A day in the life of ‘Bobby’ Sacre

The clock struck 10:50 a.m. and there was no sign of Robert Sacre. 

Our hopes of Rob attending his first class started to dwindle like a game clock in the fourth quarter. Then, spotted across the dimly lit hallway of College Hall, a head stood above all others. His grin still apparent from more than 50 yards away, the big man strolls down the hall in royal velour sweat pants, a beige and black waffle tee with a black felt coat, all size XXXX(etc)L. At 7-foot and 247 pounds, he blends in with the crowd about as well as the Sears Tower would if it was transported to Pullman, Wash. When he finally reaches us on the other end of the building, he smiles and says, "Today is going to be a long day boys, there's no time for naps."

Thus begins a day in the life of Gonzaga's larger than life center Rob Sacre.

10:50 a.m.: Rob's first class is Communications Theory 305 with Professor Lisa Davis. Today, two students give a presentation on social interaction dealing with the way people judge others. Rob doesn't hesitate to participate in the class discussion, offering his words of wisdom more than 10 times over the course of a 75 minute class. Just call him Rob Sacretes.

11:20 a.m.: Rob was wrong about one thing: there is time for a nap today. In between his spontaneous comments and thirty minutes into class, his hand has become a pillow.

11:35 a.m.: Rob explains what he likes about this class: "Quote me on this: my two classes on Tuesdays are full of very attractive women."

12:05 p.m.: Class ends and we head to Rob's 1997 Lincoln Town car with tinted windows, leather seats, and a sound system that rivals the McCarthey Center. Pretty Ricky's "Tipsy in this Club" rattles the car.

"Music isn't meant to be quiet," he says.

We go to Subway, an establishment that Rob eats at more consistently than Jared. He says, "eats fresh" four times a week on average, but he never varies from one of two sandwiches: the Italian BLT and the meatball marinara. Does he have a Subway card?

"I haven't gotten around to it," Rob explains.

12:35 p.m.: After Subway, we go to Rob's house on Nora, which he shares with teammate Steven Gray and another housemate. In the living room Rob has a 60-inch TV on which he only watches two channels: VH1 SOUL or MTV Jams. When he finds a song he likes, he then types it into his phone to add to his iPod later. 

 Before he can enjoy his meatball marinara foot long, Big Rob takes his two pitbulls, Louie and Jackson, outside to relieve themselves. It is immediately evident how much Rob cares for them.

"Louie's my baby. I love him more than any other dog in my life, because I have had to go through so much more stuff because of him. Got in trouble, paid fines, but I love him," he said.

The fines were a result of the dogs' brief stay in Rob's room in DeSmet Hall during his freshman year.

12:50 p.m.: Rob drops off his "boys" (Louie and Jackson) at a friend's house where people will be around to play with them all day. Rob doesn't want the dogs to get cooped up or lonely while he's gone.

12:55 p.m.: Rob heads to McCarthey where he'll meet with his Basketball Academic Adviser Rian Oliver.

"She's like my mom," Rob says of Oliver. "She always asks me if I have homework and checks up on me."

Sacre meets with Oliver for an hour twice a week. During these meetings they meticulously go over each of his classes. Rob then hits the computers in the athlete's study center. He has to write a paragraph-long journal entry. His first step: logging onto Craigslist to look up the pets for sale (he promises he is just looking). Thirty minutes later Big Rob has had enough of homework and we're out of there like a prisoner out of jail.

2:15 p.m.: Rob goes to the locker room to relax before practice. Besides personalized lockers and showers, the room has multiple leather coaches set up in front of two big-screen TVs. The room is stocked with enough Gatorade to hydrate every runner in Bloomsday.

3-5 p.m.:  Practice time. Rob works his tail off and strokes three ball after three ball in Mike Hart's eyes.  Or that's what might have happened. We don't actually know. Under coach Few's orders, no outsiders are allowed to watch practice.

5:15 p.m.:  The team is privileged with catered dinner every night after practice. Tonight the meal consists of moist grilled chicken, deliciously seasoned sticky rice, sautéed vegetables, Caesar salad and sliced fruit. And for dessert? A duet rap song by David Stockton and Rob poking fun at the Canadian accents of Manny Arop and Kelly Olynyk. Now that's team chemistry.

5:45 p.m.: After the five-star meal, we follow Rob back to the locker room.

One of the only printable portions of the locker room talk came from Rob's explanation of his numerous tattoos.  The ink tells the tale of Rob's upbringing and heritage. A Fleur de Lis (think the New Orleans Saints logo) is placed between his mother and father's last names. On his right arm is the state of Louisiana, where he was born. On his back are two pitbulls, one laughing and one crying to remind Rob to "Laugh now, cry later." Sacre would not be complete without DMX's prayer and portrait inked on his side.

6 p.m.: Next we head to College Hall, where Rob has Christian Leadership class with Fr. Stephen Kuder, S.J. Fr. Kuder talks about how students rarely take time to reflect with God. To practice such prayer, Kuder sends the class to the student chapel, a place Rob has never been. Rob proceeds to pray fully passed out.