By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – There are many roles when it comes to building a team. From top to bottom, every single one of those roles are important.

Case in point – Tennessee Tech senior linebacker Bryson Tolley. The Erwin, Tenn., native spent countless hours juggling his class schedule with clinicals for his nursing program, team meetings and practice. But it is his dedication and enthusiasm to make the team better that garnered him a selection as April's Tech Athletics Unsung Leader award winner.

The time constraints on student-athletes are already well known as they try to find a balance between academics, athletics and time away from campus. Tolley's schedule would probably be seen as an extreme case for many students.

"As a nursing major, he had clinicals from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.," said Golden Eagle head football coach Dewayne Alexander. "As soon as he finished, he came straight here in the stadium for meetings and practice."

While he may not have had the opportunity to start on defense, he was still a crucial part to the Tech lineup, seeing action on the field in four of the seven games this season and 30 games in his career. The main goal was help get his teammates better.

"He always encouraged others and even insisted on playing on the scout team to make others better," Alexander said. "He came into every practice and every game with a great, positive attitude all the way through the last snap of the season."

Tolley wrapped up his Golden Eagle playing career on April 11 at UT Martin and was honored on Senior Day against Tennessee State.

"Bryson Tolley is an awesome teammate," Alexander said. "He exemplifies the Golden Eagle Way. He was positive every day. Bryson is a perfect example of what being a student-athlete is all about. He will represent TTU positively for the next 40-to-50 years."