BY ARRION ELLIS
It felt like football season had barely started, but for a few weeks, English teacher Kyla Mora recalls, it was all anyone could talk about.
“I kept hearing the name over and over – Eric Tilghman, Eric Tilghman,” Mora said. “Every day I heard someone talking about him, in these reverential tones. And I had no idea who he was -- but I figured I'd better find out fast. Everyone was talking about how he was putting Wagner on the map.”
Since last month, Mora is only one of many more people who now know the name Eric Tilghman.
On September 24, Tilghman, a Wagner senior, received two awards -- the Army Strong award and the ESPN San Antonio Player of the Week Award -- for his outstanding play on the field. Tilghman has been described as practically unstoppable, running through opposing teams, helping Wagner keep a winning percentage of .500.
“Eric is a great, passionate and energized leader who enjoys playing with his brothers on the field,” head football coach Charles Bruce said.
According to Bruce, Tilghman’s winning these awards, which are only given to a few athletes, has injected life into the football program, on top of bringing excitement to Wagner students and staff.
“Eric receiving the awards puts Wagner football on another level,” Bruce said.
But ask Tilghman himself, and it’s clear that he’s focused, not on past achievements, but on the future.
“There’s still the rest of the season,” Tilghman said. “And Wagner can expect that I will keep working hard.”