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Austin had his quirks—we all did—but his was downright distracting. Every few minutes, suited up, he’d give his jock cup a solid knock with his knuckles, like he was making sure it hadn’t disappeared. But trust me, there was no chance of that. The thing was impossible to miss, bulging through his tight baseball pants like he had stuffed a whole sock in his jock. Worse yet, the knocking was audible—a hollow thunk that echoed just enough for fans and players alike to eventually turn and see what was making the noise. Once they did, they couldn’t unsee it.

The team photographer snapped action shots of all of us for the team’s website—pictures of me behind home plate, crouching, squatting, and catching fastballs. I thought they’d turn out great, showcasing my skills. But when the photos were published, my teammates, friends and fans all burst into laughter. Every single shot of me looked intense and professional—except for one glaring detail. My athletic cup created a huge, unmistakable bulge in my pants, making it seem like I had stuffed my jockstrap on purpose. No matter how hard I played, all anyone could talk about was that lump stealing the spotlight.

Schultz strapped on the mat in 1995

Jocked and cupped in his retro low-cut singlet

Dumb jocks 😂