Once an Eagle, always an Eagle means more for FGCU fifth year athletes

Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.

That’s especially true for FGCU fifth year basketball players Cyrus Largie and Dakota Rivers.

They’re two of only 122 NCAA Division I men’s basketball players that have played for only one school their entire college career.

“When you stay in a community like this for so long, you get to know people and you get to build special relationships,” Rivers. “I feel like that’s so much more important than basketball, the everlasting relationships you can build with people around the sport.”

In the age of the transfer portal, staying true to one program is becoming increasingly uncommon.

Their journeys to FGCU are a little different.

Largie was a walk-on who earned a scholarship.

“This was one of the first schools who gave me interest and I was a walk-on and eventually I ended up getting a scholarship here and I want to give everything back to the school,” Largie said.

Rivers lost most of his scholarship offers after an injury his senior year of high school…but the eagles never waivered.

“I came back extremely healthy,” Rivers said. “I got all my scholarships back, but FGCU stayed consistent throughout the whole process. They believed in me.”

The Eagles believed in both of them and they’re making the most of their last season at FGCU, both in practice and in games.

“What I really do every day is show up, try to be the best version I can be and hopefully the guys see that so they could be the best version they can be,” Largie said.

“Win and if we don’t win, give it everything we got,” Rivers said. “I don’t want to say we left anything on the table.”

Largie and Rivers say staying in one place is worth it and younger athletes can learn a lesson about loyalty.

Largie, Rivers and the rest of the Eagles hit the road to take on Queens University of Charlotte Wednesday at 7 p.m.