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EE!1ǵKz(>>E,etJ(e O'Ҋ(@ŏS ( )cZ~QC*/J(Q)O(VEQ&EEraining them for nearly eight months. Game days are great. <br>Marshall University is a state-supported university and traces its origins back to 1837. There are about 16,000 students including 4,000 graduate and medical students. Not only is the athletic program on the rise, so is the whole university. More than $150 million in physical improvements and expansion have taken place in the 1990 s. In addition, a 30,000-seat, state-of- the-art MU Football Stadium has been constructed so that the capacity can be expanded to 55,000. It features a modern scoreboard which stands 37 feet high and measures 54 feet long replete with video display capabilities.<br>One question I had to ask. Why the Thundering Herd? I thought buffalo roamed the great western plains not the hills of West Virginia. I was wrong. Apparently, way back, there were buffalo. The  Thundering Herd of buffalo provided the natives with nearly every substance needed for human survival. The name was actually taken from the title of one of Zane Gray s Old West novels and has been used by Marshall since 1919.<br>Two players represent the buffalo s survival attributes. Paul Toviessi and Doug Hodges are an inspiration and they may help any reader have a desire to do a little better:<br>Paul is a first generation American. His parents came from the French speaking country of Benin which is just northwest of Nigeria in Africa.  My dad is fluent in four languages, says Paul proudly. <br>Paul grew up in Alexandria, Virginia where he played three sports at West Potomac High School. He played football, basketball and was on the track team. Paul made the All-State team as a tight end and defensive end. As a senior, he was 6-6 and 215 pounds. Paul started to lift seriously as a 9th grader and by his senior year achieved the following marks: Bench-280, Squat-350, Dead Lift-315, 40-  at least a 4.4 or 4.5. Now, at age 22, Paul can Bench 385, Squat 490, Hang Clean 319 and Vertical Jump 35 inches. He is majoring in Sports Management and Marketing and will graduate this summer. <br>Paul came to Marshall to play football with his best friend John Cooper. It turned out to be a great decision.  We win so much that we expect it now, says Paul.  It s a good feeling to win all the time. Paul made first team All-MAC and was named Player-of-the-Week several times at his defensive end position. At 6-7 265 with his speed and quickness, Paul is a force that is hard to handle.  But I m not big on awards, asserted Paul.  The team is more important.<br> I believe the secret of our success is that the coaches recruit well. We give a lot of athletes a chance. Some of my teammates come from poverty or a poor background. Marshall provides an opportunity to grow up and mature. I started out not going to class but then I changed. I had reconstructive knee surgery because of an injury during the second game of the 1998 season. I thought,  Man, I m only one play away from never playing again. It made me realize that I had better go to class, get my grades and graduate. I know now that I m not invincible . . . no one is. <br>Paul has developed some strong convictions as a result of his experiences at Marshall.  Give it all you got in the classroom, advises Paul.  Anything you put your name on make sure it s quality. If you make a mistake, people will judge you on that. Find a role model. Mine is my dad. I have the utmost respect for him. He came to this country when he was 15 in poverty and no education. I have four sisters. One died