Since 2017, every Thursday evening during football season, student-athletes on Southwestern University’s offensive line have gathered at the Whataburger location just off campus to build bonds and bulk up during the cherished tradition of “Thicc Man Thursday.” Nearly a decade after Thicc Man Thursday began, the tradition has become the focus of a national Whataburger marketing campaign.

Former Pirates offensive lineman T.J. Vela ’20 originally created Thicc Man Thursday as a way for members of the team to bulk up on protein in anticipation of the next game while also getting to know each other in a more relaxed setting off campus and away from the bright lights of the football field.

“Offensive linemen are real close on the field,” junior offensive lineman Eli Taylor said. “Most of the time, it’s all business on the field because you’re there to do a job. Being able to go to Thicc Man Thursday, you get to bond with your teammates better than you would on the field. You’re in a different setting and eating great food. It’s a good way to get to know your teammates.”

Thicc Man Thursday was born during a pivotal moment of transition for the Pirates football program. Vela’s first year at Southwestern in 2016 was also the final season for over three dozen seniors who had helped launch the University’s first team after football returned to Southwestern for the first time since 1950. Having played each of the first four seasons for the new program, the group was pivotal in establishing the modern version of Pirate football.

T.J. Vela '20 leads fellow captains Hayden Smith '20, David Brandenburg '20, and Josiah Minnifield '20 before a game against Louisiana College in 2019.
(Photo by Carlos Barron for Southwestern University)“Those seniors were great leaders,” Vela said. “They did a great job of helping me develop as a freshman and teaching me how to be a great leader myself. Once they were gone, we had to figure out who’s going to step up and lead. A couple of the offensive line guys and I stepped up and said ‘that’s going to be us.’ We started building camaraderie that offseason.”

Thicc Man Thursday began organically as the result of the perfect blend of events. The team would increase its intensity during practice each week, with the most difficult day traditionally falling on Thursday. Fridays were usually reserved for light practices during home game weeks, or for travel days when the team was away, making Thursday the best night to review game strategy and refine tactics for the upcoming Saturday’s game.

Coincidentally, Southwestern’s meal plans would reset on Friday, so by Thursday evening, most student-athletes had used up their meal swipes for the week. Needing a good meal, Vela first invited some of his teammates out to dinner to talk strategy and unwind after a tough week of practice.

“It’s pretty hard to separate football and Thicc Man Thursday,” Taylor said. “We always talk about the game plan for Saturdays, but it’s also important to fill up, get a whole bunch of protein, relax, and take the pressure off of yourself.”

Over time, Whataburger became the go-to location for the Thursday night dinners because of its broad and customizable menu, late-night hours, and ability to accommodate groups of up to 15–20 hungry offensive lineman at one time.

Whataburger #546 Manager Greg Dever is presented with an autographed photo of the 2019 Southwestern Pirates football team during Thicc Man Thursday.
(Photo courtesy T.J. Vela)
The Thicc Man Thursday tradition likely wouldn’t have taken off in the way that it did without the support of Greg Dever, Manager of Whataburger #546, located less than two miles from Southwestern’s campus. Every Thursday, “Mr. Greg,” as he affectionately came to be known by the offensive lineman, would reserve enough seats to accommodate the entire group and keep a dedicated cash register open for the student-athletes, many of whom were arriving late after practice.

“Greg is a part of this family just as much as any offensive lineman or any other team members, and it’s just because of the way he treats us,” Vela said. “He treats us so well, and we appreciate him for that. He is what makes Thicc Man Thursday so great, and I am very appreciative of him for everything that he does.”

The bond continued to grow over the years as Dever took a vested interest in the students’ performance, both in the classroom and on the football field.

“For the big guys, he means a lot,” senior offensive lineman Tre Flores said. “We talk about how he’s one of the brothers now, and it’s true. Greg is there every Thursday. He is very caring for us, always asking about our grades, and if we’re going to win that week. He is great.”

At the end of each season, Whataburger #546 Manager Greg Dever presents Southwestern student-athletes with a cake to celebrate another successful season.
(Photo courtesy T.J. Vela)This past season, on the final Thicc Man Thursday of the year, Dever decorated the restaurant with Southwestern black and gold balloons and streamers, and presented the student-athletes with a cake to celebrate the end of a successful season. First-year offensive lineman Matthew Diosdado snapped a picture of the celebration and sent it to his mom, Christina Jensen, who is the Operating Partner of Whataburger #1164 in the Dallas suburb of Wylie.

“We see the hard work that Greg and his team does,” Jensen said. “It takes time to build relationships. I appreciate it as a parent, but also as a fellow Whataburger family member. All of us, across 1,000 stores, have that at the heart of what we do – making sure that we provide extraordinary hospitality and make people feel like they’re at home.”

Jensen was so moved by Dever’s simple acts of kindness that she shared the story on Whatalife, Whataburger’s internal social media platform for employee communications. The story caught the attention of Whataburger’s corporate marketing team, setting the stage for the Southwestern Pirates to star in the restaurant’s latest marketing campaign.

“I shared a shout out to highlight Mr. Greg for always taking care of our boys and for his appreciation of Thicc Man Thursday,” Jensen said. “When your kids are off at college, you want to make sure that they are making the best decisions and surrounding themselves with people who care about their well being. It was just me showing my appreciation for Greg. I never expected that it would turn into what it has turned into. ”

Flores was one of four current Southwestern offensive lineman who starred in the video. For the Georgetown native who grew up dining at Whataburger following his games at Georgetown High School, the experience was surreal.

“I have been a Whataburger fan for a long time, so it was shocking,” he said. “My favorite restaurant wanted to do a video about our school and about our team, and more specifically, our position unit? It is awesome. I get a little bit emotional thinking about it, now that I’m done with football. I will forever cherish that video and the memories that we made at Whataburger.”

“I get a little bit emotional thinking about it, now that I’m done with football. I will forever cherish that video and the memories that we made at Whataburger.” — Tre Flores ’25

Pirates Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Nick Mask is one of a handful of individuals who has been a member of the Southwestern football program since its return. Mask transferred to Southwestern in 2013 to join the inaugural team after spending a season at Blinn Junior College. Following his three-year playing career at Southwestern, he was offered a spot on the coaching staff, where he has been developing student-athletes for the last nine seasons. His first year as a coach was Vela’s first year as a player, so Mask has had a front row seat to see the evolution of Thicc Man Thursday.

“I realized it had turned into a tradition the first time we got into the next season and it was back,” Mask said. “We had a long break, but they were still going back to Whataburger. The cool part of it was seeing the upperclassmen bring in the [first-year] offensive and defensive linemen and that being their first opportunity to really understand what the culture is within the offensive and defensive line.”

“A lot of the time, we got to know younger guys who we might not necessarily talk to on a day-to-day basis off the field, so it was just a great time for everyone to bond and get to know each other,” Vela said. “When you’re closer off the field, it makes it even easier to work together on the field.”

T.J. Vela '20 blocks for his quarterback during a game against UMHB in 2019.
(Photo by Carlos Barron for Southwestern University)To fully appreciate the Thicc Man Thursday tradition, one must first understand the role of the offensive line. The unit has one of the most crucial, and perhaps under-appreciated, jobs on the football field – to protect their quarterback and create opportunities for their running backs. Members of the offensive line must be able to read defenses quickly and communicate effectively with their teammates.

“Effective communication on the field is crucial, and you can’t really communicate with each other if you don’t know each other on a personal level,” Flores said. “Thicc Man Thursday is more than just going to Whataburger, it’s about hanging out with the guys. It’s the fact that it brought us closer together through food and memories.”

In recent years, the tradition has become an influential recruiting advantage for the football program. Many of the current offensive linemen on the team were first introduced to Thicc Man Thursday during their high school recruiting visits. For first-year offensive lineman Connor Moomaw, learning about Thicc Man Thursday drove him to commit to Southwestern from The Woodlands High School.

“It definitely influenced my decision,” he said. “I remember specifically talking to my parents about it, because as an offensive line, we have to know our teammates off the field too. I thought, if they’re doing stuff like this, that’s for sure a place I want to be.”

Offensive lineman Matthew Diosdado '28 is joined by his mother, Christina Jensen, and her wife after a game in 2024. (Photo courtesy Christina Jensen)Since the release of Whataburger’s feature, Mask and his fellow coaches have been able to showcase the video to prospective student-athletes, and their parents. It has become a powerful tool in the highly competitive collegiate recruiting process.

“For the players, I think it means a lot because they immediately see where they’re going to get to know their new teammates, but at the same time, I think it does a lot more for the parents,” Mask said. “They really see that this is a group that is close knit. They know that their son is going to be taken care of. I think that provides a lot of comfort, knowing that their son is going somewhere where he is going to be loved, not just because he is a football player, but because of the person that he is.”

For Jensen, who played such a pivotal role in sharing the Thicc Man Thursday tradition with her Whataburger colleagues, this level of comfort has been prevalent throughout her son’s first year at SU.

“I know that he feels comfortable and can be himself,” Jensen said. “He knows that he is appreciated. It feels good to know that I can leave him in someone else’s hands and that he’ll still be taken care of. Knowing that we made the right choice for him, not only for football, but for a school, means a lot to us.”

The recent notoriety surrounding Whataburger’s ad campaign has given Vela the chance to reflect on the tradition that he helped create. Eight years after the first Thicc Man Thursday, Vela is both impressed and proud of how the tradition has lasted.

T.J. Vela '20 and fellow offensive lineman Jacob Wiebelhaus '20 line up before a play against Louisiana College in 2019.
(Photo by Carlos Barron for Southwestern University)“It definitely means a lot that this tradition is still going on,” he said. “I’m just happy that the guys are still doing it and still appreciating the time with each other. That’s the biggest thing – getting away, not having to worry about football, not having to worry about school. You’re just a bunch of friends sitting together and enjoying each other’s company.”

As the legend of Thicc Man Thursday spreads across Texas and around the nation, the current offensive linemen are aware of their role in continuing the tradition and building camaraderie with their teammates.

“It goes back to the guys that first took me there,” Taylor said. “They told me that we’ve been doing this for however long and we need to keep it going. With the guys that we have coming up, and the guys that are already here, I know that it’s going to keep going. I hope other people get to experience what I have experienced.”

“I want to see it continue, and I will make sure that it does,” Moomaw said. “I still have three more years here, so I fully intend to do what I can to keep the tradition going. Going out to eat with people you like and people you enjoy spending time with is special. I want to see it grow to include more offensive linemen, defensive linemen, and anyone else who is interested in going. As Tre put it, ‘if you’re a thicc man, you should be there.’”