By MICHELLE KIM – CENTO WRITER
The Centre College Football team as a whole, fresh off defeating conference rival Birmingham Southern College to finish their undefeated regular season, has not failed to gain recognition, but individual achievements can sometimes be under-acknowledged.
On a team comprised of 107 players, sophomore offensive lineman Hunter Trenamen demonstrates exactly what it takes to be a dedicated player.
Trenamen’s father encouraged him to play football at a young age, but he despised the sport for several years until finally realizing his potential.
His recognition of his natural ability developed into a love for football, especially the Colonels’ Football program.
“It’s a blast to be a part of something this special. I love the little traditions and nuances like cookies and milk, bingo, and Big Big Beck chants. I love that the coaches really invest in their players to make them come out of the program as better men. I love that the coaches do their jobs with bigger [Biblical] virtues at the front of their mind, like selflessness and courage,” Treneman said.
Trenamen is praised for a variety of different aspects on the field. “I’d say his strengths are his aggressiveness and positive attitude. Injuries have been an obstacle that he has had to overcome, but his ability to face them head on is always great,” sophomore line-backer Ben Bostick said.
According to sophomore offensive lineman Austin Arnold, run blocking is “hands down” Trenamen’s best quality on the field.
“I can’t remember the last time he and I lost a double team [pass rush] in practice or games. He’s got a competitive edge as well … he hates losing,” Arnold said.
One of Trenamen’s most prized achievements is winning the “12th Man” award twice this season. This award is given to the player that did not start the game, but provided the largest impact when he entered.
“On the football field, Hunter plays every rep and goes through every drill with a ton of effort,” offensive line Coach Christopher Limbach said. “He is one of our strongest and most physical O-Linemen on the team. He builds his teammates up and pushes others around him to be better, whether it’s hanging out together as a group of friends or getting after the defense on the field. Off the field, he might also be the best linemen we have when it comes to eating BBQ Chicken and playing cornhole.”
Trenamen believes in building strong relationships with his teammates as well as his coaches.
“I love coaching Hunter because he is extremely consistent and takes coaching well. He is in a good mood and is ready to work every day. I can tell that Hunter loves his teammates and loves playing football,” Limbach said.
Teammates agree that these relationships are one of the greatest benefits that continue to last when off the field.
“Being on the team has definitely strengthened our friendship. Finding a brother on the team who you not only spend a significant amount of time with, but also share the same values with, creates a strong bond,” Bostick said.
“He’s always willing to help others and he truly wants what’s best for them. We push each other on the football field, in the weight room, and in everything else that we do because we are best friends and teammates,” sophomore quarterback J.D. Morgan said.
As much time and effort that he puts into the sport, Trenamen puts his best foot forward in maintaining a proper balance between his life on the field and outside of it. He is involved in many other extra curricular activities on campus, including Centre Christian Fellowship, intramural sports, and church
“Not many people may know that he is a believer in Jesus Christ. He encourages me daily with my walk with Christ and it really relates to his positive outlook on life,” Arnold said.
Trenamen is a Behavioral Neuroscience major with future plans to get into graduate school for physical therapy close to his home in Louisville. He is also considering a career in teaching where he would also pursue coaching the sport he has come to love.
“Centre has done an excellent job of forcing me to learn how to balance all of my activities very quickly,” Trenamen said. “Time seems a lot more valuable here but the coaching staff makes it very clear that we are here at Centre College to be student-athletes. They constantly put players in positions to succeed in the classroom and off the field in general.”