Jan/Feb 2017 Commodore Nation by Vanderbilt Commodores

January/February 2017

MAJOR SUPPORT MLB star David Price gives back to VU

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CONTENTS P.8

P.18

Good Things Come in Threes

Polynesian Pipeline

Vanderbilt men have enjoyed success from 3-point range for 30 years

Four Commodore student-athletes trading West Coast for Music City

P.16 Tennis Center Project: Game, Sun, Match Solar panels, proposed by former VU star, now installed at complex

P.12 Price Happy to Give Back MLB star David Price leads the charge for funding baseball project

P.2

P.24 Zach Cunningham A season to remember

Compliance Corner

P.3 National Commodore Club

P.7 Inside McGugin

P.23 My Take Zac Ellisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly column

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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NCC EXCELLENCE FUND FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Head Coach Stephanie White will usher the Vanderbilt women’s basketball program into a new era this year. She has served as the head coach for the WNBA Indiana Fever for the past two seasons, and became the first rookie coach in league history to lead a team to the finals. White and her staff are excited about the future of Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball, and look forward to getting to know former players, fans, supporters and everyone in the Vanderbilt community. You can make an impact on the program this year by supporting the NCC Excellence Fund for Women’s Basketball. You help provide the resources needed for the team to succeed, and you receive great benefits.

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Inside McGugin

JOHN RUSSELL

he Vanderbilt football team spent the holidays in Shreveport, La., after the Commodores earned their first bowl berth of the Derek Mason Era. Thanks to two wins in their final two games of the regular season against Ole Miss and Tennessee, the Commodores earned a spot in the Camping World Independence Bowl opposite North Carolina State. It served as the eighth alltime bowl berth in program history. Despite eventually dropping a 41-17 decision to the Wolfpack at Independence Stadium, Vanderbilt made the most of its venture to Shreveport. The Commodores competed in the “Big Game Show”, a “Family Feud”-style setup that pitted players against N.C. State in a trivia-based contest. Vanderbilt also explored the Louisiana Boardwalk along the Red River and practiced at an impressive athletic facility at First Bossier Baptist Church in nearby Bossier City. The ‘Dores also used their bowl trip to lay the foundation for the future. They took part in extra bowl practice for the first time under head coach Derek Mason, adding to the experience of a group that won six games—including three SEC contests—in 2016. That’s why

Vanderbilt feels it took a major step forward this season. “We planted the seed with this group,” Mason said. “We understand what the expectations are. We’ll water that seed, plow the ground and make sure we have the opportunity to grow this program the way we see fit.” A number of key Commodores are expected

to return to Nashville next season, including quarterback Kyle Shurmur and running back Ralph Webb. That group fully expects to return to the postseason in 2017. “We’re not going to settle for six wins,” Shurmur said. “We know we’re a lot better than that. I’m eager to get back to work.” n

VANDERBILT MEN’S BASKETBALL

02/07 at Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.

01/04 vs. Auburn, 6 p.m.

02/11 at Missouri, 2:30 p.m.

01/07 at Alabama, 6 p.m.

02/16 vs. Texas A&M, 6 p.m.

01/10 vs. Kentucky, 6 p.m.

02/18 vs. South Carolina, 7:30 p.m.

01/14 vs. Tennessee, 7:30 p.m.

02/22 at Tennessee, 5:30 p.m.

01/17 at Georgia, 8 p.m.

02/25 vs. Mississippi State, 3 p.m.

01/21 at Florida, 11 a.m.

02/28 at Kentucky, 8 p.m.

01/24 vs. Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.

03/04 vs. Florida, 1 p.m.

01/28 vs. Iowa State, 3 p.m.

03/08 SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.)

01/31 at Texas A&M, 8 p.m.

JOHN RUSSELL

02/04 vs. Ole Miss, 2 p.m.

vucommodores.com

JOE HOWELL

2017 Calendar

VANDERBILT WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

01/29 vs. Florida, 2 p.m.

01/02 at Texas A&M, 6 p.m.

02/05 at Kentucky, 11 a.m.

01/05 vs. Tennessee, 8 p.m.

02/09 at Mississippi State, 8 p.m.

01/08 at Georgia, 11 a.m.

02/13 vs. LSU, 6 p.m.

01/12 vs. Auburn, 7 p.m.

02/16 at South Carolina, 6 p.m.

01/15 vs. Missouri, 2 p.m.

02/19 vs. Ole Miss, 2 p.m.

01/19 at Arkansas, 7 p.m.

02/23 vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m.

01/22 at Tennessee, 4 p.m.

02/26 at LSU, 12 p.m.

01/26 vs. Alabama, 8 p.m.

03/01 SEC Tournament (Greenville, S.C)

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

Good Things COME IN THREES Vanderbilt has sustained success from 3-point range for 30 years By David Dawson

n the occasions when his coaching duties at Christ Presbyterian Academy prevent him from watching the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team play a game, former Commodore star Drew Maddux always wants to know the answer to two specific questions: Did the Commodores win? And did they make a 3-pointer? Those two questions are immensely important

Jan/Feb 2017

not only to Drew—but also to countless Vanderbilt fans all across the nation. And while the answer to the first question often varies, the answer to the second question has remained the same for the past 30 years. In every game since the start of the 1986-87 season—when the 3-point line was first implemented in college basketball—the Commodores have managed to make a least one shot from

behind the arc. Vanderbilt is one of only three teams, along with UNLV and Princeton, that can make that claim. “It is something I am very proud of,” said Maddux, referring to Vanderbilt’s affiliation with the 3-point shot. “It’s something that we (Vanderbilt alum) talk about very often and we are all very aware of it.” Entering this season, the Commodores’ streak

was at 964 consecutive games, and as of midDecember, the number had reached 975.

Yeah, It’s Kind Of A Big Deal Barry Goheen, Barry Booker, Scott Draud and Frank Kornet were prominent players on the team during the 1986-87 season, when the streak got rolling. Now, the current crop of Commodores— which includes Frank Kornet’s son, Luke—is keeping the custom alive. “It’s cool to know that you have a piece of tradition, especially knowing that it spans all the way back to the first game of the 3-point line,” said the younger Kornet, who is a 7-1 senior for the Commodores and has contributed more than 100 career 3-pointers at Vanderbilt. “It’s a cool piece of history that ties together all the Vanderbilt teams through the years.” It also ties together the Commodore community. The streak has been a point of pride for Vanderbilt fans for the past three decades, and is something that many Vanderbilt die-hards consider to be a tradition unlike any other. Granted, the streak has, at times, caused considerable consternation among the Vanderbilt faithful, many of whom cannot relax and enjoy the game until the Commodores connect from long range. “On those rare occasions when the Commodores have not made a 3 in the first half, you can feel the tension in the building,” said Vanderbilt

Drew Maddux, who played at Vanderbilt from 1995-98, made more than 200 three-pointers in his career.

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play-by-play announcer Joe Fisher, who has served as the voice of the Commodores since 1998. “For some fans, the game result seems to become secondary to making sure the streak continues.” At home games, the Vanderbilt fans rise to their feet when the first 3-pointer is made by the Commodores, and the video board above the floor at Memorial Gym flashes the allimportant message: “the streak continues!” For those who are listening to the game on the radio, Fisher informs the audience that the streak has been extended, and he gives the updated number of consecutive games. Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew, who is in his first season in Nashville, said he wasn’t aware of the streak when he arrived on campus, but said; “I found out about it very quickly. It’s definitely something that—as a new coach coming in—you don’t want to be the guy that sees it end. You want to do all you can to try to keep it going.”

Maddux remembered that he and his teammates were basically in a panic as the game reached its final minute: “We were very, very cognizant of what was going on, and we felt the heat, the intensity and the pressure of trying to manufacture a

Maddux’s Miracle Maddux, who played at Vanderbilt from 199598, accounted for 226 three-pointers during his career, many of which helped pave the way for memorable victories. But perhaps his most significant 3-pointer came in the final seconds of a lopsided loss. On the night of Jan. 24, 1996, the Commodores found themselves trailing by a wide margin against Florida at the O’Connell Center. Making matters worse, the streak was in serious peril. With just 20 seconds left in the game, Vanderbilt had yet to make a 3-pointer—and it appeared the streak would end at the ripe old age of 305 games, just 10 years after it started. Maddux, however, made sure it didn’t. He fired up an off-balance shot from roughly 25 feet away from the basket, and the miraculous shot found its way to the bottom of the net. The shot did nothing to change the outcome of the game— Vanderbilt lost 77-55—but it certainly changed the course of history for the Vanderbilt program. Almost 20 years later, that game remains the closest the Commodores have come to seeing the streak snapped. The shot remains a deeply-cherished memory for Maddux, who is the son of former Vanderbilt great Ray Maddux and who served as a ball-boy at Memorial Gym while he was growing up. “You know, it’s funny, you have all these memorable moments of being a Vanderbilt player—and in my case, of being a Vanderbilt fan when I was growing up—and there are a lot of great wins, lots of great plays and lots of big shots,” said Maddux. “But I consider that shot against Florida to be one of the biggest shots I was fortunate enough to make.”

Luke Kornet, a second-generation Vanderbilt player, is a dangerous outside shooter.

3-pointer that night. We were determined that we were NOT going to be the team that allowed the streak to end.” Maddux said the Florida players were equally determined to hold the Commodores 3-less that night. “I remember being at the free throw line in front of the Florida bench late in the game— and I can still remember this all these years later—and (Florida head coach) Billy Donovan took out all of his starters because they were beating us badly,” said Maddux, who is now the head basketball coach at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville. “And I remember the starters, as they were coming out of the game, they were verbalizing to the substitutions to not let us make a 3-point shot. And we could hear them talking about it.” The Florida fans, knowing what was going

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

on, booed loudly when Maddux’s wild shot dropped in. “The O’Connell Center was one of the first gyms that we played at where the students were really close to the floor,” said Maddux. “And I remember the Florida students being a part of this, too. I remember them being very aware of what was going on.” Many years later, during the 2002-03 season, the Commodores were limited to just one 3-pointer while enduring a road loss to Indiana. But in that game, the lone 3-pointer—which was made by Russell Lakey—came with 15:03 remaining in the game, and hence, saved the Vanderbilt fans from the high drama they endured in Florida.

For Threeeeeee! Thanks in large part to the notoriety of the streak, the Commodores have been closely linked to the 3-point shot throughout the past 30 years. Seemingly every Vanderbilt coach—from C.M. Newton in the 80s to Kevin Stallings (head coach from 2000-2016)—has packed the roster with outstanding 3-point shooters, and the Commodores have routinely ranked among the SEC’s

best in 3-point percentage and proficiency. “Vanderbilt has always had a rich tradition of shooters,” said Luke Kornet, who grew up watching the Commodores and cheering for his dad’s alma mater. “It’s definitely something that is part of our program. Going back to Shan (Foster) and Derrick Byars—and even Matt Freije would jump out there and shoot 3s—and then you had John Jenkins and the list just goes on.” This year is no exception, as Bryce Drew has a collection of sharp-shooters that includes Riley LaChance, who was leading the country in 3-point accuracy through mid-December, along with Matthew Fisher-Davis, Jeff Roberson and Kornet. In an early December game against High Point, the Commodores made 19 shots from behind the arc to set a new single-game school record. “With all the great shooters that they’ve had here at Vanderbilt, for our (current) team to be in the record books for most single-game 3-pointers is pretty special,” said Drew. Maddux said he grew up idolizing the 3-point pioneers at Vanderbilt; the ones who got the ball rolling. “I remember clearly, from my days as being a ball boy, when the 3-point stripe first came into play. And guys like Barry Booker, Barry Goheen, Scott Druad—the Bomb Squad—those guys were my heroes. And they are the ones that really set in motion Vanderbilt’s ability to utilize the 3-point line.”

JOHN RUSSELL

Matthew Fisher-Davis, a junior, is considered one of the SEC’s top sharp-shooters.

Jan/Feb 2017

Not surprisingly, Vanderbilt’s 3-point streak is a topic of conversation whenever a group of former Commodores get together. Maddux, for instance, routinely plays pick-up games with a group of Vanderbilt alumni—including Freije, Kevin Anglin, Ronnie McMahan and Foster—and they’ve spent countless hours discussing the streak. “It is something we talk about very often and we are all very aware it,” he said. “When we watch Vanderbilt play, there is a collective gasp that is released from all of us when Vanderbilt makes a 3-pointer. It is shared among all of us former players, I can promise you.” Maddux said that he and several members of his family “have a big group text that we use during games, and as soon as Vanderbilt hits a 3-pointer, we start texting each other.” The same is true for many Vanderbilt fans, with messages being exchanged on social media and phones all across the country when the Commodores knock down a 3-pointer. “Since I began (broadcasting) games for Vanderbilt in 1998, the 3-point streak has always been top of mind with fans, players and even coaches,” said Fisher, who has been behind the microphone for several significant moments dur-

NEIL BRAKE

Something To Brag About

Shan Foster, the all-time leading scorer in Vanderbilt history, compiled 367 3-pointers in his career. He made nine 3-pointers in a game against Miss. State.

ing the streak, including the night it reached 500 in a win over Kentucky. “Kevin Stallings said it was a relief hearing me reference the streak continuing after a made 3-pointer when he’d hear the game playback.” As for the Florida game—and the last-minute shot that saved the streak—Maddux admitted he was a little fuzzy on some of the details. “I think the shot came with about a minute left.” When he was told that it was actually the final 20 seconds, Maddux said, “Oh my goodness. Was it that late? That makes my heart beat fast right now just thinking about it. I am starting to get the hives and get all red-faced right this minute. Man.” Maddux said that the heave against Florida was nothing short of a prayer. “It was a terrible shot. I never should have taken it.” Vanderbilt fans are sure glad he did. ■

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Jan/Feb 2017

PRICE HAPPY TO

GIVE BACK

MLB star David Price leads the charge for funding baseball project

By Zac Ellis

Price decided to give back, as well. On Nov. 18, in a press conference on campus, the university announced a $2.5 million gift by Price toward the Commodores’ $12 million baseball facilities project. Price’s contribution served as the largest gift to the project as well as its capstone. Price, the 2007 National Player of the Year at Vanderbilt and the eventual No. 1 overall pick in that year’s MLB Draft, said giving back to his alma mater “just feels right.” Now it’s further proof of the quality of the program being built by longtime Commodore head coach Tim Corbin. “This is a place I always think about,” Price says. “For me, this was the best three years, on and off the field, in my life. The time that I spent here was the most valuable. It transformed me into more of a man than when I came.” Although Price’s gift was the headliner for the baseball project, several of Corbin’s former Vanderbilt players chose to make an impact, too. Sixtypercent of those who played under Corbin contributed to the project, and

JOE HOWELL

avid Price lounges on a black leather sofa in Vanderbilt’s baseball locker room, an expansive but private section of the team’s Hawkins Field clubhouse. On this November morning, the complex is otherwise unoccupied; used workout gear hangs in wooden lockers next to propped aluminum bats. The lights are off, so the famous Star V logo is barely visible at the center of the carpet. But in a lit corner of the room, Price, sporting a forest green T-shirt and baseball cap, feels right at home. Never mind that the current Boston Red Sox ace just capped his ninth season as one of the premier pitchers in major league baseball. Price defines himself by his career at Vanderbilt, and the former Commodore has yet to forget his roots on West End. “I always miss college,” Price says. “I don’t need to come back to Vanderbilt to miss this place.” Vanderbilt means so much to Price that the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native makes frequent trips back to his alma mater in the offseason. And last fall,

JOE HOWELL

Former players routinely return to Vanderbilt to work out and visit with head coach Tim Corbin. The picture above includes: (from left) Tyler Ferguson, Dansby Swanson, Kevin Ziomek, John Kilichowski, Taylor Hill, Grayson Garvin, Jack Armstrong, David Price, Tim Corbin, Drew Fann, Curt Casali (back), Mike Yastrzemski (front), Connor Harrell, Corey Williams, Russell Brewer, Navery Moore, Will Clinard, Worth Scott.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

JOE HOWELL

Dansby Swanson gets a fist-bump from David Price in the dugout on the day that Swanson was taken as the overall top pick in the MLB draft. Price visited the Commodores during the Super Regionals in Champaign, Ill.

Jan/Feb 2017

JOE HOWELL

250 total gifts—a Vanderbilt athletics record—made the facility upgrade possible. Two dozen of those former Commodores attended the university’s announcement of Price’s gift, which took place inside the construction zone of the unfinished baseball facility. To Corbin, the father of two stepdaughters, Price and his fellow Commodores are more than just studentathletes. Those who played at Vanderbilt—and make it a home in the offseason—personify the family atmosphere Corbin has worked to install on West End. “These kids, these boys, are selfishly the only boys that Maggie and I will ever have in our life,” Corbin says. “That’s strong. It’s meaningful. It’s very powerful. We see this as an opportunity to continue family, continue the growth of a lot of people, not only the kids that are playing here but the kids to my right that have helped establish this particular situation, which is a legacy of love.” Construction on Vanderbilt’s new 30,000 square-foot facility began in May 2016 and is scheduled to be almost fully completed by the end of the 2017 baseball season. The state-of-the-art wing of Memorial Gym will house new open-air batting cages, a weight room and cardio areas. New offices and operations spaces for Corbin and his coaching staff will look out over the left field wall of Hawkins Field. Moreover, the revamped facility will feature a brand new pro locker room, giving former players like Price a home away from home during the offseason. Renovations to the current locker room and team lounge in the Hawkins Field clubhouse are set to be completed by Spring 2018. Price has played for four MLB franchises, and he said Vanderbilt’s facilities are the standard at the collegiate level—if not higher. “These facilities are second-to-none in college baseball,” Price said. “They have a lot of professional facilities beat.” To Price, his stint on West End was a seminal moment in his development as a player and a person. He landed at Vanderbilt as a prep AllAmerican out of Blackman High in nearby Murfreesboro, one of the first blue-chip recruits of Corbin’s tenure in Nashville. As a freshman in 2007, Price helped lead the Commodores to their first-ever No. 1 ranking, a spot they held for 16 weeks. Price and the ‘Dores won 54 games that year for what was then their best finish in program history. In the ensuing seasons, Vanderbilt has evolved into the best baseball program in the country. But the ‘Dores’ immense success isn’t what resonates with Price as he recalls his college career. Instead, it’s the impact of his former head coach, who remains an irreplaceable mentor.

Head coach Tim Corbin (front) and David Price share a laugh during Price’s recent visit to Vanderbilt.

“We could have been absolutely terrible here for the three years I was here, and I still would have come out a lot better than I came in,” Price says. “That’s all Coach Corbin. I’m still in debt to him and this program. I don’t think there’s any amount of money or anything I can do to get to the positive, and I’m fine with that.” Joe Barrett, a longtime Vanderbilt supporter and donor to the facilities project, has been a Commodore fan for almost 50 years, and he attended Price’s press conference. That loyalty has provided a sense of perspective on Corbin’s success. To Barrett, the head coach’s leadership makes it easy to support Vanderbilt. “When Coach Corbin and his wife Maggie talk about a family atmosphere, this is what it is,” Barrett says. “When you get to talk to these student-athletes while they’re here, and after they graduate, they’re so respectful of everything that’s happened to them. I think it comes down to the culture they’re talking about. It’s like a puzzle being put together, and when that puzzle is complete, it’s just astounding.” These days Price is hardly subtle with his Vanderbilt fandom. In big league locker rooms, Price routinely sports Commodore hats and shirts, and he now expects his teammates to tune out his cheers. “They’re probably tired of hearing about it,” Price says. But Price, who signed a seven-year, $217 million contract with the Red Sox in Dec. 2015, can’t hide his satisfaction when asked about his alma mater. That’s why he chose to give back to Corbin’s program; Price hopes his gift paves the way for future Commodores to continue Vanderbilt’s standard of excellence. “When people ask me where I went to college, I get a big smile on my face,” Price says. Vanderbilt sees Price’s support as a watershed moment in athletics history. David Williams, Vanderbilt’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director, said most student-athletes don’t give back to their alma maters. Price, and former Commodores like him, has bucked that trend as alumni of Corbin’s program. That passion could be the start of something much bigger at Vanderbilt. “That sends a signal to everybody else,” Williams says. “David and the other players who gave back have sent a message to the rest of college athletics: This is what happens at Vanderbilt.” ■

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GAME, SUN, MATCH Solar panels, proposed by former VU star, now installed at complex By Zac Ellis

hen the sun shines at Vanderbilt’s Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center these days, it means a little more to former player Marie Casares, BE’15. Two years ago, while Casares was still in school, the civil engineering major wrote a proposal to install solar panels atop the Currey Tennis Center and submitted it to Vanderbilt’s Green Fund, which designates money for student-led energy conservation projects. “I had to provide an idea of where the project would be and what it would do,” Casares says. “So since it’s something close to my heart, I proposed the tennis center.” She projected that the solar panels would pay for themselves in fiveto-seven years. The proposal caught the attention of Geoff Macdonald, the longtime Vanderbilt tennis coach and a proponent of solar technology. “Marie did a phenomenal proposal,” MacDonald says. “It was scientific, it was researched, it described how much money it would save. It was just amazing.” He notes that Casares took on the solar-panel initiative even as she was playing some of the

best tennis of her college career. As a junior durnatural gas consumption at the Currey Center by ing the 2013-14 season, she set school records in 40 percent, MacDonald says. single match wins (32) and combined wins (60). Michael P. Vandenbergh, the David Daniels Casares would go on to deliver the point that Allen Distinguished Chair of Law at Vanderbilt Law clinched Vanderbilt’s most recent SEC championSchool and a leading scholar in environmental ship in April 2015 and later that year and energy law, says the Currey Center helped carry the Commodores to the project has the potential to spark wider program’s first NCAA title, where she change across campus. earned All-Tournament honors. “People need to see evidence of As for the solar project, it would progress in order to want to invest time be the first of its kind at Vanderbilt, and energy in other projects,” Vanand Casares noted in her proposal to denbergh says. “Solar power has come the Green Fund the importance of its to represent a very forward-looking promotion at an athletic facility. way of thinking about the future. It’s It wasn’t long before Casares something that’s very attractive to Marie Casares received good news: the Green Fund potential applicants at Vanderbilt, and Working Group, comprised of six even to faculty and staff. It gives us a administrators, six students and a faculty member, chance to envision a kind of campus that we can approved the approximately $80,000 in funding be proud of.” needed for the project. Crews installed the first Casares also hopes the tennis center project will panels on the Currey Center roof in the fall of 2015 serve as a catalyst for wider change. and the second set this fall. “For me, this project came from a place of In their first three months of use, the 71 solar caring,” she says. “Caring about the world, about panels that now sit atop the tennis center have cut Vanderbilt and about the tennis center. ■

The installation of new solar panels at the Currey Tennis Center has greatly reduced the facility’s natural gas consumption.

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Polynesian Pipeline

Four Commodore student-athletes trading West Coast for Music City By Zac Ellis

hen Taiana Tolleson strolls across campus at Vanderbilt University, she often yearns for a warm island breeze or the feel of sand under her feet. It’s easy to see why; Tolleson, a freshman goalkeeper on the Commodores’ soccer team, hails from sunny Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Her tropical home sits 4,000 miles and a full continent away from Nashville. In terms of familiarity, it’s even further. Now Tolleson, who grew up in a close-knit Polynesian family, sometimes seeks pieces of Hawaii in Music City. In those moments she confides in her Vanderbilt football family: Josiah Sa’o, a freshman defensive lineman; Sean AuwaeMcMoore, a freshman offensive lineman; and Nifae Lealao, a junior defensive lineman. Lealao, the group’s elder statesman, is jokingly referred to as the “father” of the three freshmen, a 6-5, 315-pound Polynesian patriarch who carefully tends to his flock, which is still adjusting to life in the South. What’s the common thread between these four Commodores? A Polynesian background, West Coast pedigrees and a unique understanding of what it’s like to be far from home. “Being the only four Polynesians here, we just click,” Tolleson says. “We find each other if we’re having a rough day. With Nifae, I can be like, ‘Dad, I’m homesick right now.’” That feeling doesn’t last long anymore. Tolleson and her football Sean Auwae-McMoore family have embraced their new home in Nashville. They also represent a new era in Vanderbilt athletics. In 2014, Lealao became the first Polynesian to sign to play football at Vanderbilt; just two years later the stout lineman is one of four Polynesians donning black and gold across two sports. In a culture that covets home, these Commodores hope to shatter ceilings as Polynesians at Vanderbilt. “Setting the foundation here and opening doors for more people of Polynesian descent to enjoy this opportunity, that can’t be taken for granted,” Lealao says. “Vanderbilt is a great place to be.” That Poly-pipeline might not have come to fruition had Lealao’s father, Nifae Sr., not pulled a prank on his son during his recruitment. A Sacra-

Jan/Feb 2017

Vanderbilt student-athletes (from left) Nifae Lealao, Taiana Tolleson, Sean Auwae-McMoore and Josiah Sa’o have formed a tight bond at Vanderbilt.

mento, Calif. native, Lealao had been a longtime Stanford commit until then-Cardinal defensive coordinator Derek Mason left to take the head coaching job at Vanderbilt in Jan. 2014. Lealao then decommited from Stanford but maintained his goal of playing on the West Coast. Still, Mason continued to recruit Lealao, whose father liked what the coach had to offer. The week before National Signing Day in 2014, Nifae Sr. bought his son a plane ticket without disclosing the destination. When airborne, Lealao learned they were going to visit Nashville and Vanderbilt. That news didn’t sit well with the recruit, who was initially lukewarm to Mason’s sales pitch.

Nifae Lealao has become a key playmaker for the Vanderbilt defense.

“I could tell from the get-go Nifae was standoffish,” Mason says. “He didn’t want to like this place. He was the first Polynesian, and the first is always the toughest.” But Mason had experience recruiting Polynesian players from his time coaching at schools like Stanford, Utah and Weber State. It didn’t take long for Lealao to change his tone, recognizing what a Vanderbilt scholarship could mean for his future. “The experience of branching out from the West Coast, getting an education like this at Vanderbilt—the caliber of a Harvard degree—and playing in the best conference in the country?” Lealao says. “It feels like you can’t go wrong with it.” Lealao’s commitment would have a ripple effect years later. Mason inked Auwae-McMoore, a native of Kapolei, Hi., and San Diego-born Sa’o in the Commodores’ 2016 signing class. Both players now say Lealao’s influence helped sell the Vanderbilt program. Since the two freshmen arrived on campus, that Polynesian brotherhood has grown even stronger. “Nifae is definitely our big brother out here,” Auwae-McMoore says. “We’re always with him 24/7.” Tolleson, whose full name is Taiana Ku’uipo Kamalalani Tolleson, had never heard of Vanderbilt before soccer coach Darren Ambrose spotted her at a tournament in Las Vegas. Ambrose lured Tolleson to Nashville for a visit, during which Auwae-McMoore, Lealao and Sa’o stopped by her hotel and took her to dinner. Tolleson and AuwaeMcMoore knew each other as high-school athletes in Hawaii, and the lineman’s message was clear: You can have a family at Vanderbilt, too. The duo

STEVE GREEN

Taiana Tolleson, who plays goalkeeper for the Commodores, is from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

ended up signing scholarship papers together on Signing Day back home. Family is a prominent theme in Polynesian culture. That’s why S’ao describes Polynesians as “homebodies” who often hesitate to leave the

comfort of family life. Most Polynesian studentathletes opt for college careers on the West Coast; Auwae-McMoore heavily considered signing with UCLA, while Tolleson kept schools like San Diego State on her radar. But finding a sense of home at Vanderbilt was perhaps the biggest selling point for all four student-athletes. Now, along with her football brothers, Tolleson refers to her soccer sisters as her second “ohana,” or the word for family in Hawaiian culture. She even recognizes elements of the islands in Music City. “I looked for ‘aloha spirit’ in schools I visited,” TolleJosiah Sa’o son says. “Stereotypically, Hawaiians are always friendly, and Nashville, in a way, has its own aloha spirit. People hold doors open and are so nice and kind. It’s not home, but I definitely feel at home at Vanderbilt.” Nifae and his football brethren hope their story convinces future Polynesians to venture outside their comfort zones. Players of similar background have found success in football, from Manti Te’o at Notre Dame to Troy Polamalu’s prolific NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Marcus Mariota’s Heismanwinning career at Oregon shed renewed light on Polynesian prospects. Now more players in

Hawaii and beyond have begun to dream of a football career. “It’s an upward trend,” says C.J. Ah You, Vanderbilt’s defensive line coach and a California native who hails from a Polynesian family. “Now you see coaches going to do camps in American Samoa.” “For these guys to come from where we come from—I say we as an ethnicity, as a race—for them to put on for Polynesians in general, that’s a really big achievement,” Sa’o says. “It’s a blessing. We take that very seriously in our culture.” Today Auwae-McMoore and his family jokingly refer to Nashville as “Polyville,” a subtle nod to the Polynesian branch created by these four Commodores. That branch expands even further when including Mariota, who lives in Nashville as the starting quarterback for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. But for Polynesian student-athletes, Vanderbilt represents an opportunity to broaden their horizons in a unique setting—all coupled with a world-class education. In that, the university can become home. “Being part of a culture that likes music, food, being around a family environment, all those things are here at Vanderbilt,” Mason says. “These players are opening doors. Nashville is a place were the Polynesian culture can come and enjoy things that feel like home.” ■

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FITNESS TIPS with Kim Moseley

Kim Moseley, the athletic trainer for the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team and a former trainer for WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, gives our readers a fitness plan that she calls “Fitness After 50.” Many problems associated with aging are linked to an inactive lifestyle. If you were physically active before 50, kudos to you, but if you didn’t exercise regularly it’s never too late to start. After a certain age, people begin to lose muscular strength, balance and flexibility, but that does not mean that you can’t get younger this year. Fitness after 50 means learning to listen to your body, varying your exercise, and modifying your diet. Your age is not where you are chronologically, but biologically. The old saying, “You’re as young or old as you feel” rings true. The effects of physical activity are so strong that it influences every physiological system in your body. Studies show that regular exercise has positive benefits in lessening the signs and symptoms of aging and can help decrease the symptoms of menopause, joint pain and sleep problems, while also lowering your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Exercise can also have a profound effect on weight control. According to American Council on Exercise, your basal metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories) decreases at a rate of 1 to 2 percent each decade. Regular exercise can help combat this and help you maintain a healthy body weight. Before you start any exercise program you should always consult with your physician. A good fitness program should include the following: Stretching: Stretching exercises can help maintain flexibility and range of motion in muscles, tendons and joints. They can also help reduce the risk of injuries and muscle soreness. Some examples of good stretching activities include Yoga and Pilates. These exercises help to strengthen the core, increase stability and help maintain proper posture. Aerobic Exercise: Aerobic exercise works the large muscle groups in your body and benefits your cardiovascular system. Walking, jogging, swimming and dancing are good examples of aerobic exercise. It’s best to start slow and work up to 20 to 30 minutes per session, 3 to 4 times per week. The objective is to elevate your heart rate without overexerting yourself. You should be able to carry on a conversation without struggling to take a breath. Strength Training: Strength training helps maintain bone strength, improve your strength, posture and tone your muscles. Strength training can be done by lifting hand weights or using resistive bands. Start by using hand weights or resistive bands that allow you to do eight repetitions comfortably. Gradually increase the repetitions until you can complete 12 before you increase weight or resistance. Hydration: Any time you start an exercise program you should also increase your water intake. The average person should drink at least one-half to two-thirds of your body weight in ounces of water daily. Add in exercise and you should increase your water intake. You should drink an additional 8 ounces of water 30 minutes before exercise, 8 ounces every 15 to 30 minutes during exercise and an additional 8 to 16 ounces of water after exercise. If you weighed yourself before exercise, weigh yourself after exercise and drink 16 to 24 ounces of additional water for every pound you lost. Proper hydration is important before, during and after exercise and is essential to the recovery ! ■

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My Take By Zac Ellis

ttention: Do not adjust your eyes. Yes, this space is normally reserved for Rod Williamson’s column in Commodore Nation. But after more than 33 years at Vanderbilt, Rod retired in December—destined for a cold drink on a faraway beach, no doubt. And while it’s never easy to replace a legend, I’m going to give it my all. Welcome to “My Take.” But first, let me introduce myself. I’m Zac Ellis, Vanderbilt’s writer and digital media editor over at VUCommodores.com. I cover all Commodore sports, in written and podcast form, for the university’s athletics website. If you haven’t before, I recommend you check out our coverage at VUCommodores.com. It is truly your one-stop shop for all things Vanderbilt sports. These days much of my work now appears in Commodore Nation, as well. In this issue, for example, I hope you’ll enjoy my piece on former Vanderbilt pitcher David Price and his generous gift to our baseball facilities project. Hopefully, Price’s willingness to give back serves as a watershed moment for the future of Commodore athletics.

Working around these coaches and studentathletes provides a unique perspective into the daily grind of college athletics. With each passing month, I find myself rooting harder for the Commodores than before. I have not been at Vanderbilt long, but my short time here has taught me that few could replace Rod Williamson’s institutional knowledge of this historic athletic department. But I do know it’s an exciting time to be on West End. Vanderbilt football just capped its best season yet under third-year head coach Derek Mason, a campaign that included a win over rival Tennessee and a trip to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. The Commodores are undoubtedly an SEC team on the rise in the toughest conference in America. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt basketball is in the thick of SEC play under the direction of first-year head coaches Bryce Drew (men’s) and Stephanie White (women’s). Longtime coach Tim Corbin has the Vandy Boys poised for another exciting baseball season, which kicks off in February. Elsewhere, men’s golf finished its fall season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. Coach Scott Limbaugh’s crew, like several other VU programs, will continue its season this spring. If you’re reading this column, you don’t need to be reminded of the recent success of Vanderbilt athletics. But I hope to provide some extra insight into the Commodores in this space in future issues, much like Rod did. Working around these coaches and student-athletes provides a unique perspective into the daily grind of college athletics. With each passing month, I find myself rooting harder for the Commodores than before. Rod would agree with that sentiment. Before he retired, I sat down with him for a farewell column on VUCommodores.com. Rod shared with me exactly what he found so special about Vanderbilt. “I can remember a few big games, but it’s the people you remember more than the games,” Williamson said. “That’s what makes Vanderbilt athletics special. It’s the people.” I’ve found that to be true in my time at Vanderbilt. Now I’ll try to bring that notion to life in the pages of Commodore Nation. Anchor Down! ■

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Zach

Cunningham American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-American Associated Press (AP) First Team All-American Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) First Team All-American ESPN First Team All-American Sports Illustrated First Team All-American CBS Sports First Team All-American Butkus Award Finalist Led the SEC in tackles (125)

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