So what brought this father and son to Wheaton four years ago? Both credit the football recruiting process.
While Austin was being recruited for the football team during his senior year of high school, he says, “I realized there is no other place in the country where you can participate in competitive athletics in such successful sports programs, obtain a degree from a school in the upper echelon of American academia from a Christian prospective, and do so with over 100 teammates that share the same passion for sports, education, and most importantly, the development of their faith.”
At the same time, Austin’s dad was taking notes: “During the meeting with Coach Swider, I recognized that Wheaton was a special place. Little did I know that while Austin was being recruited, so was I.” The summer before Austin’s freshmen year, Wheaton’s head baseball coach position opened up. Coach Driggers, who had just completed his thirteenth season as McMurry University’s head baseball coach, says, “I wanted to have the opportunity to coach baseball in a setting that provided the threefold experience of athletic excellence, challenging academics, and a Christian environment for my students.” Coach Driggers was selected for the position that summer, so when Austin was ready to start college, the entire Driggers family was moving to Wheaton.
Austin‘s decision to play football at Wheaton was due to “the quality of guys on the team.” He says, “We are a very tight-knit group that puts an emphasis on developing close relationships through small groups, training together, and having as much fun as possible every chance we get. That said, an incredible amount of discipline, commitment, and diligence is required to be successful in all these areas. The challenges of learning to balance all these is great, but the result is invaluable.”
Austin began seeing regular varsity playing time on Wheaton’s football team as a sophomore, playing in every game since the start of his sophomore year. He joined the baseball team during his sophomore year, seeing regular playing time his first season. Austin had a breakout junior season, earning All-Conference recognition in 2011. He hit .353 with a team-high 43 runs batted in.
When asked about his greatest experience as an athlete at Wheaton, Austin says that it is without a doubt his first home run on the Wheaton baseball team, with his dad cheering him on at third base. “Thousands of athletes get to hit home runs and make big sacks in front of thousands of fans, but not many people get to hear their dad say ‘thatta boy’ when they round third base. Robinson Cano has had incredible success in the MLB, but ask him about his career highlight and I guarantee you he will say winning the 2011 Home Run Derby and running out to the mound to hug his dad on the mound. Those kinds of moments in sports are rare.”
Coach Driggers considers his greatest moments at Wheaton to be playing in the championship game of the CCIW tournament in 2009, and seeing his team interact with kids at a special needs orphanage while on a team mission trip in the Dominican Republic. He says he is continually amazed by the dedication to the students that he observes on campus. “What has been most interesting to me is that with all the pressures and duties of our faculty and staff, the students never seem to get lost in the shuffle. Whether it is a professor, an administrator, or a staff member, they always seem to make time for the student’s needs ahead of their own in order that they might help the student to grow.”
Coach Driggers’ favorite part about coaching is his interaction with the student athletes. “We provide an environment that encourages student athletes to challenge themselves in every area of life: that is to honor God by giving their all on the field of play, in the classroom, and in their Christian walk. We encourage them to sell out to reach their potential, but at the end of the day, regardless of the outcome on the field, to know that they serve a God that loves them unconditionally.”
What is Coach Driggers’s advice to incoming student athletes? “Understand the huge commitment you are making not only to yourself, but also to your teammates. Learn to prioritize those commitments to grow in your faith, study hard, and get the most out of your ability through hard work in the athletic arena. It is a sacrifice, but one you won’t regret. The relationships made and nurtured through their participation in athletics will last a lifetime.”
As for his relationship with Austin, their greatest debate since coming to Wheaton has been over the length of Austin’s hair. “I did have to make one concession before I came to take the baseball job.” Coach Driggers explains, “He made me promise not to bug him about his hair. He intended to expand his horizons in that area. He certainly has challenged me in that regard with a wide range of looks. However, if he made a mistake it was deciding to play baseball where I was able to suggest the proper style for the season. Things have a way of working out.”
But neither Austin nor Coach Driggers is complaining about this once in a lifetime experience. “My dad has been my coach my whole life, but I never thought I would get the opportunity to play on his team.” For Coach Driggers, he considers it a blessing “to have had the opportunity to be a part of my son’s Wheaton experience.”
Austin will graduate in May with a degree in Applied Health Science, and he hopes to attend East Tennessee State University to earn a Master of Science in Sport Physiology and Performance. He says his life is marked by the lessons he has learned from his father. “My dad holds to his convictions and beliefs as firmly as anyone I have ever known. He has been as good of an example of a Godly father, man, and coach as I have ever had, and I hope to be able to emulate that in my profession and family.”
As for Coach Driggers, he couldn’t be prouder of his son. “I am most proud that Austin decided to make Jesus the Lord of his life, and that decision guides his endeavor to live life. Not always perfect but always forgiven. What a life to live! No father could ever want more for his son.”