Nov. 5, 2008

If you ever doubted the importance of non-scholarship players to college football, digest this nugget: it was a walk-on at Ohio University that was "probably the one most responsible for us being at Wake Forest right now." This quote, uttered by the current head coach of the Demon Deacons, concluded a fascinating story about the most memorable walk-on to cross his path.

Among the many gritty hard workers that Jim Grobe has had the pleasure of coaching, he remembers a walk-on Bobcat quarterback above the rest. Although Matt Weikert was welcomed to the roster as a secondary signal-caller, he proceeded to earn a scholarship as a starting linebacker, a feat that would eventually alter the history of a number of programs.

"We were at Bowling Green and we needed that win," Grobe recalled. "We finished the season that year 7-4, and we needed that win at Bowling Green. And he blocked a punt at the end of the game that secured the win for us. A pretty good walk-on story."

Whether or not Weikert's special teams success was the lynchpin that actually propelled Ron Wellman to hire Jim Grobe remains unclear, however the story accentuates the impact that unsung high school prospects can leave upon their surroundings through their sincere passion for and commitment to football. While many talented athletes maneuver their way into all-expenses-paid journeys through college, there also exists a smaller crew of pigskin diehards who fight their way to the highest level solely because of an undying love of the game.

Along the way, they earn an unparalleled respect from their teammates and coaches, many of whom deeply admire the level of sacrifice that these unheralded diamonds in the rough endured to become a part of something bigger.

"Some walk-ons have more success than others," Grobe said. "Some actually work their way into legitimate playing time. But I think that every kid's dream is that at some point you're going to get in a game. I think the neatest thing about walk-ons is, especially at this level, most of the kids that are walk-ons in our program could be playing a lot of football at a lower Division, and they've chosen not only to get their education at Wake Forest, but they've decided to try to play at the highest level. And there's something good about that that even if they don't make it, even if they're not like Rudy and they don't eventually find their way onto the field, there's some satisfaction in knowing that they tried it at the highest level."

Wake Forest University is not an easy place to walk-on. Between the arduous academic and financial demands that are a reality at this highly-rated private institution, opportunities are scarce and only available to a select few who can handle the unique challenges that walk-ons encounter. With that said, there currently are a handful of contributing Deacons who came to Winston-Salem without the cushion of a scholarship. They compete among the blue chippers as equals, often times blending in to the point that their true identity is unknown.

"Sometimes I don't even know who's a walk-on and who's not because those guys really do bring it and they help us so much," said senior linebacker Stanley Arnoux. "I just have so much respect for the walk-ons. They're doing this not because they're getting paid to do it. They have to pay for school and they're also coming out and every morning when we have weightlifting they're there. Every time we have to go watch film, they're there."

While Arnoux is a vital part of one of the most experienced and daunting linebacking corps in the country, he is continually pushed by a guy most have probably never heard of. Lee Malchow, a 6'5" 220-pound force in the middle, came to Wake without a scholarship after a solid high school career in Augusta, Georgia. Without any offers from the next level, he sent the Wake Forest coaches some film and was approved to become a walk-on.

Though he did not see the field as a freshman, his time arrived in year two, when he appeared on special teams in 11 games as a member of the kickoff and punt teams. This season, Malchow has continued his steady presence on the field, something that has not gone unnoticed by his defensive cohorts.

"When Lee came in here, we were kinda like, `who's this kid and how come he's not on scholarship?'," senior safety Chip Vaughn explained. "Every week, Lee just keeps getting better and better. A lot of times he looks better than scholarship athletes. He's been a pleasant surprise to have."

As Malchow has established himself as a coverage regular, the Deacons have also received invaluable special teams contributions from an even more unlikely source. Although most backup quarterbacks would want nothing to do with the trenches of punt blocking, redshirt junior walk-on Ryan McManus was willing to do anything to get on the field. Despite McManus' value as the third quarterback and the holder on field goals, he has become a consistent component of the punt coverage team, helping to free up a teammate for a game-changing burst.

"I'm usually a hold-up guy," McManus described. "I like to think I do a decent job of trying to get something started for Zo (Alphonso Smith) or whoever's returning. I don't have to go for the big knockout hit, just get in a guy's way."

Growing up in Greenville, N.C. as the son of a former Wake Forest quarterback and assistant coach, McManus was recruited out of high school by some teams from the Southern Conference. East Carolina and some other smaller colleges expressed interest as well, but the then-18-year-old decided that he was meant to be a Deacon.

"Weighing it all out," he said, "I figured my best chance, as far as big-time football and education-wise, this was the best situation for me."

Does he have any regrets?

"Not at all," he answered. "[If I hadn't come to Wake,] I probably never would have gone down to Florida State and beaten them thirty to nothing. Or been to the Orange Bowl. Just being part of the team. No one treats me any different than anybody else. Everyone gets along."

McManus' attitude on the role of a walk-on is the ideal mindset for any long-snapper or holder. Quite simply, if you end up on SportsCenter, it's usually because something bad happened. On the other hand, if you shy away from the spotlight, you are probably on the right track.

"In my opinion, you do everything not to be noticed," McManus said. "You be on time or be early. You give your best effort to make yourself better and make everyone around you better. Blend in and don't stick out for the wrong reason."

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While non-scholarship athletes usually complete their playing days in relative obscurity, the chance to shine on the biggest stage can keep even the smallest competitor hungry. Running back C.J. Washington is literally the smallest member of the Wake Forest football. Listed generously at 5'8" and 160 pounds, he turned down opportunities at Navy, Georgetown, Marshall, and Appalachian State to remain in Winston-Salem, where he had already experienced success as a football and track star at Carver High.

"I think I kind of just felt like I had something to prove because I was always told I was too small to do something or I can't do this, so I guess playing in the ACC, you play with some of the better talent [in the country]," said Washington. "I feel like the ACC and SEC, the teams we play against are the top teams in the nation, so if that's the top, and I wanted to be the best, I had to play with them."

One of his teammates said that while C.J. is compact in size, his heart is perhaps the largest on the team. With a no-quit attitude and a determination to show he belongs, Washington might be the most feel-good story on the 2008 Deacons. And as a redshirt freshman, he has already experienced a signature walk-on moment that he, and all Wake fans, will remember forever.

With an opening day win at Baylor already in hand, Washington was enjoying his teammates' company on the sideline, not at all prepared for what was about to happen.

"I was sitting for like four quarters, not thinking I was going to get in," Washington remembered. "[Standing on the sideline], Coach called me and I looked back behind my shoulder thinking `he's not talking about me.'"

But Coach was talking about him.

With butterflies in his chest, he took a handoff and raced down the field. Fifty-five yards later, he was brought down, but not before he surpassed each of his teammates' rushing totals for the day. It was the perfect icing to an already sweet win, the gridiron version of hoopster walk-on John Buck's dunk against Virginia back in 2005.

"I wasn't really expecting it," Washington said. "It was a feeling I can't really explain. It was just total shock and it was amazing. When I got back to school, everyone was talking about my run. It was on ESPN. Coach Grobe was talking about some of our good plays and they showed my clip, so it was just amazing."

Not exactly the Ohio punt-block that altered pigskin history, but still pretty cool for a little kid who has, without a doubt, proven he belongs with the big boys.