Dave Aranda has powerful message for players following 31-24 win over Iowa State

Baylor entered their game at Iowa State as slight underdogs. But after 60 minutes of play, the Bears proved the sharps wrong, winning 31-24. After the game, Baylor coach Dave Aranda had a lot of praise to share for his players. He discussed how difficult it is to handle being a college football player. Where you play in a sport that requires you to act like an adult.

Here were those comments:

“It’s always difficult to get guys to reveal themselves. A lot of times, it’s about proving and trying to be who they think people want them to be, or try to show up people that say you can’t do this or you’re not that. So we have to drop all that. And I think for them to say ‘Hey, I’m enough. I don’t need any of these other things. I need to be me.’

“And to see the work week as — you have to give up little bits and pieces of yourself to be on time, to do all that for the team. So I think all of that takes a while. Especially when you’re young, you really have to approach that, I think, in a way that is inclusive and not exclusive, and we’re trying to do that.”

Then, Aranda was asked about true freshman running back Richard Reese, who went for 78 yards and a touchdown vs. ISU and has emerged as a real playmaker early in his Baylor career.

“I think he continues to put himself out there. He continues to want the ball when it matters most,” Dave Aranda complimented of the young RB. “He continues to not be fazed by big environments and bright lights and all of it. So, we talked to the team. We’d love for the world to see what we see.”