Waking up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday doesn’t sound like fun, but when it is to watch your brother play for the Iowa Hawkeyes, it doesn’t seem so bad.

For the last four years my family and I have gotten up at the crack of dawn most Saturday mornings in the fall to get dressed, pack the car, and head to Iowa City to watch my brother, Riley McCarron, play.

Next season will be Riley’s final season in Kinnick Stadium, and we all couldn’t be more excited to see what is yet to come. It’s been a great opportunity for both him and our family to get to share in the memories that have been and continue to be made.

Before games, we find Riley on the Hawk Walk, and he finds us giving my sister and I hugs and spreading high fives and fist bumps around to the rest of the family.

After the games, we head back to Riley’s house. We’ll drop him off and hang out for a little bit. Quarterback C.J. Beathard, and wide receiver Andrew Stone are there most of the time because they all live together.

CJ and Andrew are like two more older brothers to me. They’re so down-to-earth and humble. Outside of football, they’re doing things any other college kids would do: hanging out with friends, going out to eat, studying for tests, and spending late nights in the library studying for finals.

Throughout this whole experience we’ve also made many good friends along the way. We’ve especially come close to the Beathard family. C.J. has a sister my age, Charly, that I in particular have grown really close with, along with his youngest sister, Tatum. Although I only get to see them a few times a year during football season and bowl game time, we’ve grown very close and always stay in touch.

This past Christmas, Riley wasn’t able to come home because of the Rose Bowl preparations, so the whole McCarron family made a trip down to Iowa City to celebrate together. We got a tour of the Trophy Room from Riley, and we went out to dinner. Our two little nephews came along and were mesmerized by the trophy room. They took lots of pictures and got to look at and touch all of the trophies. It was definitely a cool thing for them to get to see.

One Sunday this past winter, my sister brought her two little boys up to Iowa City for them to have a little one on one time with Riley and C.J. The boys got to see the locker room and all of the new facilities. Their favorite part? The indoor turf. They could run around in there for hours playing mini games of football each one taking turns between playing the roles of Riley and C.J.

The whole Hawkeye experience is definitely an unforgettable one. We all get to share in and make these memories. The family aspect of it all has definitely been the best part. It’s such a cool thing to get to see, and it’s been a fun ride so far. We’re all looking forward to what his final season has to hold .