"I've played multiple sports since I was seven years old," Patterson said. "Coming to college didn't seem to be a good enough reason to stop."
Patterson was originally recruited for his skills on the gridiron. After he committed to Dartmouth for football, he decided to call head baseball coach Bob Whalen about the possibility of playing varsity baseball as well. Whalen then traveled to South Carolina to evaluate Patterson's play.
"I wanted to fly down to see him play to make sure this was something that was worth taking away his time in football," Whalen said. "If a kid wants to play for two teams like that, we want to be as confident as possible that he has the ability to effectively contribute to both teams."
Patterson has clearly been able to live up to that standard, playing as an outfielder for the Big Green baseball team and a wide receiver for football. This fall, Patterson appeared in seven games for the football team, making six catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Patterson also started in 29 out of 38 games for baseball team in the spring, hitting .255. He drew 12 walks and only made a single error patrolling the outfield.
Competing for these teams was key for Patterson because he has "always sought to play at the highest level possible."
Wide receiver coach Cortez Hankton said he likes to translate Patterson's initials into "Big Play" because he "has a knack for big plays."
"Every time he gets the ball in his hands, something great happens," Hankton said.
Whalen said that Patterson's humble attitude and willingness to learn is appreciated by his teammates, despite his time away during football season in the fall and summer.
"He's one of the most respectable and well-liked kids on the team because he comes in wanting to know what he needs to learn," Whalen said.
Patterson added that his ability to handle the ball gives him accuracy in both fields.
"My particular skill set guided me towards my positions," Patterson said. "I need pretty much the same skill in both sports, it's just a different sized ball."
With football and baseball, Patterson is hardly ever in an off-season, and neither does he have to wait a year in between games.
"I love playing and that's really what it comes down to," Patterson said. "I get excited to play both sports and that's the best part."
Whalen expressed admiration at Patterson's ability to split his athletic commitment and play important roles on both teams.
"You have to be truly exceptional to be able to take off half a year in two sports and still be able to contribute and do well in both," Whalen said. "His success in both sports says a lot."
As a two-sport athlete, Patterson has taken advantage of his opportunities to maximize his ability.
"Bo is one of the most physically gifted athletes I've been around," Hankton said. "And he loves to compete and he loves the sport, which makes it easy as coach because no matter what, he's going to take on the position and be the best he can be."
Patterson said his experiences allowed him to "cross social sport boundaries that sometimes take place at Dartmouth."
"One sport is passive, the other I play is very aggressive, so it's cool to get to interact with those two types of players and people," Patterson said.
Though his commitment to two sports prevents him from being selected as a captain, Patterson said it has given him the chance to do what he loves and compete all year round.
"As it stands now, I definitely see myself completing four years as a two-sport athlete," Patterson said.
