Jon Wood, of Wylie formerly of Robinson, remembers it like yesterday. His year as a freshman in the Baylor Line had come to an end. How would Jon Wood, the sophomore, enjoy Baylor games?

He'd heard about an intense group of upper-class students, called Cavemen For Christ, led by Doug Cofer. But they disbanded in the mid-1990s. Wood decided to start another student group, the Baylor Shock Troop, in 1999.

Today, even after Wood's graduation, the Shock Troop can be found in the first rows of the east side of Floyd Casey Stadium, stirring up Baylor fan support. Student Matt Wedding now leads a group of about twenty rowdy Shock Troopers. If you see them, you'll certainly remember them.

Members usually wear gold rush or special Shock Troop t-shirts, with camouflage green, gold, and black pants. Many will paint their faces, and they take turns waving a giant BU flag received as a donation from the creators of the gold rush shirt movement. They'll also have noise makers and their own creative spin on traditional Baylor yells.

For example, when the band plays the tune, "Hey Baby," Troop members sing what they coin the Fat Coach song. A former Texas Tech volleyball coach, who must have thought the song hit a bit too close to home, complained to Big 12 officials after their matches in Waco. Not all coaches dread Shock Troop attention, though. Some have learned to have fun with it.

Wood remembers a baseball series against Dallas Baptist University, in the 2001 season. The Troop had started yelling with each step the opposing coach would make to and from the dugout: grass, grass, grass, dirt, dirt, paint, etc. They would yell paint when the coach stepped onto the round painted warm up circle outside the dugout. So, when the DBU coach got near the painted circle, he'd walk around, and then wink at the students, with a big smile.

The Troop tries to focus on supporting the Baylor team in a manner consistent with Baylor's Christian mission. They look to follow the lead of the team, coaches, band, and cheerleaders, Wood explains. However, they have their moments of....well....shock. Wood is particularly curious, when they break into the fat coach song, how say a Mike Mangino from Kansas will appreciate lines like, "Hey Baby, why is your coach so fat?"

Current Shock Troop members have a goal to get athletic department approval to carry a giant BU flag onto the field for Baylor football games, similar to the group who rings the bell and sounds the air horn. However, with the struggles of the football program, the Troop has struggled with membership. That's changing this year, though, as enthusiasm on campus has reached a new high with each football victory.

For fans who want to get rowdy on the east side, the Shock Troop welcomes you. Wood says any fan, whether freshman, upper-classman, or graduate, who wants to participate just meet them in the stands. How do Shock Troop members get such great seats, you may wonder? "Nobody gives us those seats. We are one of the first into the stadium when the gates open, and we are dedicated to always be there and secure our spot."

The theme for the Shock Troop is a unified body. Want to turn your Baylor spirit up a notch? The Shock Troop sets the tone for Baylor fan support behind the opposing bench.

Talk about Jon Wood and the Shock Troop along with your favorite Baylor super fans and traditions with other Baylor fans On The Brazos.