by ASHLEY DAVIS
Sports Editor

Courageous, honorable, humorous, vivacious and loving are all adjectives most would like to be known for in their lifetime.

Those are only a sampling of the words that come to mind for senior Jason M. Altenhof when he reminisces about his former teammate and close friend, Tom Prosser.

Tom Prosser, 24, died Sunday, Nov. 23. Special to The Appalachian

Prosser, a 2008 graduate, died Sunday, Nov. 23 in a house fire in his hometown of Etowah, Tenn.

A fixture in the Appalachian State University outfield during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Prosser helped lead the Mountaineers to 24-31-1 and 33-26 records respectively.

“He was a key player in our first 30-win season in a very long time here at App,” Altenhof said. “Many people relate a team to a chain. Our team had a tight chain when I played with Tom. To me, Tom was the lock and key holding the chain together.”

Boasting a .346 batting average his senior season, Prosser also held a .427 on-base percentage during the 33-win season and led the team in triples with a single-season record-setting six.

“Tom made baseball enjoyable,” Altenhof said of his former teammate. “Tom was the type of guy, if baseball was played on concrete he would still be diving for everything hit his way, or should I say any ball hit? He did not do this to impress anyone, he did it because that was kind of guy Tom was.”

It is impossible to give more than 100 percent effort, but Altenhof said if possible Prosser would have found a way to give 150 percent.

Prosser spent his last year at Appalachian doubling as a student and field manager for the Appalachian softball team, a job that kept him close to his love for sports as well as his love for his steady girlfriend utility player Tiffany Hensley.

“Our involvement in ASU athletics was a large part of us because we had the pride and passion for each others’ goals,” Hensley said. “I was able to see how much he loved his teammates and friends and he saw the same in me.”

Hensley and Prosser met in the parking lot of their apartment complex.

She said she noticed Prosser working on his truck and wondered if he needed a ride to practice.

After he told her they had the day off, Hensley went through with a dare by a friend to ask him to dinner.

“The first time we met was something I’ll never forget,” Hensley said. “I thought no way he will come. Well six o’clock there was a knock on the door and he came. From that moment forward we were inseparable.”

Courage is a trait the two shared in their relationship, as Altenhof said Prosser was one to never turn down a dare, and now Hensley is faced with a situation that will require much courage to manage.

 “Tom was the type of person you would have seen as immortal, a big strong guy who would do anything for anyone at anytime. He would have run through a brick wall to save someone’s life. He also could have run through a brick wall just for fun,” Altenhof said. “This Godly attribute is what took his life. It goes to show you, that you really don’t know how long you have in this crazy world we live in.”

According to the Daily-Post Athenian, based in Athens, Tenn., Prosser was attempting to help his parents escape the fire which started at roughly 4 a.m.

However, Prosser’s parents had already escaped the flames.

“He was, is my rock,” Hensley said. “If you knew him, never forget him and thank God you were blessed to have him. I know that I have the best Guardian Angel.”

Altenhof echoed Hensley’s sentiments as remembered Prosser’s eagerness to help his friends.

As Prosser was about to leave town one day, Altenhof said he needed last minute help fixing his car and asked Prosser if he would mind looking at it.

“The minute I pulled up Tom slid under my car and went to work,” Altenhof said. “He had antifreeze dripping on his face, all the while laughing and saying, ‘Your antifreeze is dripping on my head,’ not to mention it was freezing and snowing.”

Altenhof said none of the extenuating circumstances fazed Prosser as he just wanted to help out and find way to make the situation entertaining.

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