Junior Josh Bazinet has traveled a long road to get to where he is.
Bazinet, a construction management and Spanish double major, will make the first start of his career at the wolf safety position Saturday against Texas State-San Marcos at University Stadium.
An impressive feat considering Bazinet was not a highly recruited prospect coming out of Albuquerque's West Mesa High School, where he earned All-City and All-District honors three times and All-State honors twice.
"It was harder coming in as a walk-on," Bazinet said. "Recruited players are going to get more reps. I worked my way up and eventually got my reps."
Defensive coordinator Osia Lewis said Bazinet's work ethic is one of his distinguishing qualities.
"He's one of the hardest working guy's we've got," Lewis said. "He has really worked his way into the starting line up. We're physical and Josh plays that way. He's very good against the run and he does a great job of studying the game."
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Bazinet said he came to UNM because they showed some interest in him out of high school.
"It was also because it was in town and my family and fiancee were here," he said. "That made it easier."
Making the team wasn't easy, though, he said.
"My first summer I wasn't invited to camp," Bazinet said. "I worked out with the team all summer. Showing the coaches my work ethic got my foot in the door and from there I just worked harder and harder. I have just tried to be a huge sponge and take in everything I could."
Bazinet redshirted his freshman year and spent most of the previous two years on special teams with limited snaps on defense. Last year, he was named the Lobos' special teams player of the year.
"It was a good feeling," he said. "It just shows I worked really hard. You have to do what you have to do for the team."
He said he set specific goals when he finally did make the team: make the squad, make the traveling squad, make special teams and start. Saturday will be the culmination of his personal goals, which he said he has put aside to concentrate on the team's goals.
"Our goals are to win the Mountain West Conference and the Liberty Bowl," Bazinet said. "We also have a yearly goal to have a higher team GPA than that of the previous year's squad. But really our goals are just to out work everyone, have great effort and make plays."
Great effort has brought Bazinet this far and he said he is grateful for the opportunity.
"At some schools walk-ons don't get a lot of opportunities," he said. "Coach Long treats walk-ons well. For kids in town that gives them a lot of hope."
