In a downpour in Montgomery, Alabama, Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson hoisted the Camellia Bowl trophy after his teams’ nail-biting 34-26 win over the FIU Panthers. The victory not only topped off a season full of hardship and resiliency but a decade of unrivaled success in Jonesboro.

Prior to the 2010s, Arkansas State had never won more than six games in a season as an FBS team. They notched a single bowl appearance in 2005 (a lopsided loss to Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl) but struggled to maintain any sort of success over an extended period of time. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, everything changed.

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Though the first year of the decade was simply more of the same for the Red Wolves, the final nine years would change history and set Northeast Arkansas down a path of successes unfathomable at the time. In head coach Steve Roberts’ final season, Arkansas State finished 4-8 overall, closing out the final chapter of the era of pedestrianism in Jonesboro.

With all that has transpired since that season, thousands of stories can be told. From the popular “Five in Five” story to recent tragedies, the story of the Arkansas State Red Wolves is one of unparalleled success and irrepressible young men that never gave up in their venture to make A-State a unique entity in the history of collegiate athletics.

In the 2010s, the Red Wolves transformed from a relative doormat into a Sun Belt powerhouse, seemingly overnight. After the aforementioned 4-8 season, Arkansas State went on to post a 75-41 (.647) record over the next nine seasons with an outstanding 56-15 (.789) mark in Sun Belt play.

In that timeframe, the Red Wolves reached the postseason all nine seasons with a 4-5 bowl record. They won at least a share of five Sun Belt titles, tied for the most of any school in league history. They also won a share of the 2018 Sun Belt West division title, though they did not appear in the inaugural Sun Belt Championship Game. Twice the Red Wolves posted a perfect 8-0 mark in conference play on their way to a title.

Amazingly, for a school that had never won more than six games in a season as an FBS program, the Red Wolves won at least seven games nine seasons in a row. They reached the 10-win mark twice with a nine-win season and four 8-win seasons over the historic span.

By now, the “Five in Five” story has been told thousands of times. Somehow, the Red Wolves went through five coaches in five seasons and continued their newfound tradition of success along the way.

Once Roberts was fired, Hugh Freeze took over the Red Wolves. In his lone season, he led his squad to a 10-2 regular season and a perfect 8-0 conference mark. His Red Wolves were invited to the GoDaddy Bowl, but he would skip town before the trip. He was named the head coach at Ole Miss at the conclusion of the regular season and went on to beat Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide twice as head coach for the Rebels. The Red Wolves lost the bowl game but kept their momentum rolling into the next season.

The third coach in as many seasons was Gus Malzahn. In his lone season, he led A-State to a 9-3 regular-season mark with a nearly perfect 7-1 Sun Belt slate. He, too, would leave before the bowl game, opting to take the Auburn head coaching job. Also like his predecessor, he’s one of few coaches to notch multiple wins against Saban and Alabama but has done so three times at Auburn. The Red Wolves then notched their first bowl win in FBS history weeks later to finish 10-3 for the second-straight year.

Number four was Bryan Harsin. With the departure of several key players that helped the Red Wolves to an astounding 20-6 (15-1 SBC) record over the past two years, Harsin faced struggles the previous two did not. He still managed a favorable 7-5 regular-season mark, good enough for a share of the conference title. Just like the previous two, though, he would spend bowl season with a new team. Harsin accepted the head coaching job at Boise State while the Red Wolves would go on to win the second bowl game, finishing 8-5 overall.

The next year, Anderson would make it a perfect five-for-five. However, unlike the previous three, he would spend several years as the leader of the pack. In his six seasons at the helm, the Red Wolves have won two Sun Belt titles and two bowl games in six tries. Anderson also holds sole possession of second place on the Sun Belt’s all-time win list.

When the Red Wolves reached the postseason for the first time in 2005, no one expected a win. Southern Miss was by far the superior squad, and the Indians fell well short of a bowl victory. However, when they made their way to Mobile after the 2011 season, expectations were a bit different.

Though the Red Wolves once again fell short — this time at the hands of the NIU Huskies — there was a shift in perception. In 2005, no one could be too upset with a bowl loss. However, this one left an empty feeling in the gut of A-State fans everywhere.

A year later, the Red Wolves pulled out a nail-biting victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes. That victory signified a shift in perception of A-State football. No longer would winning six games be enough. Once the program tasted blood, there was no turning back. Ever since the Red Wolves got over the hump and won a bowl game, such became the expectation in Jonesboro.

The only thing harder than getting to the top is staying there. The Red Wolves learned this first hand.

Winning five conference titles in six years is a nearly unmatched feat. In fact, dating back to 2011, the only other school to win at least five conference titles in six seasons is Clemson, who has won five in a row in the ACC.

In reality, winning five conference championships in any period of time is an incredible feat. Since the Red Wolves won the Sun Belt in 2011, only three other programs have won at least five conference titles. Clemson and Oklahoma have six each in that span, with Arkansas State and Alabama being the only two others with at least five. Ohio State, Appalachian State, Northern Illinois, and Boise State have all won four titles since 2011.

Though the Red Wolves are now on a three-year conference title drought, they have still managed a winning season every year since that pivotal 2011 season. The nine-year streak is good for 14th in the entire FBS and is also the third-longest in the Group of Five behind only Boise State (18) and San Diego State (10). The Red Wolves have some work to do to work their way to the top — Virginia Tech has been to 27 bowls in 27 years — but their success is no small feat.

Football seems so insignificant in perspective. However, it became a platform to launch the inspiring and tragic story of the Anderson family.

The story of the Red Wolves’ decade could not be told without Wendy Anderson. Her story has reached millions as Blake Anderson and his team fought through the previous few seasons. Some things are so much bigger than football, and her impact and legacy are no exception.

In 2017, Wendy Anderson was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. She fought with tremendous courage and determination for the greater part of two years until her death in August 2019. She inspired an entire community in Northeast Arkansas, and the battle cry of “Not Fighting Alone” extended not just to the Anderson family, but back to the community supporting them. The mantra is bigger than one individual or circumstance, but has become bigger than the sum of its participants.

Wendy Anderson was more than a coach’s wife. She was family for the Red Wolves. “Mama Wendy” was an avid supporter of her husband’s players both on and off the field. She was — at the risk of redundancy — an absolute inspiration to the team through the entirety of her fight.

From her diagnosis to the Camellia Bowl, the Red Wolves faced tremendous adversity. Both the 2017 and 2018 seasons were stories of “what ifs” and shortcomings. The 2019 season saw unprecedented injuries to key players, and more importantly, the loss of a family member. Somehow, the Red Wolves rallied to reach bowl eligibility, and had a chance to set things right.

When the confetti fell and mixed with the rain in Montgomery, Alabama on that December evening, the journey was complete, and the Anderson family stood victorious as “Mama Wendy” looked down upon them.

Sometimes, reality can be crazier than fiction. From mediocrity to the mountain top; from tragedy to victory; from pain to pride; the story of the 2010s is Arkansas State. No one knew what the story would hold in the beginning, but they lived it to the end.

Ultimately, there could be no better ending to the legendary tale.

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