Look back now. What are your thoughts on the football season this year, and how was it coming on to the team as a first-year?

RJ: It wasn’t bad because it wasn’t like I was really initiated or hazed by any of the upperclassmen or anything. They really treated me good. A couple guys kind of took me under their wing. I came in playing defensive back, which I had never done before. I had always played defensive line in high school. So it was a new switch, but all the guys were really supportive and gave me any extra help I needed.

Did you get a lot of playing time then this season?

RJ: Actually starting out, I played a lot of special teams, but as the season wore on I worked really hard in practice and the coaches saw that and would put me in more, especially if we were going against slow offensive lines, so I could use my speed to get around them.

So what are your plans for staying in shape now that football is over?

RJ: I’m going to train with the football teamdo the off-season workoutsand then during the spring I’ve been thinking about going back and training with the Men’s Rugby Squad in Findlay some. Lot of times when my rugby team practiced in high school we would get together with the men’s team so they could give us pointers and it was fun to beat the crap out of a bunch of old guys ’cause they just didn’t have the same stamina as us, but really we learned the game from them.

Yeah, [junior] Joey [Spohn] told me you played rugby in high school. Do you ever get jealous watching the women’s rugby team practicing on the next field over while you’re at football practice?

RJ: Yeah, we’ll be doing drills that I’m not really a part of and I’ll look over at you guys and be like, “Man, I really want to play rugby right now.”

So which came first, football or rugby?

RJ: I started playing football in fifth grade and have been playing ever since then, but I didn’t start playing rugby until my sophomore year of high school. For the first couple years it was just seven-a-side because we didn’t have enough people, but then my senior year we got together a full side. I learned about rugby through my friend Bryce. His dad started a men’s rugby club back in 1972, so Bryce grew up going to all their games and was always telling me that I should come and check it out. Then when I finally got out there to watch I was like, “Wow. These guys are nuts, just going all out.” And that really sparked my interest. So my sophomore year of high school when we got a sevens team together I was more than happy to jump in and start playing.

Was it a difficult switch from football to rugby?

RJ: There are definitely quite a few big differences especially with like knock-ons and always having to send the ball backwards and that sort of thing. Also, with football you go hard for like seven to eight minutes at a time and then you’ve got a couple minutes to rest, but with rugby you don’t get that rest since the play is a lot more continuous.

I’ve heard that there are people trying to get a men’s rugby team going at Oberlin. Have you been involved in that at all?

RJ: I’ve talked to some guys on the football team that are like, “Hey, you should think about starting a men’s rugby team.” And I’ve thought about it and I think it would be a really good thing, especially for some of the football players that don’t play a spring sport, so they can stay active and competitive. Definitely if I hear anything about it, I’d be more than happy to help get a team together.

I know there is a set of men’s rugby jerseys in the equipment room for you. I guess there was a team a while back, but I’m not sure what happened to it.

RJ: I was talking to the trainer, Tim, and he said that there used to be a men’s rugby club, but for disciplinary reasons they lost their charter, or something like that, but that’s all he told me. I don’t really know much more about it.

Well, good luck with it. I hope to see you out on the pitch.

RJ: Yeah, we’ll see what happens.