Sometimes, you can come home again.

That's the case for the newest Golden Bear, Benjamin Hawk Schrider, as the Berkeley native grad transfers to Cal from UT-Chattanooga to complete a masters in Public Health, as well as to play outside linebacker for the Bears in the fall for his senior year.

"I decided to transfer because I really want to go to grad school," Schrider noted, "so I was looking at a lot of programs at the FCS level, like UC Davis, Sam Houston State, and Cal got in the mix. For me it’s an opportunity to get a grad degree at Cal, to get a ticket into the the school. I bring a lot of experience, playing experience so I think I can add a lot of value."

Schrider, from Berkeley originally and a St. Mary's College HS alum (where he was first team all-state in 2014), made the connection with Burl Toler, coming to visit the Bears during the weekend of their spring game, and he's familiar with the coaching staff, first meeting Toler when he was six years old.

"I looked up to him growing up," Schrider remembered, "he would come read to us in our school, and I’d be like ‘aaaah I know that guy.’ Now he’s a coach and it’s surreal to think ‘wow, I get the opportunity to play for someone who’s been looking out for me since I was young.’ Yeah, it’s not my position group, but I know I have relationships with the coaches. (defensive coordinator Tim) DeRuyter offered me at Fresno State out of high school, and (DL Coach Andrew) Browning offered me at UTEP out of high school. So I have relationships already with them, but it’s surreal to know that I get to play for someone I looked up to growing up."

Schrider recalled going to Cal practices as a kid, noting that one year for Halloween, he went as "Aaron Rodgers before he was Aaron Rodgers." He's kept his Cal fandom to this day.

"I’m a Cal fan, I watched every game last year," Schrider said, "I remember getting back from a game, we played an afternoon game, and I got back to my room at 10 or 11(eastern time), turned on the Washington State game and stayed up for the whole game, even though that was a tough ending."

Along with that, Schrider's familiar with the team for another reason. Former Cal WR Erik Phillip, who was on the Cal roster in 2017, is one of Schrider's best friends, and through coming back home to visit Phillip, Schrider has built up friendships with other members of the team

"He lives with Zeandae, so I’m close with him," Schrider said, "I’m close with Henry Bazakas, I grew up with him, I know PJ Poutasi, so I know a lot of these players, I have relationships with these guys, because I’ve known them for four years. I know a lot of the culture of the team and I know a lot of things about the team, so that was an easy decision for me, because I know what I’m getting into."

The 6'3", 230 lb outside linebacker is taking a walk-on opportunity (turning down other scholarship opportunities) to get his masters in Public Health, after earning his degree in Social Work from UT-Chattanooga. He worked as a social work intern at Children's Hospital in Chattanooga, the experience which informed his decision to come to Cal.

"I’ve gotten to see a lot of the socio-economic disparities within health care in the South," Schrider said, "I’m interested in the macro-aspect, the macro-aspect of health care and social work is public health. When I realized I had the opportunity to do the public health program at Cal, that’s where I realized, ‘this is what I want to do’"

He's got plans for his degree as well, hoping to leverage the connections he makes at Cal into something that can help people.

"I want to start a non-profit in Oakland," Schrider said, "or in Berkeley, the East Bay, and I know (during) those two years is when I can start developing this non-profit and developing connections so I can start doing that in the future."

Schrider will get to campus for summer workouts, adding a senior presence to the outside linebacker group, while also getting a chance to finish his college career right at home.

"This is where I’ve started, now I get to finish here."

Other Notes on Schriber:

- Went to school with current Cal OLB Parker Bosche, was a senior when Bosche was a freshman at SMCHS
- Initially went to Richmond out of high school before transferring to UT-Chattanooga

- Went by Hawk Schrider during his two years at UT-C in honor of his late grandfather

Career Stats:

61 tackles, 10 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR in 22 games at UTC