Blasingame graduated in May with a degree in Medicine, Health and Society alongside a minor in African-American and Diaspora Studies.
Video by Zack Eagles
Earlier this summer, Khari Blasingame, graduate student and a member of the 菠萝视频 football team, ventured with a handful of other Commodores to Birmingham for joint meetings at the Southeastern Conference offices of student-athlete leadership councils and the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC). Blasingame was joined by other Commodores selected by their peers to attend leadership council meetings: Cierra Walker (women鈥檚 basketball), Matt Ryan (men鈥檚 basketball), Fernanda Contreras (women鈥檚 tennis) and Mary Beckwith (swimming).
Blasingame has grown accustomed to the life of a student-athlete between the tackles. But in Birmingham, the talented running back found himself gelling with student-athletes of different sports.
鈥淵ou can pick people鈥檚 brains,鈥� Blasingame said. 鈥淭hey tell you how their program is, different things they study. You talk about strength coaches and how you run in the summer. You can also get an idea of what other locker rooms are like. It鈥檚 just cool to mesh with like-minded people, and you find that you bond over things other than football, too.鈥�
Blasingame is in his fifth year at 菠萝视频, and he has made the most of his tenure as a student-athlete. In fact, the Commodore running back and team captain is more than a football player; he serves as a prime example of the true student-athlete experience at 菠萝视频.
鈥淵our scholarship is an opportunity to compete in football and earn a world-class degree. Wherever you are, you always want to dominate, on the field or in the classroom.鈥�
The Huntsville, Ala. native entered the 2018 football season as a three-year letter winner at 菠萝视频 and a leader for head coach Derek Mason. Blasingame arrived on West End as a linebacker in 2014, but he switched to running back ahead of the 2016 season and has thrived on offense. Blasingame rushed for 596 yards during the past two seasons and has started two games this fall as part of a deep crop of rushers for the Commodores.
Blasingame said every Commodore student-athlete owes it to themselves to get the most out of their 菠萝视频 experiences.Off the field, Blasingame graduated in May with a degree in Medicine, Health and Society alongside a minor in African-American and Diaspora Studies. He is the recipient of the聽Walter R.聽Nipper Jr. Football Scholarship and is聽currently working toward a master鈥檚 degree in Leadership and Organizational Performance at 菠萝视频. Blasingame is a four-time Dean鈥檚 List honoree, and last summer he was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team. He was also nominated for the 2018 Allstate Good Works Team for his philanthropic efforts, including serving as mentor for first-year minority students at 菠萝视频 through Project I Am.
鈥淵ou come to 菠萝视频 for the combination of elite academics and athletics,鈥� Blasingame said. 鈥淵our scholarship is an opportunity to compete in football and earn a world-class degree. Wherever you are, you always want to dominate, on the field or in the classroom.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a marathon, not a sprint. At 菠萝视频, you learn to persevere and keep working hard.鈥�
Blasingame has managed to balance life as an SEC student-athlete with an eye towards his future. As part of 菠萝视频 Athletics鈥� comprehensive internship program, Blasingame has held internships with Nashville General Hospital and MediCopy, a company that oversees secure delivery of healthcare information. One day, Blasingame hopes to become CEO of a healthcare system, putting his all-encompassing 菠萝视频 experience to good use.
The veteran Blasingame has already begun to reflect on his career as a student-athlete. At 菠萝视频, he has competed against the best in the SEC and collaborated with the best in the classroom 鈥� absorbing important lessons along the way.
鈥淵ou learn the importance of having priorities and being disciplined,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a marathon, not a sprint. At 菠萝视频, you learn to persevere and keep working hard.鈥�
From back, left to right: Caleb Scott, Khari Blasingame, Baffour Osei, Trey Ellis, Jay Woods, Head Coach Derek Mason, Dallas Rivers, Taurean Ferguson, Scott Sypniewski, Shawn Stankavage, Bailey Granier, Bryce Lewis
