Amare Snowden had a large circle of supporters to lean on as he made one of the most difficult decisions of his life in early December. Yet, as he lay awake at night, he says he was lonely and scared. Only he could choose his path, no matter what anyone else suggested.

Snowden was a four-star cornerback who earned more than 40 scholarship offers, but he was also an outstanding left-handed pitcher with Major League Baseball aspirations. He planned to play football and baseball in college, which is partly why he initially committed to Cincinnati. But after Luke Fickell accepted the head-coaching job for Wisconsin’s football program in late November, Snowden de-committed from the Bearcats to re-evaluate his options.

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He heard from Fickell a week later and was relieved to learn the Badgers wanted him as a versatile defensive back who could earn playing time early. However, there was a significant problem: Wisconsin has not fielded a varsity baseball program since 1991 due to athletic department budget cuts at the time. If Snowden wanted to play two sports in college, it wouldn’t be at Wisconsin.

“It was hard,” Snowden said. “I was upset. One day, I’d want to go play football. The next day, I’d change my mind.”

With the college football early signing period set to begin Dec. 21, Snowden had just a few weeks to decide. The four schools he considered were Wisconsin, Cincinnati, West Virginia and Colorado. He was familiar with Cincinnati’s campus and knew he could play two sports but wasn’t enthusiastic about a football staff overhaul. He took an official visit to West Virginia with two sports on the table. In the end, Snowden committed to and signed with Wisconsin after a campus visit (he ran out of time to visit Colorado, which also does not offer baseball).

Given Snowden’s baseball talent, some people might be asking a simple question: Why?

Why give up baseball without seeing it all the way through?

“That says a lot about coach Fickell and the relationship that he has built with Amare,” said Snowden’s dad, Vernard, who is also his football coach at Roseville (Mich.) High. “I’m always 100 percent supportive of my son. But we sat down a lot and talked about this decision because Amare is a pretty good baseball player.

“I just wanted to make sure, ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do?’ He said, ‘Yeah. I feel at home. I feel comfortable.’ When you’ve got a roster of 100 kids, to have a relationship with the head coach is very unique. I think that was the biggest thing with Amare picking Wisconsin, knowing that they don’t have a baseball program.”

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Snowden, 6 feet 3, is one of the most intriguing players in Wisconsin’s 2023 recruiting class because of his length and athleticism. He was listed on Wisconsin’s signing day roster as a defensive back rather than a cornerback because of the way the Badgers could move him around the field on the back end. He can play free safety, strong safety or corner. But he will begin his career as a boundary corner, unlike anything the Badgers have seen.

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All 10 of Wisconsin’s cornerbacks on its spring practice roster were listed between 5-9 and 5-11. Snowden became just the second four-star cornerback signee for Wisconsin during the internet recruiting rankings era and the first since Brett Bell in 2001. And with the Badgers in need of depth at the position — two true freshmen early enrollees elevated to the second-team defense by the end of spring practice — Snowden could have a shot to contribute if he stands out during the preseason.

“We had to kind of find out where his heart really was,” Fickell said on early signing day in December. “We never had any doubt on how good of a player he is or where he fits best. But it was really going to come down to, ‘Hey, are you willing to give up baseball and really kind of hone all your skills into one thing?’ I think his original thought was, going into college, he wanted to have the option to do both. But he recognized the opportunities here and what this could mean for his future.

“He’s a guy that I think has a lot of flexibility. We see him as a corner. We see him as a guy that’s got a lot of growth potential. But we envision him starting off on the outside and seeing how well he fits in all the different things that we want to be able to do.”

Snowden finished his senior season at Roseville High with 37 tackles, six interceptions and five pass breakups. He added 23 receptions on offense for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Vernard said his son’s best trait is how devoted he is to perfecting his craft. He is constantly critiquing his performance and comparing himself to other defensive backs, such as NFL corners Sauce Gardner and Jalen Ramsey, both of whom were top-five NFL Draft picks.

“I just feel like my swag and confidence level is real high,” Snowden said. “I feel I can guard anybody. My length, my ball skills, hand-eye coordination, it’s all there.”

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‘Dude, where are we at with him?’: Snowden as the baseball prodigy

Outside of Snowden’s football future, his baseball talent has recently been the most significant topic of discussion. Nick Swanson is the owner and coach of USA Prime Michigan, one of the top travel baseball organizations and development centers in the state. He has been Snowden’s travel league baseball coach since Snowden played on his 14-under team.

When Snowden signed with Wisconsin, he was coming off a junior baseball season in which he pitched three no-hitters with an average fastball of 86-88 mph, according to Swanson. Swanson said Snowden continually dealt with lingering injuries from football, including with his hamstring and groin, that impacted his baseball performance. But this season, Snowden is fully healthy and amid the best season of his career.

By the middle of last week, Snowden had pitched 22 innings and surrendered eight hits while striking out 54 batters on two walks. His earned-run average was 0.95, and batters were hitting just .108 against him. He recently pitched seven innings and gave up no hits while striking out 18. Snowden said he was furious with himself for allowing a walk. Swanson said Snowden’s control is unheard of for a pitcher at his level.

Snowden is now consistently throwing 90-93 mph fastballs, and Swanson said he envisions Snowden reaching 94-97 mph with full-time training. Long, athletic left-handed pitchers with projectable measurables like that are hard to find. Recently, Swanson said he talked to scouts from four Major League Baseball teams: the Detroit Tigers, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves.

“They were all like, ‘Dude, where are we at with him?’” Swanson said. “And I was like, ‘Man, I wish he was playing baseball still.’ If that kid had a full spring training, working with the best coaches in the world, what could he be? That’s the intriguing part, and I think that’s something that intrigues not only us over here in Michigan but, honestly, all these scouts across the country. How good could he be? And I think it’s in there. I actually know it’s in there.”

Snowden said even during football season he’ll throw baseballs or hit off a tee in a cage to calm his mind before a big game. He believes he will find baseball again someday. But that day, if it comes, figures to be down the road. Snowden’s high school graduation is June 6, and he leaves for Wisconsin on June 11, the football team’s freshman report date.

Swanson said Snowden likely would need to participate in more national showcases against top-level talent to have a legitimate case for the MLB Draft, which runs July 9-11, but those events happen after he will be at Wisconsin. Players attending four-year colleges are eligible to be drafted upon completing their junior year or turning 21. Swanson said the good news is a pitcher can work on his development whenever he wants and still has a chance at the next level as opposed to a hitter missing out on years of live at-bat opportunities.

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Still, Vernard made it clear his son’s full focus is football. When Snowden arrives at Wisconsin, he will put his energy into earning a spot on the travel team and making an impact on the field next season.

“I want him to get a degree,” Vernard said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about the money. I want him to, in four years, walk across the University of Wisconsin with a degree. We know baseball, regardless, it’s very slim that you can get a full degree. And even if you get drafted, there are just too many hoops to get to the end. So I think his decision was based off all that and the support of me and my wife and the entire family.”

Vernard, who played running back at Youngstown State, has helped to instill a discipline in his son that he said will be particularly important in college with its daily demands as a student-athlete. Snowden is in the gym by 5:30 a.m. each day and then attends classes, practices or plays in games and does his homework. He repeats the process the next day. The message Vernard relays in every facet of his son’s life is simple: Never settle. Always get better.

Snowden will carry that approach with him to Madison. It’s a different path from the one he envisioned six months ago but one he is ready to embrace.

“I’m going to take a shot,” Snowden said. “I’m going to put my all into coach Fick.”

(Photo courtesy of Amare Snowden)