Six-feet, five-inch Lobo men's basketball player Tony Danridge wears a size 14 shoe.
He is one of four returning starters from last year's team. He is only 248 points away from making his 1,000th for the Lobos.
But he never thought he would play Division-I college basketball.
"There was times when I thought I wouldn't ever get to play," he said. "I was late signing and everything. But God just blesses you in different ways, so I was able to get a scholarship my senior year to New Mexico, and it has been a great choice ever since."
Danridge was a wing on the Cajon High School basketball team, averaging 29.6 points per game when the Lobos recruited him in 2004.
Four years later, and after what could have been a devastating leg injury last year, Danridge is ready for the coming season. He said he has depended on his faith, his family and the support of his teammates to make his comeback from the injury.
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"Sometimes I was down about it and everything, but my teammates always came 'round and encouraged me, so I made it through pretty well," he said. "Coming up as a preacher's son, my dad just instilled in me to be humble - don't take for granted your blessings and everything, and just being able to play here has been great."
Teammate Daniel Faris characterized Danridge as a quiet, reluctant leader of the team.
"Tony is a quiet guy, so it is out of his character to talk a lot," he said. "But he is a leader through his actions. Without him, we would be in a lot of trouble. Tony leads us on the court and off the court. I love Tony. He is a really great guy. It is nice to see him doing well again - it was really hard for our team to see him last year."
Head coach Steve Alford said Danridge is ready for the coming season, and the lessons he learned from last year will help him lead his team.
"Well, he is fifth-year senior, he is extremely talented, and he really understands how to play," Alford said. "He has gotten a lot bigger and stronger. So hopefully, all of his experience that we have had leading up to this year is really going to be beneficial going into this year."
Alford said Danridge's time on the bench helped him grow and mature, as far as the Xs and Os are concerned.
"He got hurt very early, so we didn't get any of his services from a game standpoint all year," he said. "He was able to watch and learn and really get a good experience about what our system is all about, and now he will be ready this year. I hope that benefits us going into this year."
With the departure of J.R. Giddens, there is no question whose team this is. But despite his seniority and experience, Danridge said it's not about him.
"It's a team sport," he said. "You should never put that much pressure on yourself. I just see it as if we communicate, and if we defend as a team, if we just play as a team, we'll be all right. It's all about team."
