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Five Walk-Ons, Three from NM, Earn Scholarships

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For five Lobos, Thursday morning’s football meetings went from instructional to life-altering.  Five Lobos, including three New Mexico natives, were awarded scholarships by head coach Bob Davie in a surprise announcement during Thursday meetings, bringing cheers from their teammates, and kicking off a big summer of workouts as the team readies for the 2019 season opener on August 31.
 
The five Lobos earning scholarships were Bobby Cole (a redshirt running back from Chatsworth, California), Andrew Erickson (a redshirt freshman receiver from Albuquerque’s Manzano High School), Micah Gray (a redshirt sophomore running back from Clovis High School), Hayden Wilson (a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman from Rio Rancho’s Cleveland High School) and Nic Wilson (a redshirt freshman cornerback from San Bernardino, California).
 

 
“I’m proud of the work that all five of these young men have done at UNM,” said Davie.  “Whether it’s the hard work they have put in on the field, or in the classroom, or in the community, they have represented themselves, this program and our institution in outstanding fashion.  I’m excited for them and their families.  They have earned this.”
 
Gray and Cole saw playing time in 2018 as redshirt freshmen, mostly on special teams, but both had a solid spring camp and saw plenty of action toting the football at running back as well as participating on special teams.  For Erickson, Hayden Wilson and Nic Wilson, all three were freshmen last year and all had terrific seasons on the scout team in 2018, and then turned in great spring camps in 2019.
 

Overall, the five bring the total of former walk-ons elevated to scholarship status under Bob Davie to 23, and Erickson, Gray and Wilson bring the total of New Mexico natives elevated to scholarship status to 15.  Gray and Wilson both served as the New Mexico Man last season, with Gray earning the honor on September 29 against Liberty and Wilson on November 24 against Wyoming.   Of the 28 New Mexico Men that started their careers as walk-ons at UNM, 12 have now earned scholarships.
 

 
The New Mexico Man tradition was started by Davie in 2012.  In the program a walk-on, or former walk-on player is designated as the “New Mexico Man” each home week during the season. The selected player leads the team onto the field with the New Mexico state flag before home games as well as in Las Cruces at the Rio Grande Rivalry game between the Lobos and New Mexico State. During the game, the New Mexico Man wears a special uniform patch in the shape of the state of New Mexico on their jersey.
 

Of the previous 18 student-athletes put on scholarship by Davie, 12 were natives of New Mexico.  Those names include David Anaya, Javohn Jones, Xavier Madrid, Jeric Magnant, Zack Rogers, Steven Romero, John Russo, Andrew Shelley, Thomas Vieira, Michael Walsh, Randy Williams and Reece White.  Overall, UNM has 17 New Mexico natives on the preliminary 2019 roster, with more set to join when classes begin in August.  The 17 New Mexico players is the most of any Division I team, with 11 on full scholarship.
 

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