Senior Basketball Profile: Troy Blyden
Photo courtesy NGU Athletics
Terry Davis, Staff Writer
Senior basketball player Troy Blyden is on the back end of his collegiate career. But that’s okay, there may be future plans on taking a God-given talent to the next level. Basketball is very high on his priority list, especially having parents that are athletes and always want the best for their son.
Most athletes have the basic four years of college and that’s all. Blyden’s talent is good enough to take him to the next level and if he wanted, he could play professional basketball. “Both of my parents played sports,” said Blyden. “My mom ran track and my dad played. My dad also went to the NFL so that’s why I started in the fourth grade.”
Being a student-athlete is not the easiest thing to do. Being a senior student-athlete is even harder because more things are stressful to think about. Questions about future plans are on the horizon but at the same time you have to find that stimulus to continue. Blyden said, “My motivation is to finish out my college career, get a degree in sports management, and most importantly make my parents proud.”
One of the main things that student-athletes go through are injuries. Blyden said the best way to avoid injuries is stretching, icing after every practice and just wearing the appropriate gear. In Blyden’s case, playing the forward position, it naturally creates contact because the majority of the game is located below the free throw line.
The end goal for Blyden is to graduate with a degree in Sport Management with high chances of playing professional basketball. Head basketball coach, Chad Lister said, “He is a soft spoken, super athletic basketball player that is the epitome of a student athlete.”
