CHARLESTON, S.C. - Ethan Ray, Nick Salley, Justin McIntire, and Garris Schwarting arrived at Charleston Southern University bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with the odds stacked against them. Instead of taking advantage of a scholarship offer from another school or hanging up their cleats, these student-athletes took a chance on themselves and their athletic abilities.

Part 1: Ethan Ray (October 12) | Part 2: Nick Salley (October 19) | Part 3: Justin McIntire (October 26) | Part 4: Garris Schwarting (November 2)

The walk-on journey is not a desirable one because there is never a guarantee that a student-athlete will earn a scholarship – they have to go to practice and prove they belong every day with hopes the coaching staff will notice and elevate their role on the team.

For these four players, their abilities were apparent early on when Head Coach Autry Denson and the current CSU coaching staff took over the helm of the Buccaneers' football program in January 2019.

"Right away what we saw in them (Nick, Garris, Ethan, and Justin) was the ability to lead, and more importantly, the willingness to want to be led," Denson said. "They didn't know us from Adam, but they accepted the different things we brought in and the culture we were trying to establish. They embraced our championship habits, our standards and excelled in their ability to apply it. They had what we like to call blind faith."

Coach Denson recalled an exercise he utilized to get to know the players a little better. Early on, he asked the team if they had to make one phone call to anyone on the team about a life problem, who they would reach out to.

It was unanimous that it would be one of the current 2020 six captains: Nick Salley, Garris Schwarting, Justin McIntire, Ethan Ray, Jack Chambers, or Geoffrey Wall.

For a former walk-on to earn the recognition of his peers is an incredible accomplishment and speaks to the leadership and intangibles each of these players brings to the team. Denson reflected as much as he elaborated on the process that goes into picking a captain and the standard he holds them to.

"As coaches, we look for guys who naturally or intentionally exhibit those Buccaneer championship habits, which is putting the team before yourself, being unified and understanding the bigger picture," Denson said. "We are an outreach ministry that has an important football component. It's important because we use athletics as a platform on which we influence and win lives for Christ."

He continued, "Obtaining the title as a captain of the CSU football Ministry means you must live the standards day in and day out which are: Give a God-honoring effort with a God-honoring attitude. Understanding that we're champions in Christ so we're required to do more. They understand that it's all about being significant - the more they do, the more they can be a blessing to others. Tying all of that together is our pillars which are Faith, Family and Football and never allowing that order to be distorted for anything."

For Ethan Ray, the journey to Charleston Southern started in Boiling Springs, S.C. where he watched his cousin, Matthew Broome, long snap at Coastal Carolina. He grew a love for the position from his interactions with his cousin that continues to this day.

Ray earned both conference and national recognition over the last two seasons as an All-American and a two-time All-Conference selection, as well as leading the Bucs' special teams in punts downed. However, when he first came on campus as a freshman, Ray was behind another All-American on the depth chart with no guarantees of playing early.

Joseph Smith was an established long snapper and followed up an All-American season after being recognized by the STATS FCS organization in 2016. He was also a key part in helping CSU earn its first outright Big South Conference championship and the ensuing FCS Playoff bid.

The special teams room prides themselves on helping bring along and mentor younger players within the position group. Smith took Ray under his wing, working with him on the ins and outs of CSU football, and helped polish his craft early during his time with the Bucs.

This is something Assistant A.D. for Football/Baseball Operations and Special Teams Coordinator David Padilla demands from his older players. He said that he "mentors the mentors" and allows his older players to bring along the younger guys in their own ways.

"One of the expectations of Joseph Smith was to mentor and train Ethan Ray when he first came in," Padilla said. "It wasn't something that was suggested. It's part of what we do in our specialist unit; every person is assigned to somebody else when they come in new, and their job is to mentor them through every aspect of what's in our room, not just football."

Ray credits Smith for his early development.

"He taught me how to adapt to be a college athlete and how to manage my time wisely," Ray said. "Joe went really hard in the weight room, and I always wanted to keep up with him while I was a young guy."

Another player who played a monumental role in the development of Ray was punter/holder Kyle Reighard. The long snapper – punter and long snapper – holder exchanges are arguably the most important in football. The fact the two had such good chemistry made the operation time of the two units elite.