Meet Liz Honey – Arkansas Razorback Super Fan

Sep 20, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks fans cheer during the second half of a game against the Northern Illinois University Huskies at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas defeated NIU 52-14. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports

One of the things I love about college football is the passion of the fans. Fans love their schools and their teams, and many find unique and creative ways to show that support. Some of those fans are quite colorful and entertaining. Today, I’d like to introduce you to an Arkansas Razorback fan, who found out the hard way how quickly the internet can turn an unknown fan into an overnight sensation, and how unwelcome that newfound fame can become.

2012 was a rough year for Arkansas football. Hopes were high following a very successful 2011 season, but an affair with a football program employee cost Coach Bobby Petrino his job during spring practice.  Then, under interim coach John L. Smith, the Razorbacks suffered an embarrassing loss to Louisiana-Monroe in the second game of the season.

Predictably, there was a meltdown in Razorback nation. Fans were criticizing the coach, the players, the AD and themselves. And in the small community of Nashville, Arkansas, a Razorback fan named Liz decided it was time to let the team know she was behind them.

Liz put on her Hog hat, taped up her nose, sat down in front of her computer and recorded a video, singing a karaoke version of the song “United We Stand” which she titled “Razorbacks United We Stand.”

I asked her about making that video..

"I uploaded the video to You Tube on Sunday night. I didn’t tell anyone and basically forgot about it. I worked all day Monday and hadn’t given it a second thought.  A friend sent me a text at 4 pm and said ‘I guess you know your video is trending on Yahoo’."

Liz wasn’t sure what that meant, so her friend directed her to her Yahoo front page, where she discovered twelve pages of sites that had downloaded the video. “I panicked,” Liz said. “I thought my career was ruined.”

Liz (she asked me to withhold her last name) is also known as LizHoney or @lizhoney2u on Twitter. She grew up in Nashville, Arkansas, a small community of 5,000 in southwest Arkansas, and she serves as the town clerk.  She attended U of A Community College in Hope and she’s been a Razorback fan her entire life.

She was totally surprised and unprepared for the attention that came her way after the video went viral.

"The next morning it was all over the news."

TV stations from Fayetteville and Little Rock wanted her to come and sing on their morning TV shows, but Liz said no.

"I work, and I’m not trying to promote myself."

Suddenly the emails began pouring in, as did the phone calls. There were cards, handmade gifts and Razorback paraphernalia.  One MSU fan even sent her a scarf as a gift.  But as one might expect, not all of the feedback she received was positive.

“Haters hate hard”, she told me. One person told her that her Mother probably wishes she had never been born.

"The most hurtful thing is when a Razorback fan says I’m an embarrassment to the state of Arkansas."

In fact, it was reading about the haters in an online article about Liz that first got my attention and motivated me to reach out to her for this article.

"I’ve probably lost a bit of credibility. I am in politics."

But she says she’s not worried about that now because, as she puts it, “I know who I am.” In spite of the negatives, Liz loves the new friends she’s made online from other SEC schools and across the nation.

"My favorite thing about college football, other than the game itself, is the rivalries between the schools. I can honestly say that I don’t have a strong dislike for any school or coach.  I’ve come to realize that we’re all the same other than the uniforms and state boundary lines.  We all hate losing and love winning."

Liz is fiercely loyal to her Razorbacks. And while she enjoys the smack talk between fans, she draws the line when the talk crosses over to players and coaches.

"I don’t tolerate anyone badmouthing our coach, his wife or our players."

And what’s her favorite football road trip?

"The four hour drive to Fayetteville, especially this time of year. U of A sits atop the Ozark Mountains. Closer to heaven."

And what’s the deal about taping up your nose that’s become of trademark of your videos?

"I’ve made my pig face all my life. But I always used my finger to push it up, to be funny in a picture. I used tape one day at work and liked it."

And what does her husband think about all this?

"My husband is quiet and not opinionated, so he hasn’t said much about it. But he likes to tell waiters who I am!"

Naturally, Liz will be pulling for the Razorbacks Saturday night. But she says she’s happy for the success that Mississippi State has enjoyed this season and she’ll be pulling for the Bulldogs after Saturday’s game is over.

"My favorite people are from Mississippi. Everyone there is very nice."

And so are you, Liz. Fans like you are what make college football so enjoyable.