A: As [junior linebacker] John Callahan can attest, it was my first run test during our FSI [Freshman Scholars Institute] summer before school even started. Stumbling to complete my 12th half-gasser, I just barely made the time of 17 seconds, but my body began to slowly shut down, and after my first step over the finish line, I fell to my knees, then on my face and began to gasp for air like a fish out of water. I realized then it was going to be a long four years.
Q: What is the greatest highlight in your sports career?
A: There is nothing better than winning an Ivy League title, and in my first two athletic seasons my teams won both football and indoor track titles. But I am hoping my greatest moments are still to come.
Q: What is the funniest story you can tell about your coach?
A: This past April Fools’ Day, our track coach tried to trick our throwing team by giving us the most absurd lift we have ever seen. It consisted of 10 sets of back squats, hang cleans, snatches and bench at max weight. In response, we saran wrapped his car and wrote on it “Saran Wrap — 1 set of 1 rep.”
Q: Who is your quirkiest teammate? Why?
A: On the football team it has to be [junior linebacker] Peter Yorck. [Junior linebacker] Scott Britton said it in his ‘On Tap.’ and I’ll reiterate it: No one quite understands the inner workings of Yorck or how he gets the girls he does, but it might be the cool San Diego vibe he gives off while stuntin’ in his completely original hoodies and unforeseeable finger snaps.
Q: What was your most embarrassing moment with the team?
A: During my freshman year, I was at the Naval Academy for a track meet. My roommate ([senior] Alex Pessala) and I set plenty of alarms to wake us up in time to get on the bus. After maxing out our snooze buttons, Alex and I awoke to the sound of our bus pulling out of the hotel parking lot. We stuffed everything we could in our bags and what didn’t fit we just held in our hands as we ran down the stairs and began chasing our bus as it pulled onto the freeway. Luckily it stopped, and we walked onto the bus as our coach just looked down and shook his head.
Q: What’s the best part about being an athlete on campus?
A: The best part about being an athlete is the friends you make on your team and the relationships you build on and off the field.
Q: What’s the worst part about being an athlete on campus?
A: The worst/hardest part of being an athlete is finding time to get all your work done. When you are not practicing, playing in a game or on the road, all you want to do is sleep or relax. But you need to get all your work done or else you won’t even be able to play sports, let alone go to school.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do when not practicing?
A: If I’m not sleeping, you’ll probably find me watching terrible reality TV, looking up new music and YouTube videos, playing video games or watching a movie. Other than that, I like to hang out with my friends and go out to eat. I spend a lot of time at Cottage [Club] as well just sitting around waiting for my next class or practice to start.
Q: What sport you would play if you didn’t do track or football?
A: Definitely volleyball. Boardshorts, sun and sand equals greatest sport ever.
Q: If you were a coach for a day, what would you do?
A: I would cancel practice and order pizza and ice cream for the team. If you have seen the movie “Heavyweights,” it would look similar to the bonfire they throw at the end of the movie. If you haven’t seen “Heavyweights,” go rent it, and that will also give you a better glimpse of my childhood years.
Q: Who gets the most guys or girls on the team? Who has the most game off the field?
A: Definitely the football team captains: [junior running back] “Crazy Legs” Jordan Culbreath, [junior defensive back] Wilson Cates, [junior offensive lineman] Mark Paski (who aspires to get girls) and Scott Britton. They are all smooth talkers, flashy dancers, and they all moisturize before bedtime. As for the track team, [senior] Ian Thomson is a NorCal native whose seems to have decent game, as well as [senior] Tim Lanni, who single-handedly swept an entire University of Kentucky sorority off their feet.
Q: What’s the most embarrassing song on your iPod?
A: It could be anything from every Disney song ever made and the Titanic soundtrack to Shania Twain and Taylor Swift albums.
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