Saturday, August 16, 2008

Contributing in ways only coaches, teammates ever see

Good story about Bo Baggerley, a former high school all-state football player who walked on at Vandy and is now a senior.   He's an undersized linebacker and one of the team's best practice players.

An excellent student, he receives no scholarship money from Vanderbilt, where tuition is about $50,000 annually.  He's majoring in Biomedical Engineering.  The kid is smart.

Here's the catch:  He's never played in a single game for the Commodores.  Not one play.

Said Vandy head coach Bobby Johnson:  

"He's the kind of guy you want to have in your program.  Bo has earned everybody's respect.  He's worked extremely hard, he's very loyal." 

Every team needs guys like this -- hard-working, respected, loyal.  They get almost no credit from outside of the locker room, but their teammates appreciate their tenacity and how they push them in practice.

Will he make the game-saving tackle or cause a crucial fumble?  Probably not.  But his team is better because he's on it.