MACON, Ga. — For two months out of the year, college players come to Macon to play the sport they love.
"They're students, they're going to school, and they're athletes, and you could see the passion they have to be successful in this," says host Wayne Thompson.
He says he and his wife jumped at the opportunity host Macon Bacon players after their son, Wesley, left for the Navy two years ago.
"With our son not being there, my wife, I think she took over the mothering. She actually washed their clothes for them, so it was kind of like having our son at home," he says.
Before the first one arrived, Thompson did his research on the player. He found out that his dad used to play football in college and the Canadian Football League.
"I went online and found some of his football cards, and ordered one of the cards so there would be something of his home when he got there," says Thompson.
It's the extra mile that Macon Bacon president Brandon Raphael says makes the team so successful.
"The best scenarios we found is that they're all in, you want to get to know them, you want to spend time with them, you want to go to a movie with them," says Raphael.
He says the first step is putting in an application and someone from the team will schedule a home visit. The requirements are simple.
"To have a room, a private room for them, shower, a place for them to be, you have to be OK with them coming home late at night. When we're on a road trip, they're gonna be coming back at 2, 3, 4:00 in the morning," Raphael says.
In addition to the lifelong friendship, some perks include season tickets to home games and invitations to special events.
To find out more about how to apply, you can visit maconbaconbaseball.com.
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