Mother Nature left the grass frozen over, collateral damage from an uncommonly cold February morning.

Offseason workouts in football can be an unforgiving affair, and the callous chill in the air certainly won’t help matters for those who will endure it later on.

As Cody Wells walked by ULM football’s practice field—knowing what was about to take place that day—he couldn’t help but laugh.

For the first time since the former backup quarterback arrived in Monroe as a freshman in 2009, he won’t be part of the enduring.

“I wasn’t mad about it,” Wells said. “That’s the part of it I won’t miss.”

Wells was the jack-of-all-trades for Warhawk football last fall, serving as Kolton Browning’s understudy while also taking snaps at running back and wide receiver.

With a year of eligibility to burn, the senior is showing off something new in his repertoire this spring: swinging a golf club.

“Golf has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to get back into it,” Wells said. “I wasn’t done and it’s good to come out here and compete with the guys.”

Wells is no stranger to the tee boxes and dogleg turns of a golf course. Growing up in Hoover, Ala. his father introduced him to the game at age three and by seven he was playing in tournaments.

With football in the rearview mirror, golf is a chance for Wells to continue to scratch that competitive itch. When he approached men’s golf coach Erik Hsu about joining the roster, it was an opportunity too good for the coach to pass up.

Hsu had seen Wells play in the golf team’s summer fundraisers, which was enough to leave an impression on him.

“I knew he had talent,” Hsu said. “He’s a good athlete, so it wasn’t a surprise that he wanted to do that for his last semester. I’m really glad he did.”

With a roster comprised of mostly freshmen and sophomores, Hsu looked to Wells not only for his play, but to fill that void of upperclassman leadership. Who better to fill that role than a former quarterback?

“It’s great. Cody brings a whole other spectrum that we haven’t had before with that football mentality on the team,” Hsu said.

That gridiron mindset may seem at odds with a sport known as the “gentleman’s game,” but for Wells the mental preparation is one and the same.

“I always looked at golf as helping me play quarterback because you’ve go to stay focused and not go up and down,” Wells said. “You can’t let stuff get to you.”

Whether it’s a late-game interception, or a 9-iron shot that finds its way into the sand, one must maintain their composure. Although Wells admits golf is at times more frustrating.

He’d like to get to the point where he can shape a golf shot like some of his competitors, a task that’s easier said than done. Many have spent their lives trying to master the intricacies of the golf course, getting their fix when the ball magically hits that sweet spot on the club face.

Wells’ game may be a work in progress, but that hasn’t stopped him from competing at a high level.

Although unsure of what to expect out of ULM’s season opening tournament, Wells turned in a solid score of 77—including three birdies—in the first round of the Rice Intercollegiate.

Round two didn’t go so well. Wells shot an 84 to finish the day at +17. Golf is a frustrating game. Frustrating, but one without regret for either party.

If there is a regret had in all of this, it’s that there isn’t more time.

“With one semester, we’re limited by what we can do,” Hsu said. “He works hard everyday to do what we can in the short amount of time we have.”

How the rest of the season plays out is anyone’s guess. But with Wells involved, it’s a safe bet their will be a surprise or two along the way.