by Jack Neary
Hasise Dubois is ready to be a leader on the Virginia football team.
He knows exactly where he draws his inspiration and influences from.
“My first year I looked up to Keeon Johnson, Doni Dowling and Andre Levrone,” Dubois said. “They were really good players and really good people. I just tried to match their intensity as much as I could.”
Now, as a junior, Dubois is ready to help mentor the next generation of football talent.
“A lot of the guys we have now aren’t that experienced. They’re either first years or second years or redshirt second years,” Dubois said. “We are just trying to do as much as we can to mentor to young guys and get them ready when they step on the field.”
Dubois’ leadership does not stop outside the painted white lines of the football field. He also plays an integral role in Thursday’s Heroes, a program started by Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall while he was a coach at BYU.
Thursday’s Heroes is a program where individuals visit Virginia’s football practice to meet the team, receive encouragement and support from players and coaches. According to Dubois, it’s an opportunity to show appreciation for people whose lives are not as fortunate as his own.
“I like to do it because you can’t take life for granted, you don’t know what their life is like or what they are going through,” Dubois said. “I try make them as happy as possible and feel as great as possible about their life because I know their everyday life might not be as fortunate as mine. I want to do my best to make them feel as happy as I am on that day.”
Thursday’s Heroes can involve members of the team dressing up as superheroes, singing songs and giving out gifts. Dubois, who serves as a leader and facilitator on Thursday mornings, brings his trademark charisma and joy to Thursday’s Heroes in order to make visitors feel welcome.
“I am an outgoing person,” Dubois said. “I am very social, I like to have fun and to see other people have fun. If you have been around me, I’m just a high-energy, energetic guy. Thursday’s Heroes is definitely a highlight of the week. We just come out here and try to cheer up the Thursday’s hero as much as possible and let them have as much fun as possible. We all have fun and we all look forward to it. When we get out there, we just have a ball.”
Dubois’ energy makes for great communication on the field.
“I’m definitely a loud guy,” Dubois said. “My coach has told me he should not have to hear me before he sees me. In practice that helps a lot because I can communicate across the field without having to stop the play or wave down someone. I can just yell across the field and everyone will be on the same page.”
With his teammates, Dubois uses his communication skills to grow closer as a team.
“When we all get around each other we like to have fun,” Dubois said. “We don’t have to worry about anything, we are all open to each other. We can basically just be ourselves. If guys are not comfortable around each other, you are going to butt heads. We just try to be as open as possible so we know each other’s circumstances, we know their situations. As long as we all know each other and communicate with each other, it helps with the team chemistry.”
This sense of consideration helps Dubois both with his teammates and with Thursday’s Heroes. The visitors have varied circumstances and needs, and Dubois is more than happy to oblige and lead his teammates in respecting them.
“We have to get to know the Thursday’s Hero,” Dubois said. “Some of them don’t like loud noises or they are very shy so we try to not be so aggressive and to let them open up themselves. From there, we try to have more fun like dancing with them or singing with them. One Thursday’s Hero didn’t like loud noises, so when he opened up a gift, we would snap our fingers instead of clapping or yelling. We keep it quiet so they can still have fun. We don’t want to interrupt their day. We do everything possible to make them feel comfortable.”
Dubois understands it is important for him to set an example during practice and events like Thursday’s Heroes, just like older players set an example for him when he was a freshman.
“I think it’s something we have to do on our own. If the coaches tell you to do something, it’s not necessarily something you want to do. You are doing it because the coaches said it, so it’s not as genuine,” Dubois said. “A lot of the younger guys would not know what to do because it is their first year here and they did not know about Thursday’s Heroes. Each year, the older guys doing it helps a lot.”
Dubois is stepping into a larger role on and off the field for Virginia football. But he is more than ready to use his role to set an example for others.