Traditionally, Senior Day was a time to say goodbye, to reflect, to close a chapter in life, but for college athletes, it could just be a practice walk for the one they will take 12 months later.
For all athletes, whether in high school or college, ‘Senior Day’ is the finale. For many high school athletes, it closes the chapter of their playing days, of their childhood. The same can be said for college athletes, who if they are not going to play professionally, will be taking their final lap in a uniform.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Senior Day for West Virginia, along with most other schools will look different, and it will look different for the next few years to come.
Last year, Dante Stills had his first of what will be too goodbyes. The true senior last year was in his fourth year at WVU, and five years ago that would mean the end. Stills, though, was given the blanket year of eligibility added to players who were on a roster in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stills would walk last year, getting the ovation from the Mountaineer faithful, but then decided to come back for one more season — his ‘COVID year.’
“Dante’s going to walk twice, has anybody ever done that, I don’t know,” West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said. He’s going to get as big applause this year as he did last year. His mom’s probably going to be emotional as she was last year.”
Brown’s philosophy he tells his seniors who have eligibility is to “just walk.”
“It’s such a weird time for seniors,” Brown said. “If you don’t know, just walk.”
On West Virginia’s current roster, there are 11 guys who qualify as seniors, either being a ‘fifth-year’ senior, a ‘redshirt-senior,’ or just being on their normal fourth year of eligibility.
This list includes Stills, Charles Woods, Jasir Cox, Rashad Ajayi, Brian Polendey, Parker Grothaus, Taijh Alston, Wesley McCormick, Exree Loe, Will Schoonover and Matt Cavallaro.
After that, there are multiple guys such as Sam James who could walk this year, but could also return next year, being tabbed as, ‘redshirt-juniors.’ James started as a freshman at WVU in 2018. He was redshirted that year, and then add in the COVID year, James could be a Mountaineer for six years in total.
“I thought about it,” James said on walking for Senior Day. “I have another year. That’s up in the air, but I still got to discuss that with my mom and coach Brown to see what’s the best option.”
James along with Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Malachi Ruffin, JT Daniels, Marcis Floyd, Anthony Del Negro and Mike O’Laughlin all could walk this Saturday and return for one final season of college football.
For the Mountaineers, Senior Day can come as somewhat of a distraction. Brown says, because of how it is able to be a moment of reflection, it could cause guys to become overly emotional before playing a football game.
“Senior days are some of the toughest times as coaches because it’s a really emotional time, because you’re reflective by nature,” Brown said, “Because it’s supposed to be the climax, so you want to think back. But then you have to go play a football game.”
As for the group that could come back, Brown said don’t take stock in who walks and who doesn’t.
“I’ve told these guys, nobody needs to make decisions until after the year,” Brown said. “If they don’t know, just walk and make a decision later.”
Photo by Bryan Dougherty, @bryandwvu
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