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 (2-7, 1-4 C-USA) will square off with Southern Miss (3-7, 1-5 C-USA) for the first time in program history on Thursday night at the Alamodome. Kickoff for the nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Through the first nine games of the year, the 6-foot, 280-pounder is second among the squad’s offensive linemen with 36 knockdown blocks while grading out at 79 percent.
Leonard, who was named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete on Oct. 30, also was a member of the preseason Dave Rimington Trophy watch list (nation’s top center) and he earned preseason second-team all-conference accolades from Athlon Sports. The only player to start all 43 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.
A leader on and off the field, the McKinney native was instrumental in the team's success last fall, as the Roadrunners won their last five games en route to a 7-5 overall record and 6-2 mark in league play.
He is coming off a junior season that saw him record a team-leading 70 pancakes 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 11th entry of the fall.
Week 11: Unearthed
As we began our three-and-a-half hour bus ride back to San Antonio from Rice Stadium on Saturday evening, the sun began to set over Texas.
From Katy to Converse, there isn't much to look out the window at aside from vast Texas countryside. However, the Texas countryside has a rustic elegance to it that makes it difficult to look away. The natural beauty of Texas mixed with the sunset created a silhouette of structure amongst a backdrop of blues, oranges, yellows and purples.
One of the most beautiful silhouettes for anyone to see is a pumpjack. For some, a functioning pumpjack means money and wealth, as it draws up that black gold from below the surface. For others, it's nice to see the pumpjack, as it reminds them that Texas beauty isn't just skin deep.
Out of the many pumpjacks my eyes spotted on that stretch from Katy to Converse, some were pumping and some were still. What happens when the jack stops drawing oil? Many would say that it becomes worthless, but I say its value lies in what it unearthed.
As I made my way back to the dorms after the game, fellow offensive lineman Reed Darragh kept pace. Reed is a redshirt freshman offensive tackle for us and he has a promising future ahead of him here at UTSA. For a while, we walked in silence, and then I could see Reed shaking his head in preparation to speak.
"I'm sorry, man," he said.
I looked at him and asked him why he was sorry.
"I'm sorry because this was supposed to be y'alls year. This was y'alls year for a ring. I just feel bad for the seniors."
I gave a weak chuckle.
I told him that it's the way football goes sometimes. The beauty of the sport lies in the fact that no matter how much work and dedication you put into it, the ball may not bounce your way. I told him that I had been playing football too long to not understand that the game can be unpredictable at times, but that the unpredictability of it is the reason the game is played on the field and not on paper. I expressed to him that, although it was disappointing that a ring wouldn't adorn my finger, I was proud of the groundwork the seniors had laid here and that we established the program not for the rings, but for the impact.
We did the grunt work in order for future Roadrunners to wear rings. I am proud to say that I helped lay a foundation that will last forever, along with seventeen other men.
Defensive tackle Ferrington Macon and defensive end Cody Rogers are two members of the "Original 18" that I am little closer to than some of the others. Not because we have tighter bonds, but because we line up across from each other and battle each and every practice. It has been an honor to fight against them in practice and with them on Saturdays.
Ferrington is a good teammate and a better man. Here is what UTSA Football means to him.
"To me, UTSA Football means playing for the guys next to you, your brothers on the field. It means that you have to be tough through the ups and downs knowing that everything is working together for the greater good. It means that you have to work hard every day and be relentless. Overall, UTSA Football means having fun."
I probably have hit Ferrington more than anyone else on this team. For the last five years, he has put his hand in the grass across from me for thousands of snaps. He makes me a better football player and I hope I have done the same for him.
Cody is a good teammate and a better man. Here is what UTSA Football means to him.
"Coming to UTSA has been a big part of changing my life in such a positive way. I see all of the coaches on this staff as father figures who I can go to when times are tough. I play the game of football for my family, my coaches and my teammates who I consider my brothers. I know there isn't one guy on this team that wouldn't knuckle up with me if my back was against the wall. Being part of this program doesn't feel like I am just part of a team but part of a family that has been built from the ground up … literally. I've been fortunate enough to have my education paid for the past five years, which I can take with me throughout my life. Lastly, if it weren't for my mother and father, you wouldn't be reading this right now. They travel many distances to watch both me and my younger brother play and I love them very much."
As a defensive end, I don't go against Cody nearly as much as I do against Ferrington, but that doesn't mean that we haven't busted heads.
Some people don't know this, but Cody started out his UTSA career as a linebacker. I never had tried blocking a second-level guy as stout as Cody, which probably factored into his transition to defensive end.
Cody and I also share the same degree plan, physical education with teacher certification EC-12, so we have had many classes together. It has been a privilege to build a working relationship with Cody on the field, as well as in the classroom.
The 2014-15 UTSA Roadrunners will not have a postseason and neither will the "Original 18." We won't be sized for rings and we won't be making travel arrangements in December. We are disappointed, but we find solace in knowing that what we have done in the past and what we will continue to do for the next three weeks will allow other Roadrunners to stand upon the foundation we have built and hoist a ring on his finger.
Previous entries
· Oct. 27
· Oct. 20
· Oct. 13
· Oct. 6
· Sept. 29
· Sept. 22
· Sept. 15
· Sept. 8
· Aug. 31
· Aug. 25