Introducing StrongDawgs — 24/7 coverage of Saluki Football

Tom & Colton Weber covering Saluki Football at BYU, Aug. 31, 2024

Greetings, Saluki Nation!

Welcome to StrongDawgs — your go-to site for 24/7, year-round coverage of Saluki Football, and a better way to support NIL opportunities for SIU's players!

For those who don’t know me, I’ve led the communications office in Saluki Athletics for the last 24 years. It was a tremendous ride, and I was blessed to work with so many outstanding coaches, players and co-workers, and to help document some of the greatest moments in school history.

Saluki Football has always held a special place in my heart. I got here in 2001, just as Coach Kill was starting a massive rebuild. Some games drew only a handful of fans. McAndrew Stadium was falling apart. There were whispers the sport could be dropped. From those depths came a program that made 10 playoff appearances, beat Big Ten Indiana and Northwestern, and produced NFL stars like Bart Scott, Brandon Jacobs, MyCole Pruitt, Ryan Neal, Jeremy Chinn and others. What a privilege to witness this underdog story unfold!

Even though the rules have changed in recent years with the advent of the transfer portal and NIL, the program continues to thrive under Nick Hill. And while the program has made three recent playoff appearances, how the program keeps winning is an even more remarkable story. Today’s Saluki Football program is filled with good people, from the head coach to the student manager. Once you hear their stories, these are people (StrongDawgs, if you will) you'll be even more proud to root for.

To sustain excellence in the new college football landscape, Saluki Football needs our help. Enter StrongDawgs and its two-fold mission.

1. Unite generations of fans, players, coaches and alumni in support of Saluki Football by telling the incredible stories of the program and its history.

2. Empower Saluki Football players to leverage their Name, Image and Likeness.

When you purchase a monthly subscription to StrongDawgs.com, 100 percent of your money will be used to facilitate NIL opportunities for Saluki Football players. I envision players writing blogs, joining a zoom call with subscribers, posting unique content on social channels, or modeling StrongDawgs merchandise.

The majority of content on StrongDawgs.com and its social accounts will be free, in keeping with the mission of sharing the stories of the program. Deeper, more in-depth access will be available to subscribers only.

While my main focus will be coverage of the current team, StrongDawgs will frequently spotlight former players and teams. The program didn't start in 2001, of course. There were incredible teams and players going back to the days of Jim Hart and beyond. Some of the best players in school history played in the 1970s. The decade of the 1980s will be forever connected with the 1983 National Championship team, but the late '80s and 1990s produced its share of greatness. It's past time to tell the stories of these amazing players and coaches.

Saluki Football has provided my family with so many memorable moments. My kids, Tom Jr. and Colton, were my StrongDawgs on road trips, helping with photography and other duties. I can't think of anything I enjoy doing more than covering this program and the opportunity to contribute to it future success. I hope you'll join me in supporting StrongDawgs.

With Saluki pride.

Tom Weber

StrongDawgs (Owner)