Bucknell University Athletics
There is A Lot to Know About Fullback Travis Friend
11/18/2013 10:48:00 AM | Football
By Caitlin Grant, Bucknell Athletic Communications
Several facts about senior fullback and team captain Travis Friend are common knowledge to most Bucknell football fans…
1. He's a strong student.
An economics major and a two-time selection to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Friend has already accepted a job offer for after he graduates from Bucknell in May.
2. He's a talented athlete.
A four-year member of the football and wrestling teams at Cumberland Valley High School, he was named to the First Team Associated Press All-State squad at fullback and also finished eighth in the state of Pennsylvania as a wrestler. After deciding to pursue football at the collegiate level, he has made a significant impact on the Bison offense since the fall of 2010, playing at fullback in all 42 games of his career and earning a starting role in 33 contests. In the fall of 2012 he became the first Bucknell player since Jabu Powell (1999-2001) to earn offensive All-Patriot League honors for three consecutive years.
3. He's a skilled leader.
Captaining both his football and wrestling teams in high school prepared Friend for the opportunities that awaited him at Bucknell, and the soft-spoken leader has embraced every chance to inspire his teammates and guide the younger Bison that will help carry the program into the future. Selected as a 2013 team captain, he attended the United States Naval Academy's Leadership Conference last year, a forum that seeks to bring together the best minds in the practice and study of leadership to exchange ideas, experiences and methodologies with both military and civilian students. A player that prefers to lead by example, Friend was also recognized for his off-the-field contributions to the Bison last season, earning the Bucknell Football Leadership Award and the Tom Gadd Coaches' Award at the end-of-season banquet, as well as shared ownership of the team's Strength and Conditioning MVP honor for 2013 spring practice.
…but as is commonplace with student-athletes, the things that truly define the player underneath the football helmet are far more intricate than a stat sheet, transcript or beautifully engraved plaque can ever bear witness to. For Friend, a player who is firmly ensconced in his beliefs, but whose humble nature makes discussing himself a challenge, truly understanding the impact that he has had on the Bucknell football program is only possible when one understands the people, places and ideas that have shaped his approach to the last four years of his life…
1. He draws inspiration, competitive drive and support from his best friend – his brother.
Friend is the oldest of three children, and his younger brother, Kyle, is a sophomore offensive lineman at Temple. The brothers played one year of high school football together before Friend left for Lewisburg, and while Kyle is very open about the impact his brother has had as a role model, Friend is insistent that the respect and admiration goes both ways. He expresses a strong desire for his siblings to look up to him as a winner, and this motivation drives much of what he does.
“My brother and I have always been very competitive with each other,” says Friend, “but at the same time, we have each other's backs through everything. He's my best friend and I'm his best friend, and that is important to us. We pride ourselves on the name that we have given our family back in our hometown, and it has been important to both of us to stay true to that in our college careers.”
In addition to the relationship that they have developed throughout their lives, Friend firmly believes that he and his brother are constantly teaching each other to be better football players and better people. One of the qualities that he says he has learned a lot about from Kyle is toughness.
“My brother and I are always competing against each other,” expands Friend. “There is no easy way to get around something, so we have always pushed each other to find a way through, no matter how hard it might be. I think he has definitely taught me to be a tougher person and, even though he is younger, I still look up to him just as much as he looks up to me.”
2. He likes the old-school way of doing things.
In four seasons with the Bison, Friend has not missed a single football practice, strength and conditioning session or team activity, a source of great pride. He has played in every game, making valuable contributions to the team's offense, and takes pride in the starting role that he earned as a first-year player. This nose-to-the-grindstone attitude is an inherent part of his nature and character, but it was modeled for him by his father who has always pushed him to be the best. The way to that end-goal for the Friend men is through sheer toughness and strength – outwork your opponent during the week and you will outplay them on the weekend.
3. His individual accomplishments mean nothing if his team does not succeed.
“It's always been a mindset for me to be the best at my position,” reflects Friend, “whether that be in the league, or in the country. I'm not saying that I am the best at my position in the country, but I feel like I'm up there. Freshman year I was Second Team All-Patriot League, and it kind of hit me right there that I could do something special with that. I really don't care about individual honors, I'm all about the team so, while I'm honored to have those individual awards, I'm here to do whatever I can to help our squad.”
4. He values the relationships that he has developed through football more than anything else that he will take away from his collegiate career.
When asked to sum up the last four years, Friend says, “I'd do anything for any of my teammates, but the close group of guys that I'm friends with and I live with will be important to me for the rest of my life. We've worked out together every day for the past four years and we've been a part of the team together. The relationships that I have made with the guys I play football with are what I value most about my time at Bucknell.”
5. He and his classmates want to leave a legacy.
Friend believes that he and his 18 classmates have left the Bucknell football team in a better place than it was when they started as freshmen in the fall of 2010. “I'm honored to be a captain,” Friend adds, “but at the same time, the rest of the seniors on the team are just as much captains as I am. They all are hard workers and we, as a class, bring a different approach to how things should be done. I believe the younger guys have learned from that, and I hope that they will carry it on into next season.”
When asked to define the unique approach of the Class of 2014, Friend says, “I feel like we are a little bit stricter when it comes to buying into the system and what the coaches have planned out. We consistently encourage ourselves and our teammates to pay attention to the little things. I feel like my class has done a good job of bringing along the younger guys, and showing them the right way to do things. We aren't perfect, but we have definitely changed the attitude of the team when it comes to work ethic and winning.”
6. He believes that Bucknell is the toughest team in the Patriot League.
“We pride ourselves on being a downhill team,” provides Friend, “where it's not people running around dancing. Instead, we are trying to run people over. I feel like we have established that attitude and reputation around the league, and our opponents know that that is what kind of team we are. In the Lehigh game we were the tougher team, and that showed in the end result. We want to be tougher than any other team we play, and that is something I believe that the senior class has helped develop.”
7. He is driven by his competitive nature.
“I'm the type of person who respects his opponents while at the same time doing whatever it takes to beat them,” asserts Friend. “Being competitive has helped me develop in this sport. You bring 90 guys in and you can only play 11 at a time, so obviously there is a huge competitive aspect. That is something that just helps to build a successful football team. Knowing that you have to perform in practice each day or someone else might step up to take your position just makes you better. Kareem Hyman has played a huge role in making me the player that I am. He's a really tough kid and next year as a senior he is going to do a great job in my role. He has helped push me because he wants to play as much as I do.”
8. He believes that the qualities and characteristics he has learned from football will help him in the professional world.
“I feel like football has given me a lot,” reflects Friend. “It has taught me how to be a better man, as well as key lessons about life in general. I want to develop a career in business management, and what football has taught me are leadership qualities that employers look for and that will help to run a successful company. As a captain, I have had younger players looking up to me, and as a manager I will have employees that will trust me to make the right decisions. Those lessons are always going to be an important part of what I take away from football.”
9. He has a fan following.
Friend's mother, father and younger sister are some of his biggest supporters and cheerleaders, traveling to as many of his games as they can, but he also makes it a point to recognize the special support that he receives from Kelsey, a family friend.
“Kelsey had cancer at a very young age and went blind as a result of it,” says Friend. “She has been to almost every athletic event that I have ever been a part of, and her presence and support are a constant source of motivation for me. She and her dad have always been there for me, attending games at Bucknell and listening to the ones that they can't make on the radio. She has always been someone that has been a fan of our program through the ups and the downs. She supports me through everything, regardless if I win or lose, and that is something that I really respect.”
…with two games left to play before he hangs up his helmet and cleats, Friend is not yet finished making contributions to the Bucknell football program. The legacy of his performance and leadership will live on in the play of future Bison squads because, as is also true of most student-athletes, he has left a fingerprint on the program that is impossible to erase.
Note: This story appeared in a recent edition of the Bucknell Football Gameday Program.
