Friday, November 27, 2009

Mr. Hathaway, a Backyard Brawl APB

Spent the final few minutes of the 102nd Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia – a game won 19-16 by the Mountaineers – on the field at Milan Puskar Stadium Friday night.

The first person I ran into on the sidelines was former Carmichaels High School two-sport standout Bobby Hathaway. One of the toughest high school football players I've seen, Hathaway was invited to walk-on at West Virginia by former coach Rich Rodriguez.

Hathaway earned a scholarship by his sophomore year of eligibility and eventually became a starting linebacker for the Mountaineers.

Hathaway is "living in the real world" as he put it, engaged and living in Morgantown. He said he's employed and working in Bridgeport, W.Va.

Every time I talk to the young man, I keep going back to a quote John Menhart – Hathaway's high school football coach – had as Hathaway was being ignored by most Division I programs.

"If Bobby Hathaway isn't a Division I player then nobody else around here is."

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