Nate Boyer, look what I found:98. Nate Boyer The “old man” bursts through the cloud of smoke into the sunshine to the cheering of 100,000 fans. At age 32, the team’s designated flag bearer is a little long in the tooth to be playing college football, but “starting long snapper for the Texas Longhorns” is merely the latest incarnation of Nate Boyer. From entitled , troubled teen to two attempts at being a college student; to Hollywood for a failed acting career, where he sometimes slept in his car, sometimes slept in the park. He became a part time “nanny” to several autistic boys until he realized that his acting gig wasn’t going to work. From Hollywood, he flew 8,500 miles to volunteer in Darfur refugee camps for a month. And when he returned, in looking for his next challenge, he decided to join the U.S. Army. Not just the Army, but the Army’s 18X program, the course that leads to becoming a Green Beret. Of the 150 soldiers who started the 18X, only 11 finished with a Green Beret. Nate Boyer earned his in December 2006. While living on base in southwestern Iraq, Boyer determined that he would become a college football player; he didn’t let the fact that he’d never played a down of organized football stand in his way. In his “spare time” between training the Iraqi special forces and fighting a war, Nate studied up on how to be a wide receiver. He watched tutorials on YouTube. He practiced footwork and balance and running routes. On January 7, 2010, Boyer’s vision began to come into focus. As he watched Colt McCoy and the Longhorns lose the National Championship game to Alabama, he decided— he who had never played football— that he would play for the Longhorns. He showed up at Texas’ open tryouts the following winter. He tried harder, ran farther, ran faster, than the other experienced players. He showed up each day, turning himself into a kamikaze, until one day, tryouts were over and an equipment manager took Boyer to a closet and told him to pick out cleats and a jersey. He’d made the team. At what position? He didn’t have a clue. He had practiced being a wide receiver , but a teammate advised, “You’re not a receiver, you’re a safety.” But he wasn’t exactly a safety either. Former defensive backs coach Duane Akina said, “Nate Boyer had no idea how to play football.” He was still all-out effort on every play and every drill. He had the coaches’ admiration, but as a walk-on— a walk -on who’d never played organized football— they all knew he’d never see the field. Being an inspirational bench-sitter wasn’t enough for Nate, though. He studied the depth chart and found two seniors at long snapper who would be gone after the next season. Good enough— it was a chance. Boyer sought advice from a couple of other long snappers, but once again he turned back to You Tube, studying the mechanics of the position. And he practiced, a minimum of 100 snaps a day. By the start of the 2012 season, Boyer was backup long snapper; by the second game of the season, Nate Boyer was the starting long snapper for The University of Texas. Boyer brought discipline and leadership skills, honed in the Special Forces, to The University of Texas community. He is the 24th Longhorn football player to be named to the Academic All-American team, and in 2012, he received the Disney Spirit Award for being college football’s most inspirational figure. A Green Beret Staff Sergeant and a Bronze Star recipient, Boyer was honored with the 2012 inaugural “Armed Services Merit Award”, presented by the Football Writers Association to a veteran who used his armed forces experiences to benefit his teammates and coaches. Boyer continues his military career as a Special Forces member of the Texas National Guard. Named the 2012– 13 Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year, Boyer is the recipient of the 2013 National Football Foundation Legacy Award, honoring those who have made extraordinary contributions to the NFF or who embody its mission. Hays McEachern, Jenna (2014-09-01). 100 Things Longhorns Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (100 Things...Fans Should Know) (Kindle Locations 3608-3624). Triumph Books. Kindle Edition. Hays McEachern, Jenna (2014-09-01). 100 Things Longhorns Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (100 Things...Fans Should Know) (Kindle Locations 3595-3608). Triumph Books. Kindle Edition.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 22:06:32 +0000