SALT LAKE CITY — Despite back-to-back trips to the conference championship game, the Utes football program has endured tragedies in recent years involving players Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan.
Certain games this season have taken on some extra emotion, with special moments for the Lowe and Jordan families when Utah beat USC back in October.
Lowe's mother treasures what's been another special season for Utah and her continued connection to the program.
“The program has been beside me since day one," said Donna Lowe Sterns.
The University of Utah football program, the athletic department, Utes fans, even total strangers, in some way they’ve all been supporting the families of the longtime friends who passed away within a year of each other.
“I mean they’re just so loving and so caring, I’ll always be a Utah fan,” Sterns said.
Lowe's mother feels the connection through her son and what he planned to achieve at Utah.
"I just knew that Aaron was going to finish school and his plans were to try to go to the NFL, and we had probably always been fans of Utah, but it wouldn’t have been this connected.
After the Utes beat USC at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Sterns, along with Jordan’s mother, Takka, received game balls after the emotional win.
"It just warms my heart," said Sterns. "I was close enough to get close to his locker. I really enjoyed the game and the helmet was beautiful.”
For Donna, it’s clearly more than winning and the successes of the program, it about having Aaron and Ty’s spirit alive and well with the Utes, which helps give the team a little boost when they need it most.
“I feel like once they hear those names, it’s like they’ve got, they reach down and get something that they forgot they had and they just start playing harder," she said.
Sterns is in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship, and no doubt, she’s looking forward to the game, but she’s also to be around her Utah family.
“I’m just excited. I’ll always be a Utah fan because they showed the love they showed for my son, it’s like you can’t explain it.”
