Dave Doeren gives walk-on running back Brady Bodine a scholarship

This is always my favorite part of camp, because as cynical as we can all get about the state of college sports and football in particular, football still provides great moments like this:

I will never get tired of stuff like this. Every major football program relies on a bunch of walk-on players to help develop and challenge the kids who are fortunate enough to get a scholarship from the jump, and that’s definitely not a task that gets recognized often. Their teammates get it, though.

And Bodine has been a significant part of State’s special teams unit, and he got a few carries in the bowl game against Vanderbilt last year. He’s a good football player. It’s great to see him get a reward for the mostly thankless work he’s put in. It ain’t easy being a faceless member of an FBS program, and it certainly isn’t necessary or recommended for anybody to take on that role, but sometimes that does pay off.