How Sam Houston got that dog in them this offseason

“He’s got that dog in him” is the highest compliment an athlete can receive, an ode to their mental and physical strength. Every program tries to breed that dog into the players in the offseason weight room. But Sam Houston has an actual dog in its weight room, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Kody Jo, watching to ensure they don’t skip any reps.

Trevor Williams, the Associate Athletic Director of Strength and Conditioning, started bringing Kody Jo to work with him three days after he and his wife got her. Kody Jo has made Sam Houston’s weight room her home over the past seven years, getting boops, pets and treats from over 450 athletes participating in 17 different sports. She’s waiting by the back door every morning, excited to go to work.