“I didn’t have a choice,” said the Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun, whose preference for Oregon State while growing up was preordained by his parents and proximity. “My mom and dad went to high school about eight miles from the (Oregon State) campus. My dad’s been to well over 200 Oregon State football games and every one of their spring games. My mom currently lives maybe a half mile — literally five blocks — from the stadium.
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The way Troy Calhoun describes it, he grew up in Roseburg, Ore., with something of an arranged marriage when it comes to the college football team he supported.
“I didn’t have a choice,” said the Air Force football coach, whose preference for Oregon State while growing up was preordained by his parents and proximity. “My mom and dad went to high school about eight miles from the (Oregon State) campus. My dad’s been to well over 200 Oregon State football games and every one of their spring games. My mom currently lives maybe a half mile — literally five blocks — from the stadium.
“That was forced knowledge.”
Calhoun was born in McMinnville, Ore., about an hour north of Oregon State’s Corvallis campus. The family moved to Roseburg, about two hours south of Corvallis, when he was 3.
His head coach in high school, Thurman Bell, was a member of Oregon State’s 1964 Rose Bowl team — the last time the Beavers made it to the Rose Bowl. Bell coached at Roseburg from 1971 to 2015 and had a record of 332-154-1, which is second in Oregon prep football history. Calhoun graduated from Roseburg High in 1985.
Calhoun didn’t attend college in his home state, instead opting for the Air Force Academy as part of the 1989 graduating class. In fact, it was his mother, Joan, an emergency room nurse, who more or less made that decision as well.
“My mom pretty much said, ‘There isn’t a choice to be made here. You’re going to the Air Force Academy,’ ” Calhoun said
His younger sister, Callie, followed suit, running track and graduating from Air Force in 1991 and earning six individual NCAA titles in cross country and track and field.
So the Calhouns have extensive history with both schools, yet Air Force has never faced Oregon State.
That will change at 1:30 p.m. Saturday when the Falcons (2-7) host the Beavers (4-5) in the final home game of the season.
Calhoun’s family may have a strong allegiance to Oregon State, but he knows Air Force will have their full support this week.
“They will,” he said. “Blood runs thick.”
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