RBC grad Alex Bauman playing a key part in Tulane football’s resurgence
December 5, 2024 at 7:00 a.m.
Although the Red Bank Catholic football team fell short in its quest to repeat as state champion, an RBC alum will be playing for a collegiate crown this week.
Junior Alex Bauman and his Tulane team visit Army, West Point, N.Y., on Dec. 6 for the American Athletic Conference title clash. It marks the New Orleans school’s third straight trip to the championship game, which it won in 2022 and lost last year.
Bauman is a key member of the offense as a strong blocking tight end who’s also a threat in the endzone. Of his 15 catches this season, a team-high six have gone for touchdowns in helping Bauman earn third-team All-AAC honors.
The former RBC two-way standout has been integral in the Green Wave’s renaissance. When he entered the program, Tulane was coming off a 2-10 season and had gone 37-61 since 2014.
“Watching them film-wise before I got there, we had the talent,” Bauman said. “It was basically coming together as a team, building that culture.”
They’ve done just that. Since 2022, the Green Wave has crashed the AP Top 25 all three years, the first time that has happened since the 1936-39 seasons. Although dropping out of the rankings this week, Tulane had reached 17 before a Thanksgiving loss to Memphis.
Bauman feels the defeat has no adverse effects.
“We’re hungry,” he said. “Coach (Jon) Sumrall has instilled in us a culture basically built off the word ‘good.’ When something bad happens, good we move on, when something good happens, good, we move on.”
Bauman had to move on to a new coach and quarterback this season. Sumrall took over for Willie Fitz and redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah took the reins from Miichael Pratt.
Alex admitted to some trepidation when Sumrall left for the University of Houston, saying, “the biggest thing was the uncertainty, you don’t know much about coach Sumrall and how he runs a program.” Those fears quickly disappeared and Alex said “He’s a great person, anyone you talk to just loves him.”
As for Mensah, Bauman noted, “There wasn’t much adjustment. Mike and Darian are both amazing players.”
Bauman’s role in the offense has not changed as Tulane (9-3 record) looks to be physical up front in the running game to open up the passing attack. For his career, Alex has 58 catches for 569 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“I’m just an all-around tight end,” Bauman said. “I can run routes, catch passes downfield. Obviously in the red zone, that’s where I try to make my money and be a target for Darian. Blocking is part of being a tight end. And when your number is called, make a play in the pass game.”
RBC grad Alex Bauman survived a mid-season injury scare to earn third-team All-AAC honors for Tulane University's football team this year. Photo by Parker Waters/tulanegreenwave.com
He was good enough his first two seasons to be put on the 2024 preseason John Mackey Watch List as a candidate for the nation’s top tight end.
“That was awesome,” Bauman said. “I was really honored to be recognized on that Watch List. It shows the support I have from my coaches and teammates.”
That support system had a major fright in an Oct. 5 win over University of Alabama-Birmingham, when Bauman left the field on a stretcher after suffering what looked like a serious ankle injury. Fortunately, he returned in two weeks.
“It was scary because of the way my foot kind of got stuck and the way (the tackler) rolled on it, bending it on the side,” Bauman recalled. “Once they found out it wasn’t too serious, I got my confidence back.”
He returned in time to catch a touchdown pass against Navy, Annapolis, Md. – a squad that mirrors Army (10-1) with a military discipline that carries onto the field.
“They pride themselves on being disciplined and physical and doing the right thing,” Bauman said. “These academy schools are gonna be in their right spots. They’re coached very well. We have to stay disciplined, show our toughness and physicality up front. Control the line of scrimmage and let our athletes make plays.”
Alex revealed he’s got “a few inside pointers” on Army from big brother Kevin, who recently played against the Cadets for Notre Dame. Kevin finally got back on the field this year after season-ending ACL injuries the previous two campaigns.
“He’s been dealt a bad hand, his journey is anything but easy,” said Alex, who talks to his brother every day. “That shows what he is as a person, his determination and perseverance to keep playing. It’s hard to play after two ACL surgeries. That’s not an easy thing to do mentally or physically and he’s still back at it.”
Both Bauman brothers will long be a part of RBC football lore as each starred for state championship teams. Alex still follows the program and noted that football and academics at RBC helped gear him for major college football.
“I was pretty prepared practice-wise; coach (Mike) Lange and coach (Frank) Edgerly both have a good sense of how the next level does things,” Bauman said. “They prepared me for football in that sense.
“Classroom-wise it was the same way,” he continued. “You’re taking AP and honors classes. With Tulane being such an academic school, it transfers over, you know what to expect, what kind of work you have to do to achieve good grades and success on the football field. RBC definitely laid a foundation.”
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Although the Red Bank Catholic football team fell short in its quest to repeat as state champion, an RBC alum will be playing for a collegiate crown this week.
Junior Alex Bauman and his Tulane team visit Army, West Point, N.Y., on Dec. 6 for the American Athletic Conference title clash. It marks the New Orleans school’s third straight trip to the championship game, which it won in 2022 and lost last year.
Bauman is a key member of the offense as a strong blocking tight end who’s also a threat in the endzone. Of his 15 catches this season, a team-high six have gone for touchdowns in helping Bauman earn third-team All-AAC honors.
The former RBC two-way standout has been integral in the Green Wave’s renaissance. When he entered the program, Tulane was coming off a 2-10 season and had gone 37-61 since 2014.
“Watching them film-wise before I got there, we had the talent,” Bauman said. “It was basically coming together as a team, building that culture.”
They’ve done just that. Since 2022, the Green Wave has crashed the AP Top 25 all three years, the first time that has happened since the 1936-39 seasons. Although dropping out of the rankings this week, Tulane had reached 17 before a Thanksgiving loss to Memphis.
Bauman feels the defeat has no adverse effects.
“We’re hungry,” he said. “Coach (Jon) Sumrall has instilled in us a culture basically built off the word ‘good.’ When something bad happens, good we move on, when something good happens, good, we move on.”
Bauman had to move on to a new coach and quarterback this season. Sumrall took over for Willie Fitz and redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah took the reins from Miichael Pratt.
Alex admitted to some trepidation when Sumrall left for the University of Houston, saying, “the biggest thing was the uncertainty, you don’t know much about coach Sumrall and how he runs a program.” Those fears quickly disappeared and Alex said “He’s a great person, anyone you talk to just loves him.”
As for Mensah, Bauman noted, “There wasn’t much adjustment. Mike and Darian are both amazing players.”
Bauman’s role in the offense has not changed as Tulane (9-3 record) looks to be physical up front in the running game to open up the passing attack. For his career, Alex has 58 catches for 569 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“I’m just an all-around tight end,” Bauman said. “I can run routes, catch passes downfield. Obviously in the red zone, that’s where I try to make my money and be a target for Darian. Blocking is part of being a tight end. And when your number is called, make a play in the pass game.”
RBC grad Alex Bauman survived a mid-season injury scare to earn third-team All-AAC honors for Tulane University's football team this year. Photo by Parker Waters/tulanegreenwave.com
He was good enough his first two seasons to be put on the 2024 preseason John Mackey Watch List as a candidate for the nation’s top tight end.
“That was awesome,” Bauman said. “I was really honored to be recognized on that Watch List. It shows the support I have from my coaches and teammates.”
That support system had a major fright in an Oct. 5 win over University of Alabama-Birmingham, when Bauman left the field on a stretcher after suffering what looked like a serious ankle injury. Fortunately, he returned in two weeks.
“It was scary because of the way my foot kind of got stuck and the way (the tackler) rolled on it, bending it on the side,” Bauman recalled. “Once they found out it wasn’t too serious, I got my confidence back.”
He returned in time to catch a touchdown pass against Navy, Annapolis, Md. – a squad that mirrors Army (10-1) with a military discipline that carries onto the field.
“They pride themselves on being disciplined and physical and doing the right thing,” Bauman said. “These academy schools are gonna be in their right spots. They’re coached very well. We have to stay disciplined, show our toughness and physicality up front. Control the line of scrimmage and let our athletes make plays.”
Alex revealed he’s got “a few inside pointers” on Army from big brother Kevin, who recently played against the Cadets for Notre Dame. Kevin finally got back on the field this year after season-ending ACL injuries the previous two campaigns.
“He’s been dealt a bad hand, his journey is anything but easy,” said Alex, who talks to his brother every day. “That shows what he is as a person, his determination and perseverance to keep playing. It’s hard to play after two ACL surgeries. That’s not an easy thing to do mentally or physically and he’s still back at it.”
Both Bauman brothers will long be a part of RBC football lore as each starred for state championship teams. Alex still follows the program and noted that football and academics at RBC helped gear him for major college football.
“I was pretty prepared practice-wise; coach (Mike) Lange and coach (Frank) Edgerly both have a good sense of how the next level does things,” Bauman said. “They prepared me for football in that sense.
“Classroom-wise it was the same way,” he continued. “You’re taking AP and honors classes. With Tulane being such an academic school, it transfers over, you know what to expect, what kind of work you have to do to achieve good grades and success on the football field. RBC definitely laid a foundation.”