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Weber State football defensive backs enjoy a meal during a Purple Dub Club event at Burly Burger on Monday, June 15, 2026, in West Haven.

BRETT HEIN, Standard-Examiner

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Weber State football offensive linemen, coaches, and fans pose for a photo at a Purple Dub Club event at Burly Burger on June 8, 2026, in West Haven.

Photo supplied, Tom Lakey

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Weber State offensive linemen eat during a Purple Dub Club event at Burly Burger on June 8, 2026, in West Haven.

Photo supplied, Tom Lakey

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WEST HAVEN — The main goal of the Purple Dub Club’s latest venture: conveying burgers into bellies.

Weber State’s fan-led NIL group has teamed up with Burly Burger for get-togethers that put plenty of patties in front of football players while providing an opportunity for fans to meet the Wildcats.

Monday brought the second installment of “Burgers with the Boys” at Burly Burger’s West Haven location (2970 W. 4000 South), this time with Weber State’s cornerbacks and safeties. The local eatery donates the dinners to players during summer break; fans can support the cause by buying plates for themselves while meeting players.

“Hopefully people can come in and just be excited just to see us,” senior safety Pierre Hunter said. “I know they don’t get to see us a lot, especially with our helmets (being) on, so people probably don’t know what we look like. So just being able to feel comfortable when they see us, and be able to talk to us, so it feels like family and then people are excited to come watch us play.”

The weekly installments run every Monday for four more weeks: June 22 (quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends), June 29 (defensive line), July 6 (linebackers, special teams) and July 13 (wide receivers).

“We always want to support our local team and our community. … We’re very happy to do this,” said Hector Arismendi, general manager of Burly Burger’s West Haven location. “Let’s support our community and support this team, and just be good to each other. Anytime you have the opportunity to help somebody or get to know somebody, just do it. And have a burger while you do it, that’s the best way.”

Monday’s meal was surely appreciated by WSU’s defensive backs, with burgers, chicken strips and shakes covering tables. But the first installment — one week prior, with the offensive line — was a happy pairing of burly blokes and burly burgers.

“Everything went well. We had a few burgers we made with like three patties, four patties, but they all looked happy. It was good,” Arismendi said.

Self-described Weber State lifer Blair Shupe and his son, Chandler, have been to both burger meet-ups so far and plan to do all six. Shupe’s father worked at Weber State and he remembers waiting in line early in the morning to get basketball tickets when demand was through the roof.

“It’s just important to go. Weber needs more of these kinds of traditions. It needs more support from the community,” Shupe said. “I want these kinds of things to continue and grow … everybody wants Weber to win, everybody wants to complain about it or cheer for it, and be armchair quarterbacks, but buy a ticket to a game or come support players like this.

“It’s important for the players to know we support them, and supporting the coaches so they recognize us in the community.”

The players are appreciative.

“It honestly just means a lot being able to see people support our team,” senior safety Trevian Tribble said. “We need all the support we can get this year with this run we’re trying to go on. So I think it’s a big deal.”

Hopes are always high in the summer for every football team, but especially so for Weber State in a new direction under first-year coach Eric Kjar.

“We’ve got a great team, a lot of good transfers coming in; all good guys, good people. I can’t wait to see how it meshes this year,” sophomore safety Tamal Johnson said. “The biggest difference I’ve seen so far from summer workouts and the winter is accountability. We’re all holding each other accountable for this season. … We just want to be great.”