Where Are They Now: Cody Aughney

By Jamie Bichelman

Welcome to the first edition of Where Are They Now? where I spotlight an athlete or special person who has done big things early on in life. Today, we catch up with 2008 GVHS graduate and current Bryant University athlete, Cody Aughney.

In the incredible '06-'07 championship title run by the men's varsity basketball team, led by arguably the most famous high school athlete since DeMarco Murray, Billy White and the loaded Gators lost 68-58 to Mojave High School in the Orleans arena in the Class 4A state tournament. Cody Aughney, a key part of the championship run--he scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds that game--still relives those glory days.


"I still remember like it was yesterday," said Aughney. "Watching Billy get blocked with less than a second left on the clock in the regional championship, my and-1 to put us ahead of Cheyenne to send us to state. The ride to the Orleans, the locker room, everything. So [yes] I guess I do still think about it because that was our year, but i am truly just grateful that i had the opportunity to play along side those guys. It was some of the greatest times of my life."

In addition to his talents in the hoops game, Aughney was also recruited for his skills in football.
Aughney was a two-time Second Team All-Southeast Conference as a defensive end and tight end in 2006-07 and 2007-08

"I currently play Left Tackle for my college team after I played my freshman year at Defensive End," said Aughney. "The transition to college was a lot tougher than expected. I did not play much my freshman year so it was weird, seeing as I had never sat [on] the bench [before]. Also, it was tough to get used to the amount of work I actually had to put in compared to high school; it is more like a business now than a sport."

Though he has enjoyed success in multiple sports at multiple levels, Aughney is also known for his talents in the classroom. Indeed, this scholar-athlete pays no mind to the stereotype that all jocks lack the smarts needed to succeed in the real-world.

"The ultimate goal for my future would be to make it to the NFL," said Aughney. "I have met a scout or two and [they say] it is possible with determination, but I also have a backup plan. I am currently majoring in business administration with a concentration in management, with a double minor in statistics and legal studies. I am hoping to use these areas of study to get into law school and pursue a career as a sports agent if becoming a professional athlete does not work out."


A typical day in Aughney's life, now, is nonstop action. He admits to working out "around 3 hours a day minimum in the offseason just to stay in playing shape year round" and must balance the pressures of school and athletics.

"During the preseason I will wake up at roughly 7 and have breakfast, then attend an offensive line meeting to watch about an hour of film," said Aughney. "Then we will have a walk through on the field at around 10:30 and after that we will have a lift at around 1130. We have lunch at 12 and have a few hours off until another meeting at 2:15 before practice at 4. Our practice will last until 6 and we will have one last meeting at night.

"As for in-season I would have a lift sometime between my classes, and then the 2:15 meeting and practice at 4. During the summer, I will wake up, stretch, and then workout in the morning. I come back, rest, and either play basketball or run sprints in the afternoon."

With all of the me-first, egocentric athletes featured on the news 24/7, it is refreshing to hear a positive, hard-working story like Cody's. Aughney admits that he understands Darrelle Revis' gripe about being underpaid; that LeBron James is misunderstood; and that the Albert Haynesworth situation proves "to kids that you do actually have to put in work even if you are the "baddest" man in the NFL."

"I believe the NBA and NFL have been getting worse and worse for a while now with these attitudes," said Aughney. "It is just building up more and more now until the leagues are no longer even about the sport, but strictly about business deals and endorsements."

*Photos courtesy of Cody Aughney