After a recent bout with COVID, Peggy Coppom made the decision to do something she doesn’t normally do by staying home during a Colorado football game at Folsom Field.

“I battled with that in my head for a while,” the 99-year old Buffaloes’ superfan told BuffZone last week, “but I thought, ‘I’ve got to get well, and I can’t do that if I keep pushing myself too far.’”

Coppom was wide awake, however, when around midnight she received a phone call from CU athletic director Rick George, who was in the locker room with the team after its 34-23 win against Cincinnati on Oct. 26.

On the other end of the line was head coach Deion Sanders, who, in front of the whole team, called Coppom to let her know the good news: The Buffs were bowl eligible.

“I was glad for that and for Coach Prime,” Coppom said. “I was glad for him, the players and me, because it had been a long time. When you’re a fan, you get pretty tired of being a good loser. You want to be a good winner.”

For most of her life — she turns 100 on Nov. 19 — Coppom has been a loyal CU fan, through many ups and downs. By her side for the vast majority of that time was her twin sister, Betty Hoover, who passed away four years ago.

Growing up in Haxtun before moving to Longmont and Boulder, the family listened to early CU stars such as Kayo Lam and Byron “Whizzer” White on the radio. Betty and Peggy began attending CU games in 1940, and they were season ticket holders for decades.

Attending everything from baseball, tennis, basketball and football games, Betty and Peggy became locally famous as the “CU twins.”

Since Coach Prime’s arrival in Boulder 23 months ago, Peggy has achieved a measure of national fame. Ironically, Betty isn’t with her for this part of the journey, but Peggy said Betty’s spirit is along for the ride.

“I miss her,” Peggy said. “I feel really feel bad she’s not here with me to enjoy all this and receive all this attention because she’s the reason to begin with that people know me. I always say ‘we and us’ because that’s what I was all my life. At the same time, I believe in heaven, and I know she’s there and I think she’s helping with some of this. She’s let me know, and she’s in touch with me.”

Peggy said there have been several times when she’s picked up her cell phone and seen the name “Betty Hoover” on the screen.

“Now that’s not a happenstance, because it’s happened about four times,” Peggy said.

As much as she misses her sister, Peggy said the girls were always taught to make the best of things. Talking about Betty brings tears to her eyes, but she said, “When you cry, it means you really had something special.”

The past two years, in particular, have become special for Peggy because of how Coach Prime has embraced and befriended her.

“I am glad to have him for a friend,” Peggy said. “I feel like I’m living in a dream, because I can’t believe this is all happening to me at this age. Some little old lady that likes sports? Why am I being so important and in the news and stuff? But I guess little old ladies are important in life too.”

Coach Prime has made it a priority to make Peggy important. Because of their friendship, she’s become somewhat of a national celebrity, with public appearances, endorsements, etc.

“Being alone now … I can’t say it’s more fun (than past years), but it’s been fun and it’s filled in time for me,” Peggy said. “It has helped me with the loss of Betty. It’s helped me a lot. Maybe God sent that to help me. Absolutely it’s filled the void to have all this happen. Maybe Coach Prime is filling in for Betty.

“It brings tears to my eyes to think somebody who’s done so much with his life, and has been so important, has taken me under his wing.”

Coach Prime literally had Peggy under his wing when he led her out to the field to do a ceremonial kick at the start of his first spring game, on a snowy day on April 22, 2023.

“I’m not telling a lie, every step I took, I said, ‘Jesus, help me. Jesus help me. Jesus help me,’” the deeply religious Peggy said. “And he did.”

Peggy’s son was proud that she got the ball in the air, showing some proper kicking technique.

“I said, well it was divine intervention, not because I knew what I was doing,” she said with laugh.

This season, Coach Prime publicly stated several times his goal was to get Peggy to a bowl game. Now that the Buffs are bowl eligible, Peggy is hoping she’s physically able to go to wherever that bowl game is played.

It’s been a tough year for Peggy, as she broke her leg and hip this summer and has dealt with COVID, but she said, “I want to go (to a bowl game), and I hope I can do it.”

As she approaches her 100th birthday, Peggy continues to be energized by her faith, her family and friends and, of course, Coach Prime and the Buffaloes.

“I have enjoyed all this, even though sometimes it could be taxing a little bit,” she said. “It has filled in time since Betty’s been gone. I guess God is taking care of me, keeping me busy with all this. I still feel very unworthy, or I’m humbled by it all.

“I’m just an ordinary person; an old lady who likes sports. But Betty and I have been good fans. When we went in that (CU Athletics Hall of Fame legacy wing in 2022), what I said there is exactly the way I feel. I feel very honored and humbled to get an award for just having a good time, and that’s what we have done. And I feel that way now.”