Pacheco grad Thor Rodoni makes Baylor football roster

Two days before Thor Rodoni was set to hop on a plane, the drama unfolded in Waco, Texas.

Art Briles, the architect behind Baylor football’s ascendency to perennial top-25 program, was fired by the school amid a sexual assault scandal.

Seeing your coach unexpectedly ousted would be unsettling for any incoming freshman. It was doubly so for Rodoni, who was attempting to walk on to the program.

“I was definitely concerned when it all went down,” Rodoni said. “I already had my plane ticket bought and was set to fly out in two days. I felt a little better when I talked to some of the assistant coaches and they told me to come out anyway.

“All I was looking for was a chance, and it seemed like they were still willing to give it to me.”

The Pacheco High School graduate seized the opportunity. He arrived in Texas on May 31 and worked out with the team for eight weeks. While Rodoni was a standout offensive lineman with the Panthers, he knew his 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame wouldn’t cut it at Division I, so he turned his focus to long snapper.

While no one ever officially said anything about his place on the team, Rodoni figured getting texts inviting him to the next training session was a good sign. Rodoni’s dream became a reality last week when Baylor released its official roster for the 2016 season with his name next to No. 67. His phone was flooded with congratulatory texts and calls that broke the news.

“I didn’t even know,” Rodoni said. “Some people had seen it on Twitter and texted me some screen shots. I hadn’t even told very many people I was trying to walk on, just basically my closest friends, so I was kind of blown away by the response from people at both Central Catholic and Pacheco that congratulated me.

“Basically, all the freshmen that came out and put in the work for eight straight weeks made the team. There’s two other guys that are competing for the long-snapping job, but I have an opportunity and that’s exciting. I think it became real for me (Monday) when the offensive players were called into the stadium. We received our jerseys and got fitted for our pads. To go from Veterans Stadium to McLane Stadium is a whole different world.”

With a first name straight out of Norse mythology, Rodoni became an instant fan favorite with the Baylor faithful. His former Pacheco coach, David Snapp, even retweeted a message board conversation from reddit.com, where Bears fans were all but guaranteeing a national championship with the thunder god in the fold.

“I think it’s awesome,” Snapp said. “Great for him. He turned down a bunch of offers from small schools to play because this was his dream. And he made it happen.

“To not be on anyone’s Division I radar and then to walk on to the roster of a top-25 team is amazing. It’s a great accomplishment, and I look forward to seeing him out there.”

Baylor opens the season at home Sept. 2 against Northwestern State. Rodoni has a few more weeks to try to win the long-snapping job, but he said even if he doesn’t, he’ll use the year to get stronger and see if he can contribute in other ways.

“The whole thing is still a little hard to comprehend,” Rodoni said. “I’m still a little bit in shock. There’s no doubt why it’s a top-25 program, though. After working out with the guys for a couple weeks, you can see it. Not only do they recruit the best athletes they can find, they bring in the best people. Everyone here tries to take the high road and find a way to make it work.

“It’s inspiring. There’s no slacking off when you’re around these guys. Even when we’re not practicing, they’re always out working on routes or something. Good is never good enough here. Great is what you want to be. I thank God I get to be a part of that.”

This story was originally published August 2, 2016 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Pacheco grad Thor Rodoni makes Baylor football roster."