(Tribune News Service) — During Paul Skenes' two years at the Air Force Academy, there was little he loved more than folding his 6-foot, 6 1/2 -inch, 260-pound frame into an F-15 fighter aircraft.

Even if it meant hitting his head on the roof of the cockpit and enduring 9 Gs of force, or about nine times his body weight.

"It was an awesome experience ... an adrenaline rush and a half," he said of riding in an F-15.

Speaking of rushes, F-15s can reach twice the speed of sound. But before Skenes learned to fly one, he transferred to LSU for his 2023 draft season.

Pitching against SEC competition was a clearer display case for his talents than what Air Force could offer. After he struck out 209 and walked only 20 batters in 122 2/3 innings while helping LSU win a national championship, he was the first overall choice in the MLB Draft last week by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He signed with the team Tuesday, commanding a $9.2 million bonus.

Yet leaving the Air Force was not an easy decision for Skenes, said Mike Kazlausky, a retired major who served in the Air Force for 20 years before becoming the academy's baseball coach.

"The great thing about Paul is he didn't want to leave our school," Kazlausky said. "He loves the service aspect. He loved getting his (rear end) kicked on a daily basis. Our school is full of adversity and stress and pressure. Paul thrives in that. It was difficult for him to make that call.

"After his freshman year (2021), I went to our president of our school. I said, 'We need to figure how to keep him because he is the next David Robinson.' This is the greatest athlete ever to come through the Air Force Academy."

Kazlausky admitted he was losing "the best player in the country," but he counseled Skenes throughout the process. He reminded him that he could return to military life after his baseball career.

"He will serve his country. That's a big deal to him," Kazlausky said. "During his professional playing days, believe me, he's going to do a lot for the city of Pittsburgh, probably a lot for our United States of America. Whether it's going to be with community service, veteran agencies, you name it.

"Tremendous character ... the honor, the integrity, everything you would expect of a great kid. If you were trying to raise a son, this is the son you're trying to raise. He holds people accountable. The grit, the resiliency, the determination, the dedication, the motivation.

"He's at a whole different level that I never saw at the Air Force Academy, and I've been here 14 years."

Kazlausky pointed to a campus incident nearly two years ago shortly after 13 U.S. servicemen were killed in Afghanistan.

Every day at the academy at 16:45 hours, the national anthem is played, the colors are lowered and everyone is expected to show the proper amount of respect.

"We see two (football) managers in this open-air video booth not standing at a position of attention. Skenes, immediately when the song ends, he doesn't look to his left or right. He took it upon himself, he ran up the hill and laid into those two kids.

"I talked to the Pirates organization. I talked to all the organizations about drafting Paul. I said, 'You guys don't understand. This is the No. 1 pick in the draft because you're not signing one guy. He is going to change the organization as a whole. He's going to change the whole clubhouse. He's going to change the dugout. Everything is going to change because of him.

"It's not just this big, physical presence he has. But it's the mental presence. Everything he does is with that work ethic and the dedication. People just follow him. He just has that personality."

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington made a point Tuesday of saying Skenes doesn't just accept challenges, he seeks them out. That attitude, Skenes said, has roots in his upbringing.

"My parents and my sisters and the teammates and coaches that I've had throughout my life," he said. "Just kind of the environment that I've lived in. Love what you do and do it very well."

Skenes said the academy also played a part.

"It's you vs. you at the Air Force. I try to wake up and see what I'm made of, try to get better every day, whatever it is, baseball or life."

The two proudest people in the room Tuesday when the Pirates introduced Skenes at a news conference were his parents, Craig and Karen Skenes.

"I look at him, and I am just in awe," Karen said. "I'm just so proud that he has taken whatever he got from home, and he's gone so much further than I ever could have dreamed."

Karen has two brothers, Michael and Peter Brahan, who attended the Naval Academy, and a brother, Daniel, who is now a teacher in the Coast Guard.

"That was the first introduction," she said. "He saw them and what came of that experience for them, and he started looking into the different options that were available and settled on the Air Force Academy."

Craig said the military background "absolutely" shaped his son's character.

"He was always a great kid in high school — responsible, extremely academic — and we thought he was fairly mature when he was going into the academy," he said. "There are so many aspects to the Air Force Academy that are life-changing for him that have had positive impacts on his character."

Added Kazlausky: "Paul Skenes is a great American. He was 1-1 in the draft, but I'll tell you this: He is a better person than he is a baseball player. I'll stand by that until the day I die."

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