Derek Baldry did not have a position, did not know where to line up, and wasn't quite sure how to get into a proper stance.
"I just wanted to make sure the coaches didn't know I hadn't played high school football," he said. "I was basically playing copycat, watching the guy in front of me and trying to emulate him."
So, what was this 24-year-old former Army Ranger and football novice doing at an open walk-on tryout at the University of Florida in the spring of 2006?
The answer is on his left wrist.
SPC Ryan P. Long USA RangerA CO 3/75 KIA 03 April 2003 Iraq.
This is the inscription on a metal bracelet that Baldry wears on his left wrist to honor a fallen friend. This is the inspiration that sent him chasing after a dream that many thought was uncatchable.
Click here to read the rest of the story in the Gainesville Sun.
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