AP NCAA Basketball
| Tanksi earns respect of peers, coaches (8-5-12) |
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| Written by JACK CARLE Sentinel Sports Editor | ||
| Sunday, 05 August 2012 09:48 | ||
The 2007 Mr. Football in Ohio, an award given annually to the top high school football player in the state, is gearing up for his fifth season with the Bowling Green Falcons. A former walk-on, Tanski has taken all the hard knocks that walk-ons and scout team players have to endure in college football. And while he hasn’t been on the field very much on game days, Tanski has persevered to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches. The 6-feet-0, 196-pound Tanski, was voted a team captain by his peers and then this summer was given a scholarship for his final season by head coach Dave Clawson. “I was very proud of Bart and very proud of our football team that they valued what he does so much,” Clawson said on Saturday at BG's media day. “That just shows how much Bart loves the game and how much he loves his teammates. That’s what got him elected captain,” said Mark Carney, BG’s wide receivers coach. While Tanski was somewhat surprised with being named one of the Falcons’ six captains, he said it was good to see all the hard work he put in over the last four years pay off. “(The team) seeing me as a leader, that means a lot,” Tanski said. Tanski is a wide receiver for the Falcons and will be the holder for place kicks if Tyler Tate wins the job this month. Also he’s hoping to see some action on some other special teams. Carney said Tanski adds a lot to the team that people outside the program don’t see. “He brings experience, work ethic, leadership. Bart has been a mainstay in the room for a while. A lot of what he did the last two years went unsung, a little bit,” Carney said. “Now he’s the veteran of the (wide receiver) group and he’s out front in everything we do ... He’s more comfortable in speaking up now than he was in his first year as a receiver.” Carney also cited Tanski’s unselfishness and willingness to help the players in front of him on the depth chart as some of his attributes. Tanski is one of 10 players on the roster who are in their final season of eligibility. “Bart has seen a void in leadership on offense a little bit and he’s filled that void,” Clawson said. “He’s a guy that behind the scenes does a lot of things that encourage other players. Bart is a team-first guy.” After leading Mentor High School to a state runner-up finish and being named Mr. Football, Tanski decided Bowling Green was the best fit for him. “If you don’t love it, there is no point in doing it, but I love football that much I wanted to come here and show myself I could do it and show other people I could do it and it is finally paying off,” Tanski said. “My head coach and my mom came here, so I came up on a visit and I really liked it, the players, the school, the community just everything.” Now Tanski is getting ready to start what might be his final training camp. “It’s enjoyable, but it’s crazy to think that I might never play this game again,” Tanski said. NOTES: Chris Pohlman, a walk-on fullback/tight end who played as a freshman last season, also was awarded a scholarship during the summer ... The Falcons start practicing in pads this week and have scrimmages set for Saturday at 6 p.m. and Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. |
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| Last Updated on Monday, 06 August 2012 09:18 |
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