24 Aug 2022 Bulldogs seek ‘respect’ in 2022
By Mark Oliver
When Bald Knob senior lineman, Renlee Espinosa, began playing football in eighth grade, he knew he would have to work hard to gain his teammates’ respect. So, he put in the time and effort to make an impact early.
![](https://501lifemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Renlee-Espinosa-SPORTS-082522_WEB.jpg)
“One day, in eighth grade, we were doing a tackling drill, and I got off my block and tackled the running back,” Espinosa said. “From that moment on, people started giving me respect.”
That confidence inspired Espinosa’s growth as a defensive force for the Bulldogs and has paid off in big ways.
“Last season, I was awarded the best overall lineman for our team,” Espinosa said. “It meant a lot to me. I want to be remembered as a man who put his head down and put in the work. I may not be the most sociable person on the team, but I gain respect from showing everyone that I deserve to be a valuable asset to the starting lineup.”
This season, Espinosa plans to lead the Bulldogs’ turnaround from last year’s 1-9 finish.
“Last season, we had the talent to go farther than we did, but selfish and uncooperative actions held us back from reaching our goals,” Espinosa said. “This season, my goal is to create a new culture of helping one another and mentoring the underclassmen to become better players. Our coaches have set goals for us to own the line of scrimmage, and work through the pain and obstacles to become better men, overall, throughout the season.”
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