It takes more than exhortations and pep talks to become a team leader.

It takes perseverance, inexhaustible work and a willingness to bear some burdens for teammates. It takes something intangible, such as character, in addition to the hard, concrete numbers that define production.

In 2009, it took quarterback Tanner Price to fill such a role for Westlake’s football team to regain its almost customary spot in the state title game, and that is why the senior earns the Westlake Picayune’s 2009-10 Boys Athlete of the Year award.

No member of Westlake’s football team bore more of a burden than Price in 2009. The southpaw slinger, an all-district performer as a junior, had to forget an offensive system that he had spent a lifetime learning. More so, Price had to quickly master the zone read in the Chaps’ new power spread offense.

For a 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound prototypical pocket passer already committed to Wake Forest University, the new system proved challenging. Through the first six games of the season, the Chaps averaged a pedestrian 23 points a game while going 4-2.

But then the subtleties of leadership began to emerge. Price picked up the offensive rhythms with increasing alacrity. Hesitation turned into decisiveness, and short gains turned into touchdowns. The Chap offense began to explode; over the next 10 games, Westlake averaged 40.6 points a game and didn’t suffer another loss until the state title game.

Price became a dual threat – 1,108 yards rushing, 2,634 passing, 36 total TDs – unlike any ever seen at Westlake, whose quarterback lineage is unsurpassed. He ended the year with 3,742 yards of offense, which is more than Brees, Foles, Schroeder, Rodgers or any other Chap great.

More importantly, Price personified the spirit that flits through the entire Westlake athletic program: Despite some early struggles while adjusting to a new system, he never stopped working toward winning.

Honorable mention

If nothing else, senior tennis player Russell Bader will be remembered for his perseverance. As a middle-school student, Bader briefly quit the sport because of burnout from the relentless cycle of youth tournaments. As a high school player, he reached two consecutive state tournaments in doubles play but couldn’t claim a title. As a senior, however, he converted his first spring as a singles player into a thrilling three-set win over Tomas Stillman of Harlingen South in the Class 5A state finals to finally claim an elusive title.

With a veteran’s poise and plenty of youthful exuberance, sophomore Lewis Guilbeau made plays for both Westlake’s football and baseball teams. He ran for 303 yards, threw for 94 yards and scored four touchdowns in a reserve quarterback role in the fall. That varsity experience served as a preview for the baseball season; as a starting outfielder, Guilbeau hit .466 and hammered out 39 RBIs in the regular season. Chap followers of both sports can’t wait to see what else the youngster can achieve.