Invisible men

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Have you ever found yourself watching a college basketball game wondering who those guys at the end of the bench are? The guys who rarely take off their sweats, and when they do they only play for a minute or two of "garbage time" at the end of a game.

They are usually the first to arrive for practice or team meetings, and the last to leave. After a tough loss, they – along with team managers – are usually the ones who shed the most tears, the ones who seem to care most. Any coach will tell you that these "invisible men" are critical to the ultimate success and chemistry of a team; that they are the character guys, the guys that help keep things together behind the scenes.

But these are also the forgotten guys, the ones who cheer more than they are cheered for. There is, however, more than meets the eye when it comes to these players. They might not be the stars on the court, but some of them make big differences in ways you might not expect.

In late December, as Pittsburgh pulled away from Florida A&M, head coach Jamie Dixon was presented with the rare opportunity to clear his bench and reward his benchwarmers with some valuable playing and face time. And as I was calling the game, it gave me the opportunity to watch Geoff Rizk, a 6-foot walk-on from New Jersey, in action.

Geoff, like many walk-ons, was the star of his high school and AAU teams. While playing in high school he earned All-State prep honors and was featured in the Trenton Times as the "ultimate point guard." As a sophomore, Geoff led his team in scoring before going on to break the single season assist record as a junior. During the summer he won numerous championships as the starting point guard for the nationally renowned Riverside Church AAU program of New York City. He received further recognition when he was selected to play in the Nike and Adidas All-American Camps.

Geoff's athletic and academic achievements presented him with many options after high school, including the Ivy League and a number of mid-major basketball scholarships. Ultimately, and with the blessing of his parents, Tom and Linda, Geoff made the decision to attend Pittsburgh as a walk-on with no guarantee of a future scholarship or playing time. But, at Pitt, he would have the opportunity to play defense against starting point guard Levance Fields in practice, or play the point on the scout team.

In preparation for the game against A&M, I read about some of Geoff's off-the-court accomplishments – deeds I would normally not hear or read about. While in high school, Geoff, with the help of his mother, conducted a Christmas toy drive for underprivileged kids at the Nurturing Place/New York Street Projects.

Before he left New Jersey to attend summer school, where he would earn all A's, he personally conducted a two-day basketball camp for children afflicted with autism at the Institute for Educational Achievement. Basketball instruction, along with an incredible amount of love and patience, made it possible for the youngsters to feel good about themselves, experience success and have two of the most enjoyable days of their young lives. It was reported that one of the youngsters went home and spoke to his parents using complete sentences for the first time, and in doing so, asked for a basketball and a hoop for the backyard.

Even now, with his incredibly demanding schedule, Geoff continues to give back. During the fall he was selected by the university to visit young cancer patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Some of the words that people (including coaches and teammates) use to describe Geoff are patient, caring, intelligent, hard-working, extremely competitive and determined. I could add more, but I don't want Geoff's head to get too big.

So as the NCAA tournament picks up speed, you will notice that the bench receives an unusual amount of attention. Television cameras will attempt to capture the emotion, passion and togetherness of bench players holding hands, or doing their best impersonation of a chain link fence as they interlock their arms in a show of support and unity.

In sport as in life, it is true that a fence (team) is only as strong as the weakest link (player), and that is why the invisible man can mean so much to a team … why a player like Geoff Rizk can form the emotional backbone upon which the success of a program rides. If you have a player like this on your squad, let me know so we can take his mask off and let his light shine.