Walk-ons do so much for a college football program. they add needed depth and provide practice bodies so everyone can get better. occasionally, some break through and play key roles or even become starters. Last season Sam McCartney, Landon Feichter, and Dolapo Macarthy all played big roles while paying their own way. Today on the countdown we have a third-year walk-on who is still waiting for playing time:
Chuck Ayres - So. (RS)
Hometown: Eau Claire, WI (Eau Claire Memorial)
Defensive Tackle
6'4" 257 pounds
Projection: Reserve at defensive tackle
Ayres has been a walk on for the previous two seasons while grinding away behind the scenes in practice. Coming out of high school he was looking at football colleges like Notre Dame, Texas, and Ohio State as well as colleges that excel in academics like MIT, Princeton, and Harvard. I don't think there could be a more unique group of schools on a prospective college athlete's list.
Many players major in a "football major", but not Ayres. In addition to spending time on the practice field he is majoring in biomedical engineering, which is a damned impressive field of study. It has always been education-first with him:
"I would love to play college football, but my education is more important to me," Ayres said. "Ideally, I would love to play football at a college where I can excel academically."
You have picked the right place for that even if you never see the field, Chuck.