A Real Life Paul Blake Is Debuting For UVA This Weekend

First things first, way too many of you are thinking to yourselves, "Who the heck is Paul Blake?" To that I say, shame on you and please go educate yourself by watching Necessary Roughness (the trailer is above). You will then appreciate when Dave makes his Straight Arrow Generro reference. 

Ok back to present day where we have that same scenario playing out down at the University of Virginia (shout to friend of the program, Chris Long). A few weeks ago, Reags alerted us to this story

Well, this Saturday he isn't just going to be dressed on the sidelines. Turns out, he's going to play a major role in the game.

The Cavaliers kick off the season Saturday, September 2, in Nashville.

Handling kickoffs for Virginia against Tennessee will be 34-year-old Matt Ganyard. The grad student is enrolled at the Darden School of Business.

Ganyard got his undergrad degree at UVA in history a decade ago. Since then, he spent 10 years in the Marines, got married, and had two kids.

Up until a few months ago, Ganyard had never put on a helmet or football pads.

“I don’t think that it’s fully hit me that I get to be a part of the gameday environment,” he said.

Ganyard was a soccer player in high school, and had tried walking on to Coach Al Groh’s team as an undergrad, but was cut.

He was mostly stationed in San Diego, training younger pilots how to fly attack helicopters, but also kept practicing kicking in the hopes of playing in college.

Now, Ganyard is getting that chance, and says he can consistently hit field goals inside 50 yards.

Pretty simple feel-good story to kick off the 2023 college football season.  Most people don't get past high school when it comes to sports (thanks, I know I'm not most people. One day I'll write a blog detailing my football journey. Not today. But there is more to it than some screenshots of my stats, or lack thereof ) Some folks might have the talent but not enough that they get recruited so they try to become the next Rudy when they are 18 and try to walk on the team. 

Then there are the guys who don't play a sport, get a degree, join the Marines, get married, father two children, and then walk on the football team after enrolling in grad school 10 years later. Not only does Ganyard get to run out of the tunnel with the team, which in and of itself would be a huge accomplishment for a 34 year old walk-on, but he is getting on the field. 

This story comes down to perseverance and toughness. Some might scoff and say special teams isn't a big part of the game. Those people are idiots. As someone who needed special teams to get on the bus, I respect the hell out of this guy. As a new father, I respect him even more because playing college football is hard enough on it's own. Mix in grad school, a wife, and two kids and it becomes a whole new animal. 

The excitement you feel being on the field in front of 10s of thousands of screaming fans is an unmatched feeling. He is going to shuffle through so many emotions when he trots out there for the first time. Luckily, he is a Marine so if someone just absolutely earholes him on kickoff I trust he will be okay. Head on a swivel Ganyard! 

See you this weekend - college football is back!