SLIPPERY ROCK — Saturdays in the autumn months mean one thing to Bob Lutz.

Game Day.

Lutz, a Slippery Rock resident and no relation to current Slippery Rock University football coach Shawn Lutz, has been attending SRU football games, home and away, on a regular basis since 1969. He turns 80 later this month.

“I’m just a college football fan,” Lutz said, shrugging his shoulders. “When I lived in Pittsburgh, I went to a lot of Pitt games.”

He moved to Slippery Rock in the 1960s to take a job in the print department at SRU. He never attended college himself, but that never stopped him from attending Rock football games. He began going to a few home games in 1967 and 1968, then started going to road games as well in 1969.

“I’ve been doing this for 54 years and I’ve missed maybe 20 games,” Lutz said proudly. “I enjoy going, no matter where the team is playing .”

Lutz attended games for years with SRU history professor Duane Rose before the latter passed away. Lutz was the driver for the road games they attended and he still finds people to go with him to road games today.

Retired SRU football coach George Mihalik began his playing career at The Rock in 1970. He was an assistant coach at SRU, then became head coach for 28 years before retiring after the 2015 season.

“When we were on the road, I’d look up in the stands and Bobby and Duane were always there,” Mihalik said. “They made me feel the comfort of home.

“Super Fan, Ultra-Fan, Extraordinary Fan, whatever you want to call him, Bob Lutz is an amazing guy. I’ve been retired all these years now and he’s still going. He has to be the most dedicated Rock fan out there.”

Lutz lives half a mile from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. He walks to every home game. He plays tennis three days a week and goes to Utah for skiing every winter. He knows somebody who has a condo there.

“I think it’s amazing, this streak he’s on,” Butler resident Vince Fazzoni, wjo plays tennis with Lutz, said. “Bob is a true fan, just a great guy. His dedicated attendance makes him their No. 1 fan, without a doubt.

“On the tennis court, Bob is like the Energizer Bunny. He doesn’t slow down or give up. I’m 69 and I’m always the one to say I’ve had enough for today. I can only hope I have his energy when I am his age.”

On long SRU football road trips, Lutz leaves the day before and doesn’t return home until the Sunday after the game. He drove to Carson Newman, Tenn. when SRU played in the national semifinals in 1998.

He was planning to drive to Texas for the Division II national championship game in 2019 before SRU lost to Minnesota State at home in the semifinals.

“I had that one planned out,” Lutz said. “I had my room booked in Texas. After the game, I was going to fly from there to Utah. I usually go to Utah as soon as the Rock football season is over.”

He recalls befriending former SRU head football coach Bob DiSpirito (1967-80, 1987) before getting to know Mihalik. He's been around for the combined 343 coaching wins compiled by DiSpirito, Mihalik and Shawn Lutz.

He enjoyed his 16th PSAC West championship with SRU this season and attended two three-year streaks of overall PSAC titles in 1972-74 and 1997-99.

“I think they can get to the (national) semifinals this year, too,” Lutz said. “At that point, it gets tough. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

It didn’t take Lutz long to come up with the best Rock players he’s seen at certain positions. He listed Roland Rivers III at quarterback, linebacker Terry Factor and Matt Martin defensively, D.J. Flick at receiver and Greg Paterra at running back, to name a few.

“We’ve had a lot of great receivers,” he said. “That guy this year (Kyle Sheets) ranks right up there.”

Mihalik marvels at the great physical shape Lutz continues to be in.

“To ski the slopes he does in Utah, he has to be in great shape,” Mihalik said. “Bobby is unbelievable.”

He’s a guy who defends the quality of Division II football as well.

“I’ve been at plenty of Division I games, but, honestly, watching Division II as a fan, I don’t notice much of a difference,” Lutz said. “I know that difference would show up if a Division I team played a Division II team, but Division II is every bit as fun to watch.

“Quality football is quality football.”