SAN ANTONIO — Senior center Nate Leonard is back again this season with a blog that will give fans an inside glimpse into UTSA Football.
The Roadrunners (1-1) fell just short of winning their home opener last Thursday against Arizona in front of a national television audience on FOX Sports 1. Leonard, however, did his part by grading out at a career-high 92 percent to go along with six knockdown blocks.
A leader on and off the field, the McKinney native was instrumental in the team's success last fall, as UTSA won its last five games en route to a 7-5 overall record and 6-2 mark in its first campaign as a member of Conference USA.
The 6-foot, 280-pounder was a member of the preseason Dave Rimington Trophy watch list (nation’s top center) and he earned preseason second-team All-Conference USA accolades from Athlon Sports. The only player to start all 36 games in program history was a 2013 second-team Capital One Academic All-American in addition to being named the 2013-14 Conference USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football.
Leonard is coming off a junior season that saw him record a team-leading 70 knockdown blocks and he also graded out at 82 percent. He was a key part of an offensive line that did not commit a holding penalty during the season while helping the offense average 25.6 points, 417.8 total yards (175.4 rush/242.4 pass), 21.9 first downs and 32:24 possession time per contest.
Below is his third entry of the fall.
Week 3: One Lost
It's been 51 weeks since my childhood friend, Wes Salley, passed away. As we prepared to take on the Wildcats of Arizona last Thursday night, I thought of him. It was 51 weeks ago that my father approached me in the team's hotel lobby in Tucson, Ariz., embraced me and broke the news. I believe it affects me as much in this moment as it did then. Wes was such a great guy, and out of all of our childhood friends, I was sure he would outlast every single one of us. Losing Wes reminds me that life can be taken at any time and from anyone. It reminds me that anyone can lose.
As the Thursday night game approached, I found myself thinking more and more about Wes and our youth. All I had were fond and funny memories of our times together.
We were stoked up. It didn't take someone of astronomical intelligence to know that we were ready to play. Our laces were tied tightly around our plastic cleats. Our stirrups were not a fiber out of line. Our pants were white with the hazard of causing snow blindness. Our jerseys were pressed and tucked with the perfect poof over the belt. Our hats were snapped to the exact specifications and our bills were rounded to the perfect arch. We were the Astros, and we had not dressed ourselves. It was tee ball in the '90s and it was war.
Wes Salley, Trey Anderson and I had grown up together and played on many, if not all, of the same sports teams. Trey's dad, Hugh, or "Hug" as I so phonetically called him, was our coach and each of our moms were the lovingly obnoxious team moms that you hear from and hear about at tee ball games such as these. It was a tight-knit group and it showed.
It was our first game of the season, and aside from a few low-key practices, we had absolutely no idea what we were doing. (I think, just maybe, youth sports are just used as comic relief for our overworked parents, but that's just my take.) However, there would be no room for comedy if we were to beat our opponent as they were coached by none other than former football star and sports broadcaster, Craig James.
Before we took the field, Coach Hug told me to play first base. I was puzzled. I didn't know the bases were numbered, let alone what to do if I found the first one. Coach Hug laughed, put his hands on my shoulders and said, "All you have to do is make sure that no one gets to first base." I was relieved. Coach Hug had a way of simplifying things for us in order for our underdeveloped minds to understand. My job was simple and I was ready to have some fun.
The first batter stepped to plate, hoisted the oversized bat to his bony shoulder and swung as hard as he could at the stationary ball. The ball dribbled ever so anemically between the pitcher and the third baseman and the batter began to advance to first. I ran to the bag and held out my glove in anxious anticipation of the throw. Nothing happened. I watched in terror as my teammates stared at the ball like an extraterrestrial life form. Nothing happened. The runner was barreling down the line! C'MON GUYS! Still, nothing happened! I remembered what Coach Hug had told me and I would eat dirt before I let him down. It was time to take matters into my own hand and glove.
Boom! I lowered my shoulder and leveled the runner right smack dab in the middle of the first base line. I had done it. I had saved my team and executed my assignment exactly as I was told. That runner did not make it to first base and I stood over my opponent in pride. However, the hyena-like laughing and howling reaction from the crowd was not the applause that I had anticipated. I looked around. Wes was puzzled. I looked around some more. Trey was puzzled. I looked around some more and saw that even Craig James was amused. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Nice hit, but wrong sport!"
I guess some people are just football players by instinct.
As a running back, Brandon Armstrong plays football by instinct and is a member of the "Original 18." B.A., as we call him, may not look like the prototypical Division I running back, but not looking like a prototypical anything is a common theme among the "Original 18." Aside from being a quick and feisty back, B.A. truly is a funny character and he knows how to make everyone laugh. B.A. is a good teammate and a better man.
Here is what UTSA Football means to him.
"If I could describe what UTSA Football means to me, it would be a family that's all in together. I am truly blessed and humbled to be a part of UTSA. We all came to UTSA to play football and receive a great education, but all of us ended up with so much more. We have grown so much from the first year from not having stuff to call our own to now having a new locker room, a brand new field and a great weight room. I'm just blown away from how we went from playing FCS schools to now playing FBS schools and have a chance to play in bowl games. Playing at UTSA has helped me grow as a man and the bond that the 'Original 18' have is one of a kind and will leave a great legacy for years to come."
I have a good feeling that the bond of the "Original 18" will be a common topic in each "Original 18" write-up, this year. No one truly can understand the bond we share.
As I put the finishing touches on this week's blog, I am reminded that in a few hours I will take the practice field with the "Original 18" and the rest of my brothers in order to prepare for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. I am reminded that many people believe the Cowboys will outlast just about every team in the Big 12 and around the country, for that matter. I also am reminded, however, that anyone can lose.