Baylor's Dave Aranda: 'How We Rise' Will Define Season
After coasting to a 12-2 record last year and a preseason No. 10 ranking heading into the 2022 campaign, Baylor Bears football coach Dave Aranda knows this season brings a whole new array of aspects and players as Week 1 looms.
He also knows winning won't come easy.
"I think winning at every level takes so much," Aranda said. "It's just very difficult to do, and I think for a lot of our young people, for them to be at their best, for them to give the effort and the detail that's needed to give us a chance to win, that's going to be a very strong test for them. I'm excited to be in that quest with them."
When asked about team growth and what areas he would like to see improvement upon this year, coach Aranda discussed leadership as being number one.
"I feel like we're in a good spot but there hasn't been a bunch of stormy weather, thunder and lightning and all that, and that's when you really kind of get to see how well, how this house was built," Aranda said. "And so we'll see with the leadership part. I'm hoping that all the work that was done previous is for our best now."
Aranda also feels how his team responds to failures, especially the younger guys on the squad, will define the season.
"For our young people, it's how they respond," Aranda said. "I can remember when I first started out coaching, you want to prove yourself, you want to show that you belong and all this and it's just such a natural thing. But when you're older, you look at that and you just go, 'man, there's going to be failure,' there's going to be something that's not going to go 100 percent right, so how do you respond in the moment? How do you rise from this particular fall? And so those are the things you're looking for this week, young person wise, we can really attach to that 'how we rise,' because I think that's going to say a lot about who we become."
The team doesn't have to look far to see the success of former Bears at the next level, with many Baylor football players making lots of noise this preseason in the NFL.
"Every Monday in our team meeting, we have a little NFL intro song and we've kind of taken over a logo that the NFL uses and it's green and gold and it's Bears in the NFL, and we show highlights from guys that they've done," Aranda said. "I think it's really cool for guys to be able to see."
Coach Aranda and the Baylor Bears kick off the official season against Albany at McLane Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. Central Time.
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Denton Ramsey has been a journalist for over 20 years with a decade of experience as a sports writer and editor for a plethora of newspapers throughout Texas and Alabama. Growing up in Houston and attending Baylor University, Ramsey is a die-hard sports fan with a true passion for writing. He may be reached via email at denton.itb@gmail.com