TQL former college athletes spotlight: Dylan
Being a college athlete takes hard work and determination, and Total Quality Logistics counts many of these standouts as team members. We share their stories in this new feature.
They called him Garbageman.
It was a fitting nickname for Dylan C., a crafty speedster who cleaned up missed shots and fired them back into the goal for the University of the Cumberlands’ lacrosse team. Dylan’s teammates coined the name as an homage to the attack’s plentiful garbage goals in five seasons with the Patriots.
That grit fueled a tremendous collegiate career in which Dylan was a two-time NAIA All-American and three-time All-Appalachian Athletic Conference honoree. He’s the program record holder for most assists in a season (35) and second all-time in single-season points (74).
Not bad for a 5-foot-7, 155-pound player who was barely recruited out of high school.
Dylan considered giving Division III football a shot after receiving lukewarm interest in lacrosse. But, after visits to two schools including the University of the Cumberlands, he chose the latter and made his way to Williamsburg, Ky. to begin his collegiate lacrosse career.
He left with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a lacrosse resume studded by 143 goals, 342 shots, 98 assists and 241 points. He was the first Patriots lacrosse player to score 100 career goals and the first to amass 200 career points.
“I didn’t expect to do that. I had no idea,” Dylan said. “But it made me feel good because I didn’t get recruited a lot, and then to have opponents try to game plan around me was humbling.”
Dylan said he was part of the smallest attack line in the country – one of his offensive teammates checked in at 5-foot-4 – and that worked in the Patriots’ favor. Dylan used his size and speed to change directions and elude bigger, slower defenders.
He credited his athletic success to studying strategy, facing NAIA All-American defenders in practice, arriving early, staying late and devoting his offseason to improvement.
Dylan also shined in the classroom. By earning a 3.9 grade point average as an undergrad and a 4.0 as a graduate student, he racked up a slew of academic awards.
After helping the University of the Cumberlands to four straight NAIA National Invitational semifinals, Garbageman shed his lacrosse moniker and turned his sights to his career. He was hired at TQL in June of 2022 as a Marketing Production Coordinator.
The time-management and teamwork skills he acquired with the Patriots are now integral to his job, as well as an assistant coaching role with his former high school team.
Dylan returned to Garbageman form just a few weeks ago when playing in a Cumberlands alumni game, where he showed he was still a tour de force.
“I probably wouldn’t have played much if I’d gone with football. With lacrosse, I had the opportunity to play and to start, and I made so many good friends,” Dylan said. “It was the best decision I’ve made.”
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