Chris Powers knew the Eastern Washington University football team could come back from a 19-0 deficit against Delaware in the national championship game.

That’s because on the sidelines the Eagles’ wide receivers coach Junior Adams said, “I know we are going to win this game, I swear to God we are going to win this game.”

Adams was right because Eastern came back to win its first Football Championship Subdivision football title in school history with three second-half scoring drives to make the final score 20-19.

It may not have seemed like it early on, though, Powers said.

“The first half went by incredibly fast,” the 2007 Tahoma High graduate said. “There were a ton of people there. It was really loud.”

Powers, the Eagles starting center the past two seasons who was also a first team All-Big Sky member as well as an All-American, said the offense was frustrated in the first half.

But, Eastern came out in the second half motivated to make the comeback thanks to some powerful locker room speeches, Powers said.

“Our defense finally got a hold of them,” he said. “Once they had their first three and out we took a drive that was 89 yards and went and scored. It definitely improved the morale. Everybody thought we could comeback because we had been in the situation before.”

In fact, they mounted a similar comeback in the semifinal game against defending champion Villanova to earn the spot in the title game, and after that win Powers told the Reporter that Eastern’s never-give-up attitude was the key to the team’s success during the season.

And it carried them through to a national title on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas, as well as a No. 1 ranking in the Football Championship Division.

And, yet, it may not have totally sunk in for Powers. Perhaps it will when the Eagles get their national championship rings.

“It’s kind of a weird feeling,” he said. “You think about it and everybody dreams of that moment… but it’s weird to actually be able to say, ‘I am a national champion.’ It’s an awesome feeling.”

Eastern’s football teams gets two weeks off and then it’s time to get back to work to defend its title, Powers said.

Though they lose some veterans on defense, almost the entire offense should return next season, including Powers who will be a senior finishing up a degree in education. He is looking at teaching history and social studies after he graduates.

“We’re all coming back and we all want to do the same thing,” he said. “Everybody’s already excited for next year.”