Warrior Wednesday

Warriors behind the scenes who contribute greatly to the success of the Aztecs

Warrior Wednesday: Tom Ables

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 3 Comments

“SuperFan” Tom Ables (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

In today’s world of sports, the term “diehard fan” is often misused. Many sports fans are content with casually supporting their team, and assume that wearing their jersey the day after a win makes them a major supporter.

These same fans typically have trouble naming more than a dozen players on their favorite team’s roster, and are quick to badmouth a team when losing streaks occur.

In a world filled with casual fans and bandwagoners, San Diego State supporter Tom Ables is the epitome of a diehard fan.

A graduate of SDSU, Ables has displayed what it means to truly support your team through thick and thin. Although his team has not always been the most successful program, he never turned his back on his alma mater.

Ables enrolled at SDSU in 1946, and since then has been to over 700 football games and over 1,000 basketball games. He attended his 700th football game in 2010, when SDSU defeated the University of Wyoming, 48-38.

Since 1946, Ables has only missed two Aztec football games. He missed a game in 1952 because of money concerns and one in 1964 because of an illness.

In 1993, Ables became the first non-athlete and non-coach to be elected into the Aztec Hall of Fame. He has also received national recognition, as he was listed as No. 3 in an ESPN story about the top 20 “super fans” before the 2010 season.

For his continued support of SDSU athletics, Tom Ables is this week’s Wednesday Warrior.

Tom Ables interviewed at his 700th Aztec football game

Warrior Wednesday: Paula Davila

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment

Administrative Assistant Paula Davila

This week’s Wednesday Warrior is administrative assistant Paula Davila.

Davila is in her 18th year with San Diego State athletics and currently works primarily with football. She came to SDSU in the spring of 1995, and initially worked with the athletic business office.

Davila has also served as an administrative assistant for the women’s basketball team and Olympic sports programs. During this time, she served as the department’s travel coordinator.

Now, Davila works with head coach Rocky Long and the rest of the Aztec football staff.

Her responsibilities include helping visitors who come the football offices, scheduling meetings and appointments, and other basic secretarial duties.

Davila also assists the director of football operations with administrative tasks on a daily basis.

Perhaps most importantly, Davila gives a wonderful hug to each Aztec football player after every home game, win or loss.

For her hard work behind the scenes, and her great hugs, Davila is this week’s Wednesday Warrior.

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by Hunter Hewitt

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Warrior Wednesday: Dr. SaBrina “Bre” White

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment

Dr. SaBrina “Bre” White

If you take one look inside Dr. SaBrina White’s office, it’s clear that she cares about the student-athletes at San Diego State.

Dozens of pictures cover the walls and sit atop the desks, displaying many of the former student-athletes that she has worked with since she became an academic advisor at SDSU in 2000.

Look a little closer, however, and it’s clear that they care about her as well.

“You do it all, thanks for your help,” wrote former Aztec and current New York Jets wide receiver Chaz Schilens on an autographed photo.

Kirk Morrison, Kassim Osgood and several other Aztecs in the NFL have done the same, giving White a signed photo and thanking her for helping them.

These gestures are what inspire White to come to work every day. Now in her 18th year as an academic advisor (she spent six years at Utah State), she has seen student-athletes go from thinking they would never graduate to eventually receiving their diploma.

“Sometimes when they come in, they don’t think they can do it,” White said. “Then they come in years later and say look at what we did. It means a lot when they give me credit, but I always feel that they did themselves.”

As the assistant director of academic services and an academic advisor, White is always making sure her student-athletes are staying on top of their schoolwork. She helps them pick their classes, keeps them organized throughout the semester, and closely monitors their academic progress.

On top of her academic advising, White also coordinates community service projects for the student-athletes. She says her favorite project has been the adopt-a-family event, where student-athletes team together and give Christmas gifts to under-privileged families.

Maybe the most impressive thing about White’s time at SDSU is that while helping student-athletes with their academics, she was still working on her own.

White received her master’s and doctoral degree in educational leadership from SDSU in 2007 and 2011, respectively. Her doctorate degree didn’t come easy, either, as she authored a 132-page dissertation titled “Transfer Shock and the Student-Athlete.”

“I was going through the trenches at the same time,” White said. “I was studying late, I was here in study hall too. I was working on my own stuff while helping them do theirs.”

Over the past 12 years, White has been a very important part of the success of SDSU athletics, and for that reason she is this week’s Wednesday Warrior.

Autographed pictures from former Aztecs in White’s office

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Hunter Hewitt: About.me – http://about.me/hunterhewitt
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by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS