02-12-2019, 03:28 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-14-2019, 06:11 PM by JKortesi81.)
The Syracuse Standard
The news you never knew you wanted, and don't!
SU standout Bakshi is heading for the big league... hopefully!
If you had to envision a typical football prospect during draft season, the son of two Indian immigrants, a doctor and a computer scientist, would probably be at the bottom of your list. That's right where Syracuse University's Sandy Bakshi got his start though. As a child growing up he never strayed far from home, but he did stray from his parents' expectations. From a young age his true passion was sports, at first baseball and soccer, and later on he found his love for football.
Sandy stood out in high school football, Rochester isn't exactly a hub of elite programs these days, but it wasn't enough to get him offers at a Division I program. He was undeterred by this setback and enrolled at Syracuse University where was a walk-on for the Orange. Sandy lacked the polish of other team-members but quickly showed what he did have; explosive speed and a nose for the ball. While the Orange's defense as a whole was porous, Bakshi was a rare bright spot. He terrorized opposing quarterbacks and often corralled runners for a loss, leading SU in sacks and tackles his senior year on the way to a bowl win.
He also quickly developed a reputation as a team leader, and more-so as someone with a totally serious personality. His teammates made a game out of trying to make him laugh everywhere from training to press conferences. Needless to say, the winners were few and far between.
"I think I'm a fun guy." Sandy once defensively stated in a post-game interview, "I just have fun in a different way than the other guys on the team."
Now the young linebacker is setting his sights on the next level. He announced in a brief press conference yesterday that he was declaring for the NSFL draft. For Bakshi, who lacks the polish of other prospects, the road to the NSFL may be a little longer and will almost certainly detour through the developmental league first. While it's hard to argue with his pure size and speed, the tape shows that Bakshi struggles against more capable linemen that can keep him in check, and he often doesn't have the strength or moves to shed blocks. His decent coverage skills and ability to play sideline-to-sideline have allowed him to take snaps all over the field, though Syracuse primarily used him at the strong linebacker position. A General Manager may look at Bakshi and see a blank slate with the physical tools to do whatever they need, or they may see a player who has no fit at a pro level. One way or the other, the only person that can decide Sandy Bakshi's future in the NSFL is the man himself.
"I know I can be great in the NSFL," Sandy said in yesterday's press conference, "I just need a team to believe in me as much as I believe in myself."
The news you never knew you wanted, and don't!
SU standout Bakshi is heading for the big league... hopefully!
If you had to envision a typical football prospect during draft season, the son of two Indian immigrants, a doctor and a computer scientist, would probably be at the bottom of your list. That's right where Syracuse University's Sandy Bakshi got his start though. As a child growing up he never strayed far from home, but he did stray from his parents' expectations. From a young age his true passion was sports, at first baseball and soccer, and later on he found his love for football.
Sandy stood out in high school football, Rochester isn't exactly a hub of elite programs these days, but it wasn't enough to get him offers at a Division I program. He was undeterred by this setback and enrolled at Syracuse University where was a walk-on for the Orange. Sandy lacked the polish of other team-members but quickly showed what he did have; explosive speed and a nose for the ball. While the Orange's defense as a whole was porous, Bakshi was a rare bright spot. He terrorized opposing quarterbacks and often corralled runners for a loss, leading SU in sacks and tackles his senior year on the way to a bowl win.
He also quickly developed a reputation as a team leader, and more-so as someone with a totally serious personality. His teammates made a game out of trying to make him laugh everywhere from training to press conferences. Needless to say, the winners were few and far between.
"I think I'm a fun guy." Sandy once defensively stated in a post-game interview, "I just have fun in a different way than the other guys on the team."
Now the young linebacker is setting his sights on the next level. He announced in a brief press conference yesterday that he was declaring for the NSFL draft. For Bakshi, who lacks the polish of other prospects, the road to the NSFL may be a little longer and will almost certainly detour through the developmental league first. While it's hard to argue with his pure size and speed, the tape shows that Bakshi struggles against more capable linemen that can keep him in check, and he often doesn't have the strength or moves to shed blocks. His decent coverage skills and ability to play sideline-to-sideline have allowed him to take snaps all over the field, though Syracuse primarily used him at the strong linebacker position. A General Manager may look at Bakshi and see a blank slate with the physical tools to do whatever they need, or they may see a player who has no fit at a pro level. One way or the other, the only person that can decide Sandy Bakshi's future in the NSFL is the man himself.
"I know I can be great in the NSFL," Sandy said in yesterday's press conference, "I just need a team to believe in me as much as I believe in myself."
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