It began late last winter with workouts and early-morning runs. The journey continued in the spring with training and more workouts and early runs.

As Winston Churchill said: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. ... You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory; victory at all costs; victory in spite of all terror; victory, however long and hard the road may be. For without victory, there is no survival."

While not as eloquent as the verse above, that is the thought of every football player who has been working hard at each college and university in Mississippi. The road from last season to this moment has been long, hard and painful, but the payoff for all that work is at hand.

Over the next two weeks, all the colleges and universities start their football seasons, and I hope each team has a successful one. I hope each team wins as many games as possible and represent itself and its universities with pride and honor on the field of play.

These teams will play from now until November and hopefully for a few beyond the regular season. Nearly everyone has allegiances to just one team in this state, but I wish each team well. I root for our Mississippi teams.

All the young men on each team have worked hard to reach this moment. They can't wait for the games to begin, like kids on Christmas Eve. The season is their Christmas morning, and the games they win are the presents.

Good luck to each and every college and university this season. I hope you all have memorable, wonderful and winning seasons.

The JFP also sends our condolences to the family of Jackson Prep student Walker Wilbanks, whose too-short life was cut short on the football field playing the game he loved. There are no words for such a loss; we offer prayers to his loved ones and his Jackson Prep family as they mourn their loss.