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Walk-on Just Became Darling of Every Mom in Razorback Nation

Everyone gets credit for tight end's earned scholarship, will get credit for first catch as Hog

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Aug 9, 2022 6:24 PM EDT
Original:
Aug 8, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE – When the tight ends press conference camera shot slid over from a much larger Trey Knox to an unknown young man in glasses sporting blonde hair arranged in the old school SEC haircut style, Arkansas didn't know who he was.

However, a few words in it was clear that every momma and mammaw across Arkansas will immediately want to invite recently crowned scholarship tight end Nathan Bax into their house for fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits and sweet tea.

If possible, they'll have him out on the porch swing next to their daughter or granddaughter shelling peas hoping the fireflies and creak of the chain will work their magic.

If it's possible for a man who is 6-4, 260 to hide, Bax has done it for the past two years. However, hiding won't be happening anymore.

Walk-on turned Arkansas Razorback scholarship tight end Nathan Bax listens to instructions during training camp in early August in Fayetteville.

In the most "awe shucks" manner possible, he laid out his journey from walk-on transfer from Illinois State to being a major factor in the tight ends room this season.

"Coming in I knew it was going to be a challenge as any walk-on has a mindset of, Bax said. "You know you’re going to have to come in and put in extra work. It’s just a lot of day-in and day-out you’ve got to do your job, but you’ve also got to do extra. You’ve got to be consistent as well."

That's all anyone is going to get out of Bax about himself and his contribution to getting out of the tuition line and into the scholarship aisle. He just brought his lunch pail and everyone else did the rest.

"It wasn’t just what I did, it’s the resources around me," Bax said. "Coach [Dowell] Loggains too. He really guided me to take that next step and do things from a different point of view, do the detail things. Like I said there’s a support around me that really helped me out a lot. That’s what really lifted me up to make that next step."

Of course, there's also his muse – former tight end Blake Kern.

"Kern’s awesome," Bax said. "He was a guy I was always around. He had that same path as me starting as a walk-on. Just learning from him is something I really tried to do."

Seeing someone achieve your goal by traveling the same road you are on successfully is going to lead to questions on how best to succeed also. However, that's not where the similarities end.

"I’d say we have very similar traits as far as inline blocking," Bax said. "From a mindset I tried to pick his brain when he was here because he went through the same stuff I did. Whatever I could take from him I did because he was a huge help. That is something I tried to really take advantage of this past year."

While he's been in Fayetteville for two years, the extent of his experience has been on special teams. However, when the opportunity finally does come, in a way that would make Captain America blush with pride, Bas said he's more than prepared.

"I think whenever my number is called I’m going to do my best to produce for the team," Bax said. "I think Coach Loggains has prepared us to take advantage of the opportunities we have. If my number is called, I’m going to do my best to put our team in the best possibility to win."

Unless something unexpected happens, Bax is finally going to get a chance to catch a pass as a Razorback. But, until then, someone get this man some fresh fried chicken and a cold glass of tea.