Xavier Thigpen, better known as “PawPaw” to friends and teammates, vividly recalls the early days of his collegiate football career.
When he was a playful, gangly, 6-foot-5, 210-pound jokester with a penchant for giving interviews to the media while cameras and audio recorders were not rolling. When he struggled to gain weight, which led to a struggle to find playing time. When the one they call “PawPaw” was at a crossroads.
Then, he recalled something his parents told him only a few years earlier.
“They said, ‘Don’t waste your time if you’re going to (play football),’” he said.