TCU called police into team meeting to scare a walk-on, award him scholarship
TCU sophomore Owen Aschieris was sitting in a team meeting on Monday when a police officer suddenly walked into the room and called his name.
The officer, reading from a piece of paper, was doing a “follow up for a detective” and wanted to speak with him.
“It freaked me out a little,” Aschieris told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I was wracking my brain to think about what I might have done wrong in the past of my entire life. It was crazy.”
So Aschieris walked up to the officer, who showed him the paper and asked if he had the right person.
Next thing Aschieris knew, the entire team was celebrating around him. The walk-on had just been put on scholarship.
Owen Ashieris thought he was in trouble but instead found out he's been put on scholarship for the spring semester. Congrats Owen!#GoFrogs 😈 pic.twitter.com/C1k1WXXkWs
— TCU Basketball (@TCUBasketball) January 14, 2019
“As far as coaching one of my gratifying and enjoyable moments, you can talk about championships or winning games or this, but the instances where we’ve been able to give a scholarship to a kid that has worked his tail off and given so much for the program are some of the most memorable I’ve ever had,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon told the Star-Telegram.
“That was special, just to do it. I guess it’s taken off and gone viral. I’d swear I’d never use that phrase. It worked out pretty good and it was good to see him and everybody enjoy it.”
Aschieris is in his first year with the Horned Frogs, after spending his freshman year as a member of the women’s practice team. There he quickly impressed women’s coach Reagan Pebley, who talked to Dixon that summer, when Dixon decided to bring him in as a walk-on.
While he hasn’t made a tremendous impact on the court this season — Aschieris has played in just seven games this year — Dixon raved about him, and said he thinks he’s only scratched the surface of his potential.
“It’s really hard to describe because so much work went into this,” Aschieris told the Star-Telegram. “It’s been a crazy journey going from high school and not being recruited to the women’s scout team, and then walking on. So many people behind me and to get this scholarship and talking right now, I’m going to need a few days to let my mind chill.”
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