Western Michigan surprises walk-on with scholarship during onside kick drill

Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck surprised the junior walk-on with a full-ride scholarship for his hard work and tireless effort to make everyone better. That was demonstrated in video posted on the football team’s YouTube channel on Thursday. So what they did is they taped a note to a football and literally kicked it at Sweeney. No, he didn’t make an incredible play in practice that you have to see, but he did recover an onside kick that will change his life forever.

Sweeney, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound running back from Ypsilanti, Mich., appeared in 13 games on special teams for Western Michigan in 2014, totaling 13 tackles.

So while Sweeney might have gained a scholarship, he might have also lost his place on the hands team. His teammates, who were in on the set-up, rush over and pick him up on their shoulders and then he reads the scholarship offer aloud.

“Kalamazoo’s always been my home”, Sweeney told MLive in 2013 before enrolling at Western Michigan.