thedrifter
12-02-05, 06:14 AM
Stahl puts studies, Marines first
By Corey Masisak
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
December 2, 2005
A year ago Tyson Stahl led Navy's football team, United States flag in hand, onto the field against Army. Stahl was the starting left tackle and elected "mayor" of the offensive line group affectionately known as "the Trailer Park."
Because he was unable to graduate on time and missed his entire sophomore season after shoulder surgery, Stahl was granted a fifth year of eligibility -- a common practice at most schools but nearly unheard of at a service academy.
When the Midshipmen tangle with the Black Knights tomorrow, Stahl will watch from the stands as someone else carries the flag and leads the team onto the field. After much deliberation, Stahl declined the offer to play the sport he loves for another season so he could concentrate on graduating and beginning his career as a Marine Corps officer.
"That was the probably the toughest decision I've had to make in a long, long time," Stahl said. "I thought about it and it really came down to I had a 2.02 [grade point average] and you have to have a 2.0 to graduate. I was still looking at thermodynamics, naval architecture and weapons system engineering before I could graduate.
"I'd been thinking all season that was it and we went out on top. It was those 32 guys that I finished out with and I realized that I needed to focus on my grades and get out of here. I wasn't a guy like Kyle [Eckel] looking to go to the NFL.
... Between the academics and wanting to start the rest of my life, I made the decision that I made. It was tough, and I was worried about guys [on the team] judging me, but sometimes you have to do what is absolutely best for you. I felt like that was the right move."
Navy coach Paul Johnson originally approached Stahl about the extra year on the plane as the team was flying to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl. Stahl is taking 10 credit hours this semester, down from the typical 18 or more in a Midshipmen's first four years.
He will graduate Dec. 16 with another former football player, John Singleton. After struggling to stay above the mandatory 2.0 GPA, Stahl expects to finish this semester with a 3.0 -- his highest marks since high school.
"It's a nice ceremony," Stahl said of the December graduation. "It's pretty personalized. There is no fly-over and no [speech from] President Bush."
He knows because his older brother, Hoot, also needed an extra semester to graduate. Hoot Stahl also was an offensive lineman for the Mids, and now is a Marine Corps officer. He already has completed two tours of duty in the Middle East, and will embark on a third in February.
Tyson has been able to find time to spend with his brother this fall, something that was impossible the last two seasons with him playing and Hoot in Iraq.
"It's been great. He came out here for the Air Force game. I went out there [to San Diego] this summer," Tyson said. "I had six weeks off for the first time ever, so I went and spent two weeks with him. He's coming home for Christmas and since he already booked his ticket before the Poinsettia Bowl [invitation], we're going to wear our jerseys at a sports bar up the street from our house [in Raleigh, N.C.]."
Stahl's day typically consists of a morning run, classes before lunch and then more free time than he's had in four years. He helped some of his former teammates coach the Sprint football team in the afternoons, and has used some of the extra time to get his body in Marine Corps shape.
While his weight fluctuated between 260 and 280 pounds last season, Stahl now checks in at a svelte 230.
"I'm happy. I'm skinny. My body still aches but not as bad as it did when I was carrying 280 pounds," Stahl said. "I stopped eating until I felt like I was going to vomit, so that helped. I started eating five meals a day, because I guess that helps your metabolism. My workouts weren't anything too extreme. The hardest part is, for the Marine Corps you have to be able to run three miles and do a lot of pull-ups. Now, I can do fine with all of that stuff."
Stahl still eats lunch with the football players every day. He's made it out to practice a few times to check in on them, and hasn't missed a game. The new mayor of the Trailer Park, Dan Wendelowski, was elected in part because he is a converted defensive lineman just like Stahl was.
"I'm sure some people would have done it differently. We're all still friends and nobody has shunned me or anything like that," Stahl said. "[The first time I missed it was] the Maryland game. I was sitting there with [former players] Lane Jackson and Casey Hughes and Corey Dryden and Jeff Vanek. [The team] came out and Ed Kotulski had the flag. Frankly, that's what I miss the most was that moment. Probably every Saturday I miss it for the first few minutes of the game and then it goes away and I don't think twice about it again."
Ellie
GO NAVY
By Corey Masisak
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
December 2, 2005
A year ago Tyson Stahl led Navy's football team, United States flag in hand, onto the field against Army. Stahl was the starting left tackle and elected "mayor" of the offensive line group affectionately known as "the Trailer Park."
Because he was unable to graduate on time and missed his entire sophomore season after shoulder surgery, Stahl was granted a fifth year of eligibility -- a common practice at most schools but nearly unheard of at a service academy.
When the Midshipmen tangle with the Black Knights tomorrow, Stahl will watch from the stands as someone else carries the flag and leads the team onto the field. After much deliberation, Stahl declined the offer to play the sport he loves for another season so he could concentrate on graduating and beginning his career as a Marine Corps officer.
"That was the probably the toughest decision I've had to make in a long, long time," Stahl said. "I thought about it and it really came down to I had a 2.02 [grade point average] and you have to have a 2.0 to graduate. I was still looking at thermodynamics, naval architecture and weapons system engineering before I could graduate.
"I'd been thinking all season that was it and we went out on top. It was those 32 guys that I finished out with and I realized that I needed to focus on my grades and get out of here. I wasn't a guy like Kyle [Eckel] looking to go to the NFL.
... Between the academics and wanting to start the rest of my life, I made the decision that I made. It was tough, and I was worried about guys [on the team] judging me, but sometimes you have to do what is absolutely best for you. I felt like that was the right move."
Navy coach Paul Johnson originally approached Stahl about the extra year on the plane as the team was flying to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl. Stahl is taking 10 credit hours this semester, down from the typical 18 or more in a Midshipmen's first four years.
He will graduate Dec. 16 with another former football player, John Singleton. After struggling to stay above the mandatory 2.0 GPA, Stahl expects to finish this semester with a 3.0 -- his highest marks since high school.
"It's a nice ceremony," Stahl said of the December graduation. "It's pretty personalized. There is no fly-over and no [speech from] President Bush."
He knows because his older brother, Hoot, also needed an extra semester to graduate. Hoot Stahl also was an offensive lineman for the Mids, and now is a Marine Corps officer. He already has completed two tours of duty in the Middle East, and will embark on a third in February.
Tyson has been able to find time to spend with his brother this fall, something that was impossible the last two seasons with him playing and Hoot in Iraq.
"It's been great. He came out here for the Air Force game. I went out there [to San Diego] this summer," Tyson said. "I had six weeks off for the first time ever, so I went and spent two weeks with him. He's coming home for Christmas and since he already booked his ticket before the Poinsettia Bowl [invitation], we're going to wear our jerseys at a sports bar up the street from our house [in Raleigh, N.C.]."
Stahl's day typically consists of a morning run, classes before lunch and then more free time than he's had in four years. He helped some of his former teammates coach the Sprint football team in the afternoons, and has used some of the extra time to get his body in Marine Corps shape.
While his weight fluctuated between 260 and 280 pounds last season, Stahl now checks in at a svelte 230.
"I'm happy. I'm skinny. My body still aches but not as bad as it did when I was carrying 280 pounds," Stahl said. "I stopped eating until I felt like I was going to vomit, so that helped. I started eating five meals a day, because I guess that helps your metabolism. My workouts weren't anything too extreme. The hardest part is, for the Marine Corps you have to be able to run three miles and do a lot of pull-ups. Now, I can do fine with all of that stuff."
Stahl still eats lunch with the football players every day. He's made it out to practice a few times to check in on them, and hasn't missed a game. The new mayor of the Trailer Park, Dan Wendelowski, was elected in part because he is a converted defensive lineman just like Stahl was.
"I'm sure some people would have done it differently. We're all still friends and nobody has shunned me or anything like that," Stahl said. "[The first time I missed it was] the Maryland game. I was sitting there with [former players] Lane Jackson and Casey Hughes and Corey Dryden and Jeff Vanek. [The team] came out and Ed Kotulski had the flag. Frankly, that's what I miss the most was that moment. Probably every Saturday I miss it for the first few minutes of the game and then it goes away and I don't think twice about it again."
Ellie
GO NAVY