As the Runnin’ Utes prepared for their season opener against Evergreen State in November, the prevailing thought among players was that the contest would be decided early, and thus there would be time at the end of the game for players who didn’t figure to be in head coach Larry Krystkowiak’s regular rotation to see some action.
Eastman was one of these players, a junior walk-on who had never appeared in a college game and had only officially been a part of the team for a few weeks. Over the summer, he had served as a team manager.
But sure enough, with 2:11 remaining against the Geoducks, Eastman’s name was called.
“Right then, I was just like, ‘Wow, this is happening.’ It was the most incredible feeling of my life,” he said. “It was awesome.”
But even with Utah leading by a whopping 76 points, Eastman wasn’t content to simply clock some minutes. Just 27 seconds into his time on the floor, Evergreen State’s Jordan Rawls missed a jumper and Eastman battled for the rebound and was fouled. He missed the first free throw and the pressure was on to make the second. He nailed it and the Ute bench, along with the crowd, went wild.
“He’s a great kid and he works hard with us every day. That was a real special moment for him, especially coming from being a manager and then being a walk-on and then actually playing and making a bucket,” said Ute center Renan Lenz, one of the players who cheered when Eastman made the free throw. “That was big time.”
Dramatic moments such as that one are often rarities in the lives of walk-ons, athletes who don’t receive any scholarship money to play their chosen sport, yet who do it for the love of the game. In large part, these athletes serve to help their teams scout opponents and they typically spend more time on the bench than they do the court or field during games.
Take Eastman’s teammate Xan Ricketts for example. Ricketts grew up in Utah but accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Simon Fraser University, a small school in Canada. After a season there, Ricketts decided to come back home to attend the U. He wanted to attend a more academically rigorous school even if that meant his playing days were over. As fate would have it, there was a spot available on Krystkowiak’s club if Ricketts wanted to walk on. He took it.
After redshirting the 2011-2012 season, Ricketts played in five games a season ago. In all, he logged 10 minutes of playing time, scored two points and pulled down three rebounds. Through eight games this season, Ricketts has already matched his point and rebound totals from last year in just 15 minutes on the court.
“It’s tough not knowing if you’re gonna get a lot of minutes, so where’s the motivation? The motivation for me is just getting my teammates better,” Ricketts said. “Getting Jeremy Olsen, Renan Lenz, Marko [Kovacevic], all those guys, the big men, better day in and day out. That’s why I do it, personally. Once I see results on the court I feel good about myself.”
Eastman, Ricketts and fellow walk-on Connor Van Brocklin help make up what Krystkowiak calls the “bomb squad,” a group that assists the rotation players in preparing for opponents.
“They help us,” Lenz said. “They’re doing what they love helping the team. Sometimes they don’t even play, but they’re here every day working their butts off.”
While walk-ons are often relegated to grunt work and little glory, Utah coaches insist that these athletes are given the same opportunities as those who receive scholarships. The proof is in the pudding.
Ute kicker Andy Phillips went from being a walk-on to becoming one of the best kickers in the country this season. Additionally, the volleyball team that just went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008 featured a number of players who started their careers at Utah without scholarships.
“I think the ones that make it have that special fight, that special something inside of them that says, ‘I should have been here to begin with. I’m gonna prove it to everybody that I should have,’” said women’s head basketball coach Anthony Levrets. “When they do, you have yourself a pretty special person.”
While walk-ons have to fight to see time on the floor, many face a similarly difficult challenge of balancing everything going in their lives without the security of a scholarship. In Eastman’s case, he had to rearrange his schedule to have time for both school and basketball.
“I have so much respect for them,” said volleyball head coach Beth Launiere. “It’s a very difficult thing and it’s got to be the right situation for them and their family to be able to do it. Sometimes it’s the right decision for them to come here for all the right reasons even without a scholarship.”
Such was the case for Eastman. He came to the U from Billings, Mont., where he had played high school hoops but didn’t receive any scholarship offers. Over the past few years, the scrawny guard has worked to gain weight and improve his overall game. He became a team manager for Krystkowiak’s club over the summer, and was offered a spot on the team when injuries plagued the squad during training camp. He pounced on the opportunity.
“It’s tough,” he said of his life as a walk-on. “But it’s something I love to do, so it’s not a problem.”