It is not uncommon for college students to have a pet.
A betta fish is a nice little companion for a student learning to develop life skills and responsibility. Of course sometimes you just want to get a fish so you can get yourself on the big video board at a football game.
Missouri Tigers offensive linemen Kevin Pendleton, Alec Abeln and Paul Adams teamed up to buy and take care of a fish as a way of being included in a photo op showing Missouri football players with their pets. Because none of the three had a pet, they made the quick trip to PetSmart, got a sales associate to help them out and left the store with their new Betta fish, tank and other accessories to get rid of black beard and other potential issues later. The fish, named “Boneyard,” made them eligible to be shown with their pet at halftime of a game.
Boneyard is named in honor of a Missouri tradition in which players leaving the program leave behind their nametags. The pile of nametags was given the nickname of “boneyard” by offensive line coach Glen Elarbee, and the three new fish-owners agreed that would make a good name for their fishy friend. What’s more, the fish has become a pet for the entire offensive line, which can be a good way to teach teamwork and responsibility as a unit.
“(We thought) it would be really fun to get an o-line pet,” Abeln said. “It kind of made coach (Elarbee) laugh a little bit, when you walk in the room and there is a fish bowl on the table.”
There have been close calls with murky water, usually when the freshmen are left in charge, but Boneyard continues to survive to this day.
“We were figuring it was the freshmen,” Abeln said. “We were about to chew into some of these freshmen, but it was (Tyler) Howell just innocently feeding the fish like 20, 30 pellets.”
Personally, I have had a bad string of luck with fish over the years, but these offensive linemen appear to be doing well so far. Even if some members of the team are taking bets on when the fish will go belly-up. Keep on fighting, Boneyard.
