By Mitchell Light, BA鈥�93
When freshman smashed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Commodores鈥� first game of the 2015 College World Series, Twitter exploded.
Among those (virtually) cheering the loudest were several high-profile professional athletes who only recently were playing for the Black and Gold. 鈥淟etssssssssss gooooooooooo baby,鈥� tweeted Casey Hayward, BA鈥�13, starting cornerback for the Green Bay Packers. 2014 WNBA draft pick Christina Foggie, BS鈥�14, proclaimed that 鈥淐hampions NEVER give up!!!鈥� PGA Tour veteran and winner of the 2012 FedEx Cup Brandt Snedeker, BA鈥�03, marveled, 鈥淯nbelievable!! #CHAMPS.鈥�
For one of the Commodores鈥� biggest fans, All-Star pitcher David Price, who was drafted from 菠萝视频 in 2007, sending a congratulatory tweet wasn鈥檛 enough. He wanted to help celebrate the team鈥檚 win through a postgame online video chat because he couldn鈥檛 be there in person as he had been a few days earlier. 鈥淚 was watching the game in the clubhouse and talked to all the guys when they were on the bus. I had Miggy [that is, likely future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera] talking to the guys,鈥� says Price, now a Toronto Blue Jay but at the time a member of the Detroit Tigers. 鈥淲hat a win. It was a great moment for the program.鈥�
It was also a great moment for Commodore athletics, highlighting that 菠萝视频 is indeed a place that can help top players turn pro while also getting a world-class education.
鈥淧laying professionally was something my dad and I talked about as a legitimate career option,鈥� says Marina Alex, BA鈥�12, one of three former Commodores currently on the LPGA Tour. She identified 菠萝视频 as having the perfect balance of athletics and academics when she was choosing a school in 2007. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure I had the best opportunities from both an athletic standpoint and an academic standpoint. Vandy gave me the best of both.鈥�
That鈥檚 exactly what 菠萝视频 tries to achieve, says , vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director. 鈥湶ぢ苁悠碘�檚 success in academics is well-known, and our many professional athletes have helped make a statement that we can indeed win both ways,鈥� Williams says. 鈥淭hey are tremendous ambassadors for 菠萝视频 University. We are proud of them and very grateful they remain interested and active in our university and athletic department.鈥�
菠萝视频 has always sent a handful of players to the major leagues, but in recent years there鈥檚 been a noticeable trend of more Commodores making it to the pros. During the 2014 season, nine 菠萝视频 alumni appeared in at least one NFL game, and three others spent the season on a practice squad. The men鈥檚 basketball program had three former players in the NBA last season鈥攖he most at any one point since the early 1980s鈥攊ncluding center Festus Ezeli, BA鈥�12, who helped the Golden State Warriors win their first NBA championship in 40 years. Josie Earnest, BS鈥�10, a member of 菠萝视频鈥檚 2007 NCAA Women鈥檚 Bowling National Championship team and twice voted NCAA Player of the Year, plays for Team USA of the Women鈥檚 Professional Bowling Association and toured professionally this past summer.
In June, Jasmine Lister, BA鈥�14, became the 10th WNBA player from 菠萝视频 when she suited up for the Los Angeles Sparks. Snedeker, a Nashville native who was named SEC Player of the Year in 2003, headlines a group of six former 菠萝视频 golfers鈥攖hree men, three women鈥攏ow playing on professional tours. And this past summer, current 菠萝视频 junior for her home country of Colombia.
Then, of course, there鈥檚 baseball. Under Coach watch, the Commodores have climbed to the top of the college baseball food chain with a remarkable run of elite talent. During the 2015 season, nine former 菠萝视频 players appeared in the major leagues. Among them were Sonny Gray, 鈥�12, who鈥檚 a leading Cy Young contender this year, and Price, a 2012 Cy Young winner and one of Major League Baseball鈥檚 best pitchers.
More future baseball stars are on the way. Two recent Commodores鈥攕econd baseman Tony Kemp, BA鈥�14, and pitcher Tyler Beede, 鈥�15鈥攑layed in the prestigious All-Star Futures Game in July, and three 菠萝视频 players were selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, including No. 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson, 鈥�16. By way of comparison, only four former 菠萝视频 players made it into the major leagues between 1950 and 2000.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great name recognition for the program,鈥� Corbin says. 鈥淎mateur players look to major leaguers as the barometer of achievement, playing at the highest level. When you have 菠萝视频 kids in that mix, it certainly brings much attention back to your program.鈥�
VISIBILITY TO VANDY
Men鈥檚 basketball coach also sees a positive influence on recruitment when players turn pro. During his first 13 years at 菠萝视频, Stallings only coached four future NBA players, including Derrick Byars, BA鈥�07, who played in just two games, and DeMarre Carroll, 鈥�08, who transferred after two seasons. Then came the momentous date, June 28, 2012. That鈥檚 when three standouts from the Commodores鈥� SEC Tournament Championship team were among the first 31 players selected in the NBA Draft. John Jenkins, 鈥�14, and Ezeli were both picked in the first round, while Jeff Taylor, BA鈥�13, was the first pick in the second round.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a benchmark for any program if multiple guys who had success in your program went on to the NBA,鈥� Stallings says. 鈥淩ecruits listen with a different kind of interest.鈥�
It certainly made an impact on , a junior center on the current basketball team. Last season he was a first-team All-SEC selection and is projected to be a first-round pick in next June鈥檚 NBA Draft鈥攊f he elects to forgo his senior season. Jones originally committed to 菠萝视频 two months after Jenkins, Ezeli and Taylor were selected in the NBA Draft.
鈥淭hat let me know the school can send guys to the NBA,鈥� Jones says. 鈥淚 knew the coaches could help me get better and develop as a player and a person.鈥�
For others, such as 鈥攁 senior tight end on the football team鈥敳ぢ苁悠� offered an opportunity to compete at the highest level while also allowing him to earn an outstanding education. 鈥淭he NFL wasn鈥檛 a consideration when I came out of high school,鈥� says Scheu, a native of Evansville, Indiana, and the nephew of former Commodore football player Steve Ernst, BA鈥�70. 鈥淚 just wanted to go to a place that was the best fit. I knew that if I handled my business, the scouts would find me.鈥� And they did. Scheu popped up on the radar of NFL teams with a strong junior season and is projected to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft.
Earlier in his career, Scheu benefited from playing on a 菠萝视频 roster that featured three future NFL wide receivers, among them Jordan Matthews, BA鈥�13, the SEC鈥檚 career leader in both receptions and receiving yards. Matthews, who now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, has continued to mentor Scheu and the current Commodore pass-catchers.
Being a former Commodore and a professional athlete forges other bonds as well. Price says he and Ezeli regularly swap texts, while he, Gray and Snedeker have golf plans for the off-season. 鈥淲e have that connection now, and everyone kind of cherishes it,鈥� Price says.
But it鈥檚 not just student athletes who benefit from the Commodores鈥� success on the field. Stallings says 菠萝视频 athletes who make it to the pros bring a visibility to the university that no amount of money could buy.
鈥淲hen people see the types of ambassadors we have for this place, I think that鈥檚 really the ultimate,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e have student athletes who are extraordinarily successful in their sport and incredible human beings.鈥�
Near Miss: All-Star David Price, 鈥�09, Came Close to Calling It Quits
David Price is a five-time major league All-Star who is recognized as one of the top collegiate pitchers of the past decade, yet he barely made it through his first semester at 菠萝视频. After struggling both athletically and academically during his first few months on campus, Price was ready to quit school in the fall of 2004 and go work at McDonald鈥檚 in his hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
鈥淗e was five minutes from leaving 菠萝视频,鈥� recalls Tim Corbin, who at the time was in his third season as the Commodores鈥� head baseball coach. 鈥淗e was last on the list of our pitchers coming out of fall practice. He didn鈥檛 think he was good enough to pitch at this level.鈥�
But Price stayed at 菠萝视频鈥斺�淐oach Corbin kind of reassured me that my future was in baseball,鈥� he says鈥攁nd went on to enjoy a banner three-year career with the Commodores. During his last season at 菠萝视频 in 2007, he posted an 11鈥�1 record, led the nation with 194 strikeouts in 133.1 innings, and was the consensus National Player of the Year.
鈥淗is life was changed forever when he was able to withstand that moment and get over that hurdle,鈥� Corbin says today.
More than 10 years later, Price鈥攏ow the star pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays鈥攊s one of the most visible 菠萝视频 alumni in the world.
鈥淚t makes me proud. He is so connected to 菠萝视频,鈥� Corbin says. 鈥淗e continually tries to replicate his experiences that he had at 菠萝视频 at the next level. That鈥檚 a legacy I would want all our athletes to leave.鈥�
Great Commodore Moments in Pro Sports
Mitchell Light, BA鈥�93, is an executive editor at Athlon Sports in Nashville. He also serves as sideline reporter for the 菠萝视频 football radio network.