But, he also excelled in football after becoming a starter for the Red Devils as a sophomore. Cavitt — who now stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 240 pounds — was twice named the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time all-state selection.
“I had a very good senior year in football,” he said. “More coaches were calling me and talking to me about continuing to play.”
Cavitt knew that playing both sports would be a difficult challenge, especially since the long baseball season was slowing his development on the football field.
“Playing both sports hurt more than it helped. I always played summer baseball — our American Legion team played 70 games a year,” said Cavitt. “I would end up two weeks late to football camp because of baseball tournaments.
“I miss it (baseball), but I know it’s real hard to play two sports in college. If I had it to do over again, I wish I would have at least tried out.”
So Cavitt headed to the Hill in the fall of 2000. After sitting out his first year, a new journey began — one to find a home on the field.
Cavitt began his WKU career as a fullback, and he actually started his collegiate debut as the Hilltoppers defeated Kentucky State. In that game, he rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. He would finish the season with 102 yards, starting three of the four contests he appeared in.
The following fall, Cavitt reappeared on the other side of the ball playing inside linebacker. Stuck behind the likes of senior Hayes Thomas, future All-Americans Erik Dandy and Karl Maslowski, and one of the stars of this year’s defense, Charles Thompson, Cavitt managed to make 17 stops in 14 games playing mostly on special teams.
“For a while, I didn’t think I was going to play at all,” he said. “I just kept showing up every day trying to get better, thinking that the time might come that I would get a break.”
In 2002, he moved up and became a defensive lineman. And had the best year of his career in his first season as a starter.
In his first start on defense at right end, Cavitt recorded a career-high eight tackles — with two behind the line of scrimmage — and a blocked kick as the Toppers defeated Union (Ky.). He matched that tackle total in a 9-6 win over Southwest Missouri State as well as in the NCAA playoffs at Wofford, as he posted nine games with five or more stops.
According to Hilltopper defensive line coach Mike Fanoga, it’s Cavitt’s work ethic that helped him make the transition and have a successful 2003 campaign. “Getty plays and practices hard — he never slows down,” he said. “He shows up to work and get better each and every day. Getty always gets after it.”
With a career-best 61 total tackles, including nine for loss, Cavitt appeared to have settled into a position heading into his final campaign.
Until fall camp in August.
Cavitt continued to take snaps with the first-team defense on the line, but at the same time started working with outside linebackers as well. When WKU opened the season at Kansas State Sept. 4, lo and behold, Cavitt was playing his fourth position in as many years.
“The great thing about Getty is that he’s always had the attitude, ‘Put me wherever I have the best chance to play.’ Any move that would put him closer to being on the field he took in stride and worked at it,” head coach David Elson said. “For whatever reason it didn’t work out at those other positions, but his attitude has been great throughout. I know he had been anxious to find a home and to contribute, because he just wants to be in a position to make plays and help the team.”
But again, the results have been positive. He recorded 13 tackles and the first interception of his career in the first two games before putting on his best-ever performance in the “Battle of the Bluegrass.” Against rival Eastern Kentucky, Cavitt finished with a career-best 13 stops and an interception as the Hilltoppers defeated the Colonels for the third straight time, 21-8.
As WKU opens Gateway Football Conference play this evening against Youngstown State, he enters the game ranked second on the team in tackles, stops for loss and interceptions.
“The change this year has been great,” said Cavitt. “Now I get to take on a tight end instead of facing a tackle. It’s been a lot easier moving than I thought it would be.
“After serving as a reserve the first two years, it was exciting to finally get a chance to play. There were a lot of big shoes to fill with all the great players that have been in the program.”
Outside linebackers coach Mike Chism, who is in his first season on the coaching staff, has been pleased with the way Cavitt has handled the most recent move.
“Getty has a lot of experience playing a lot of positions. He has a pretty good understanding of all the components that go into our defensive scheme,” he said. “The adjustment wasn’t real difficult for him since he knows what the defensive end is doing in front of him.
“We want to get our best 11 guys on the field, and moving him to outside linebacker allowed us to do that and give us a better defense.”
While Cavitt is as happy as he’s been at WKU, at least one person misses him.
“I miss the leadership he provided to the defensive line,” said Fanoga. “But we have to put the best players on the field. He’s doing a great job outside this year, making a lot of plays. I don’t want to hold Getty back.
“We preach the team concept to the players, that’s what we’re trying to teach the younger guys.”
Elson, who was the recruiting coordinator when Cavitt arrived on the Hill, was unsure of the impact that he would make. “I never had a real good feel for Getty coming out of high school. I remember watching him in the state championship game and thinking what a talent he was. He really stuck out to me playing fullback.
“Once he got here, Getty couldn’t find the right position even though you saw flashes of his ability. He couldn’t find a home, but we thought defensive line was a good fit for him.
“I’ve always known that he has had the talent and ability, it was just finding the right spot for him to play within our system.”
Looking back at the journey, Cavitt was happy to be on the field as a freshman but doesn’t have any regrets about switching sides of the ball.
“I don’t miss playing fullback at all. I went in after that first season and talked to (former) coach (Jack) Harbaugh and he asked, ‘What do you think we should do?’ I told him I wanted to play defense, and he thought that was the best thing for me.”
It might not be surprising that Cavitt took so long to find a home on the field considering he had a relatively late start in football. Growing up, he played soccer until he was 12 years old even though he was around football as a youngster.
“I always went to the high school’s practices and stayed around the team a lot. I even served as a water boy. But I was always playing baseball because my dad played in college and was drafted.”
Not only has he found a home on the field, Cavitt has also found one with his teammates as well. Quiet by nature in public and in interviews, he is one of the more popular Hilltoppers in the locker room.
“He’s a pretty popular guy on the team, very social,” Elson said. “He’s more outgoing when he’s around his teammates and his friends. Getty probably shies away from the spotlight, but when you go through our locker room and mention his name it will put a smile on the face of a lot of guys because he has a very humorous side to him.
“Getty is a lot more outgoing than what he seems to the public.”
Chism agrees. “He’s good for a one-liner. You ask him a question and Getty will come up with a comical answer.”
Which probably shouldn’t surprise anyone now that Cavitt has finally found a home on the Hill.
