Pack Landfair is a young man of responsibility. Not only does he work tirelessly behind the scenes with the fourth-ranked Texas pitching staff that has compiled a 22-4 record and 2.56 team ERA through March 24, but the Longhorn catcher works extremely hard at his studies while also finding time to work as an academic mentor to several baseball players.

This dedication has not gone unnoticed by his peers and coaches, as baseball head coach Augie Garrido noted.

"Pack is the kind of person who's always willing to do whatever it takes to be the best, and he's very respectful of the team and the university," stated Garrido. "He does his best on behalf of everyone around him, and he gives a lot of himself to everyone. Pack is just a very generous, kind, intelligent and talented person."

Landfair, who goes by the nickname "Pack" (full name is Stanley Wood Landfair, Jr.), is majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing. He works as part of the academic mentor program, where he assists with several of his teammates' academic progress. Landfair works with them for two hours a day, five days a week, but still sets his own high academic goals - such as achieving straight A's this semester. Landfair currently is on track to accomplish just that.

Landfair earned spring 2004 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll mention. His leadership skills were apparent back in high school when he held the position of class president at West Springfield HS in Virginia for three years. Landfair excels in the classroom in part because English has always been a passion of his.

"I really enjoy writing, and majoring in English was the degree where I could apply my talent and passion," Landfair said.

He also cites a conversation he had with Coach Garrido at the end of last season which continues to motivate him in all aspects of his life.

"When we finished second in the College World Series last year, Coach and I had a conversation, and he talked about how that runnerup position would affect all of us for the rest of our lives," Landfair said. "He stressed never wanting to come up short in anything you did ever again. I still think about that speech and try and apply to it to everything in my life."

The Pulse on Pack
· Spring 2004 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll
· 2-year varsity baseball letterwinner
· UT academic mentor
· Played a vital role with the 2004 UT pitching staff that ranked first in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in ERA (2.66)

As a standout senior pitcher on the No. 4 nationally ranked Texas softball team, Amy Bradford's success in the pitching circle has directly correlated with the success that head coach Connie Clark's team has achieved in recent years. Bradford, a health promotions major, is not only an elite collegiate pitcher and a two-time All-Big 12 selection, but also has become an elite student, Clark noted.

"Amy knows she has to take care of business in the classroom to be able to do what she loves, which is play softball," Clark said. "Amy really figured out that it is all about balancing your academics and athletics at Texas. It is really nice to see her recognized with this Longhorn PRIDE student-athlete award because she works extremely hard at her schoolwork and at softball and has overcome lots of adversity while doing so."

Through March 24, Bradford had compiled an impressive 7-1 record, and her sparkling 0.80 ERA ranked No. 6 overall among all Big 12 Conference hurlers. Despite missing nearly two-thirds of last season with a second knee injury and surgery since arriving at UT, Bradford sports a 37-9 career record in the circle with 10 shutouts, two no-hitters and a 1.14 ERA. Her .804 winning percentage is second-best in the Longhorn career record books and she holds the school record for career saves (with six).

Bradford cites the UT Academic Services support staff for her success in her studies, and also appreciates the fact that her parents have always stressed that her degree comes first.

"My parents always remind me to make sure I get my schoolwork done first by telling me softball is not all that I am. They tell me to prioritize the right way and that I need to finish my college education on a strong note so I can succeed in the real world," Bradford said.

Bradford, a two-year recipient of UT Women's Athletics scholarships (the Wayne and Marjorie Riddell Endowed Scholarship and the Sheila Rice, Ph.D. Endowed Scholarship for Academic Excellence) enjoys the diverse opportunities her degree will provide her. She hopes to use her degree to acquire a position in advertising or public relations - hopefully, working for one of two sports franchises - the Texas Motor Speedway or the Texas Rangers.

"I love learning the mechanics and the anatomy of the body, and when I started taking classes in health promotions, I realized how interesting it was," Bradford concluded. "I really enjoy being able to choose a degree where you feel like you're making a difference in whatever you do, because you can go in so many different directions with this degree."

The Buzz on Bradford
· 2002 & 2003 All-Big 12 Conference Second Team
· Two career no-hitters
· 10 career shutouts
· Holds UT career and single season saves record (6 total, set in 2003)
· Recipient of UT Women's Athletics Wayne and Marjorie Riddell Endowed Scholarship for 2001-02 and the 2002-03 Sheila Rice, Ph.D. Endowed Scholarship for Academic Excellence