Tales From The Tailgate: Juile Groff

Getting your student tickets and going to football games for incoming first-year students at the University of Maryland is a rite of passage. 

For Julie Groff, it was a privilege to attend the games, and she admittedly didn’t know what to expect when she went to her first one. 

One thing she didn’t expect was to start an over 40-year long love affair with the Maryland football team. 

“It all started back when I was a freshman in 1979,” Groff said. “Going to the games, seeing all the people, all the energy, it was amazing. There was nothing like a Maryland football game back then, and there’s still nothing like a Maryland football game now.”

Groff is a fan of all Maryland sports teams and went to as many games as she could during her four years as a student, whether field hockey, basketball, or soccer, but none of them could compare to football’s gravitas, especially in football that era.

Maryland football always has a special aura, especially during Groff’s years in school from 1979-83. Those were the years when star quarterback Boomer Esiason was on the team and led the team to victories on Saturday before he moved on to the NFL.

Being at the school at the same time that arguably the best quarterback in school history was commanding the Terps offense a perk, but living next to the star players made it that much better. 

“I actually lived right next to Boomer; our dorms were right next to each other,” Groff said. “It was so cool just to see him and other players all the time and become friends with them. They were just normal guys in college but then on Saturday’s they were these amazing football players.”

The love for Maryland football and the school didn’t wain after she graduated as Groff still went to games and events, and when she had her own family, she instilled the Maryland Pride into her two daughters. 

When it came time to make their own decisions on where to attend college, there was only ever one choice that made any sense for them and their mother. 

“I let them pick whatever school they wanted, but I definitely nudged them towards Maryland,” Groff said with a laugh. “They were both amazing students and amazing girls and are the exact kind of people that the University wants. I’m so proud of them.”

Groff’s daughters were not only students at Maryland, but both of them decided to get in on the gameday experience by joining the University’s iconic student marching band: The Mighty Sound of Maryland. 

Before, during, and after games, the Mighty Sound of Maryland is parading around the stadium and parking lots playing their instruments for all of the fans to hear. 

Groff used to love the tailgates just for the food and fun with her friends, but they’ve taken on a much more personal feeling as she got to watch her daughters be a part of the experience. 

“I love Maryland football, but my absolute favorite thing I’ve ever seen in that stadium is watching my girls,” Groff said. “It’s truly one of the highlights of my life seeing them perform on the field.”

Groff has seen different football regimes come and go, but in the three short seasons where Locksley has been the man in charge, she’s seen a change in attitude that she loves. 

While she’s proud to be a Maryland football fan, she’s even prouder to be a part of what Locksley calls the Maryland football family. 

“One thing I love about Coach Locksley and what he’s done is the sense of family he’s bringing here,” Groff said. “He grew up a Maryland fan, so he’s one of us. He’s really embracing the alumni, the student body, and all of the fans. He knows how important it is to be a family.”

With the Maryland football family now firmly intertwined with her immediate family, Groff has seen her fandom come full circle in a way that she never thought possible.

Every single Maryland gameday will now not only be a time to gather and watch the team they love, but it’ll be a representation of the love and shared sense of community that they have together. 

“Maryland has been so good to my family,” Groff said. “I love this school, I love this team, and I can’t wait to be a part of so many more memories.”