Junior Tang Bacheyie is making a case to start at strong safety for Kansas University's football team. His arrival at KU was delayed, and he started his career as a running back.

Tang Bacheyie says the best thing about football is “being able to hit people as hard as you want and not get in trouble.”

That certainly explains his nickname.

“We call him ‘Hostile,'” free safety Darrell Stuckey said of Bacheyie, a junior and projected starter at strong safety on the Kansas University football team. “It fits perfectly with his personality. He’s very competitive.”

Ferociously plowing through blockers and tacklers always has come naturally to the 6-foot-2, 210-pound former running back. But Bacheyie has collided with other roadblocks since committing to KU as an All-Canada selection from Sandwich High School in Lasalle, Ontario, way back in 2003.

According to the KU media guide, Bacheyie’s arrival at KU was delayed until 2005 because of injury. Bacheyie, however, is reluctant to talk about that period of his life.

“I had some issues that I had to deal with,” he said, declining to comment further, “and I dealt with them.”

He also faced issues on the practice field, not the least of which was finding a position.

After being recruited as a running back, Bacheyie was moved to safety during spring drills in 2005. He was moved back to offense during the fall, where he once was named scout team player of the week.

He’s settled in at safety now, and by all accounts, he finally has found a home.

“If you make it to a college program as a skill player, you’re going to be a very good athlete, and you can play several positions,” Stuckey said. “He knows it’s a whole different mentality now. You’re going back instead of going forward all the time. If I can say so, he’s one of our most improved players right now.”

Bacheyie is competing with junior-college transfer Patrick Resby for the right to start opposite Stuckey.

Junior Tang Bacheyie is making a case to start at strong safety for Kansas University's football team. His arrival at KU was delayed, and he started his career as a running back.

“If we played a game today, Tang would be the starter,” safeties coach Clint Bowen said last week. “Patrick has less time in the system, so he’s catching up and learning the defense.

“(Bacheyie) played running back his whole career and comes from Canada, and those guys have no football background. Now he’s finally getting there. It’s less confusing for him.”

Moving south from Canada was just another obstacle for Bacheyie to blast through, and another one he shrugs off.

“The biggest difference is how much people care about sports,” he said of the United States. “Back home, I’d just play sports for the fun of it. Here, there’s more of a support system. That’s the biggest difference. You’ve got fans, media, all that.”

If Bowen’s excitement is any indication, fans soon will love Bacheyie as much as the coaching staff does.

“He’s a very physical kid. He’s a good-sized guy,” Bowen said. “He will hit you and tackle you well. He can run, but he’s a strong run-support type guy.”

With so many challenges behind him, Bacheyie is eager to get on the field and get a little hostile.

“I know he’s a competitor,” Stuckey said. “I know he’ll do everything it takes to help me.”

If everything goes to plan, the next obstacle Bacheyie faces will be a Central Michigan blocker.