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First-year head coach Bob Davie will instill a new tradition for the Lobo football team this year.
The policy will be called “New Mexico Man,” and it celebrates a walk-on player every game week. The designated player will wear a special patch, carry the New Mexico state flag at home games and before the game against New Mexico State and will start on special teams for that specific contest.
Davie said he hopes the ritual will highlight the walk-on program and what it means to the Lobos. The walk-on program allows students to try out for the team with hopes of one day earning a scholarship. On Wednesday, about 20 prospective students participated in drills to show off their skills to the coaching staff.
“The walk-on program everywhere I’ve been has been really important to us, but I’ve never been to a place where the walk-on program is more important than it is here,” Davie said. “There are a lot of good high school football players here in New Mexico. I see how important the walk-on program is and I wanted a way to honor those walk-ons.”
Davie was an assistant coach at Texas A&M for nine years as linebacker and defensive coordinator, and he said walk-ons helped build up the program.
“I coached at Texas A&M, where we had the home of the 12th man, and it was a walk-on kickoff team that united our fan base and our team,” he said.
The first-ever “New Mexico Man” has already been named: sophomore wide receiver Jeric Magnant, who was born in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
However, Magnant is no stranger to the Land of Enchantment, as he graduated from Rio Rancho high school in 2011 and was First Team All-State his senior year of high school.
Magnant said he was happy to be chosen as the inaugural “New Mexico Man.”
“I feel really honored,” Magnant said. “I grew up here in New Mexico; I’ve lived here almost my whole life. Another reason I feel honored is because of coach Davie, he just brings a lot of respect to the program himself. Everybody I know respects him and I respect him a lot. It sounds like a great tradition to me, something that I’d like to keep going here.”
As of Tuesday, Magnant has been given a scholarship and is no longer a walk-on. Magnant said Davie is one of the reasons he is pushing himself more than ever.
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“It felt great for me because a lot of people think I just got a scholarship because I work hard, which is true,” he said. “But coach Davie, he makes it so easy to work hard, he makes me love the game of football again.”
Davie said Magnant exemplifies a player who works hard and takes advantage of every opportunity.
“He’s not a walk-on, he’s the true example of coming to New Mexico, getting out here on the field and what taking advantage of your opportunities can lead to.”
Magnant, a wide-out, worked his way up the depth chart and runs first team in practice. Magnant said it doesn’t matter to him whether he’s in the starting lineup.
“We have three seniors right now and they pretty much start,” he said. “When one of them needs a rest or happen to get injured then I just go in. I don’t know if it’s starting or not; I’m not too into whether I’m going in the first play or not.”
