was actually the Liberty Godparent Home that won,” undergraduate student and spectator Josh Gummo said.

Working around the Flames football schedule, the event was put together by the School of Law and seminary students so that the graduate students had the opportunity to play under the lights at Williams Stadium.

“We both put it on together,” Smith said. “It’s a big thing. We put posters in the law school, and the law school put fun trash-talking signs (in our halls) to get everyone pumped up. I just think it’s a fun thing for a good cause.”

Humor from the game’s announcers included input such as, “There’s a lot of negotiating and a bit of preaching,” and “I have no idea what the penalty was. I can’t even see from up here.”

However, the players took the game seriously, running routes before the game and executing passes mirroring a legitimate game.

According to Smith, the players had been practicing the entire month
of October.

“I think the players take it more seriously than anyone else does,” Smith said.

The event drew a sizeable crowd, with rows of bleachers filled with players’ families and fans — including Dr. Elmer Towns. After the game, spectators took part in a chili tasting, sampling different concoctions that people had submitted to a chili cook-off contest earlier in the day.

Overall, the event was “a good way to bring people together,” Smith said.

“Because we’re both grad schools … especially the students who come from other undergrad (universities), it’s a good way to gather together and have that community,” Smith said.

Beyond the $2 admission fee to raise money for the Godparent Home, shirts were sold for $10.