The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorns spotlight: Dexter Pittman
01.02.2007 | Men's Basketball
The very quotable Benjamin Franklin once said, "If you love life, do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of." Since his arrival in Austin, University of Texas freshman center Dexter Pittman has exemplified Franklin's words and squeezes much more into a day than the average college student.
Much has been made about Pittman's weight loss, as the Rosenberg, Texas native has shed over 70 pounds since arriving on the Forty Acres in June. Just as impressive as his weight loss has been his ability to totally overhaul his life and squeeze the most out of every day.
On the average day, Pittman can spend anywhere between six to eight hours in class, study hall and academic-related work and five to seven hours working on his weight loss, conditioning and basketball-related skills.
"It's almost like having two jobs," Pittman said. "There are a lot of sacrifices I'm making, but this is something that is important to me."
Among the things that Pittman is sacrificing from his old lifestyle are the amount of time spent on television and video games.
"I don't do much of that stuff any more," he said. "In the beginning, it was tough, but now it has gotten easier because I'm seeing the results of the sacrifices."
With many thinking of New Year's Resolutions that will fall by the wayside within weeks or even days, Pittman so far has kept his June Resolutions and expects to move full steam into the new year.
"I still have a lot of work to do," Pittman said. "My goals are to get a college degree and to play basketball at the highest level I can for the longest I can. Those aren't easy goals to achieve, and I know I have a long way to go to reach them."
Pittman has not been alone in taking the road less traveled upon. He has had the help of his teammates, coaching staff, strength and conditioning coach Todd Wright and Dr. Randa Ryan, senior associate athletics director for student services.
"What Dexter has done has been amazing," Wright said. "It has taken a total commitment from him and he has changed his lifestyle nearly 100 percent."
While Coach Wright has been Pittman's guiding influence physically, Dr. Ryan has worked on molding him mentally.
"She really emphasizes time management," Pittman said. "I think I'm doing pretty well in school right now and a lot of the credit goes to Randa and her staff for helping us develop strong study habits."
In addition to his class time, Pittman and the rest of his teammates spend two hours in study hall before practice each day.
"The fact that he has those two hours in a structured study hall where he can get his things done before he gets to practice has made a huge difference," Dr. Ryan said. "He is using every minute of that time. He is learning how important it is to be prepared for his classes before-hand and he is doing a better job of being organized and doing his reading, so that he can really know what the material is about."
One of the keys to Pittman's successful transition was arriving for summer classes in June.
"I think being here for the summer helped in the transition," Ryan said. "Having that classroom experience heading into the fall helped balance his load, especially since basketball started."
On the season, Pittman is beginning to make an impact, averaging 3.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11 games.
For Pittman, the benefits of the changes in his life extend beyond the basketball court and the classroom.
"I feel healthier," Pittman said, "and I sleep better. I don't always sleep as much as I used to, but I sleep better. I think it's because by the end of the day, I'm exhausted."
With all he accomplishes during a day, it is hard to believe that Pittman has time for sleep. If time is the stuff that life is made of, he is now making the most out of his life.
