A 6-foot-7-inch seaman plays on all-Navy basketball team

Tolbert said he would like to apply to attend Virginia State University on a Navy scholarship, where he could play and finish his education.

NORFOLK, Va. - Seaman Sam Tolbert needed to get to another, quieter compartment in his ship. There was one obvious way: through the bulkhead, a manhole-size cutout about 3 feet off the deck. Tolbert tucked his head, coiled up his 6-foot-7-inch frame and aimed for the hole. Swish.

A train of visitors bumped and rattled through behind him. He explained his deft moves: "I'm used to it." The Navy is not perfectly designed for the big and tall sailor. But for Tolbert, it is a path to further his basketball education.

At 21, he is a two-time member of the all-Navy basketball team. He's a force at military gyms and aboard the amphibious ship Bataan.

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This seaman should be a great acquisition for VSU Trojans Basketball.