Balancing Books and Breaking Records

All student athletes understand that competing for a Division One team will not be easy, and each sport entails unique challenges. Being a member of one of the most recognized teams on campus carries with it several obstacles of its own. A few of Buffalo’s football players discussed the toughest aspects of wearing their uniform, as well as the parts that make the sport worth every minute. “Being in the spot light, there is a lot of pressure. You have a lot of people looking up to you, so we have to work really hard every day to make sure we are good role models,” says one player. Their practices are right in the middle of the day, making it difficult to schedule classes. “We have to either do classes really early or really late,” they reported, since the middle part of their day is spent reviewing film, going over the playbook, in the weight room, and out on the field. They do balance their school work, but admit that it is extremely difficult. At this point in the school year, there is a lot of studying and work to be done, and they have several mid-week games. Missing classes, especially this late in the semester, can be stressful. They shared, too, that there is an added pressure to maintain both academic and athletic excellence since “pretty much everything we do is visible to everyone and talked about”.  As football players, these guys are not only working towards excellence, but also battling the “student-athlete stigma”. One player shares that people tend to judge him before getting to know him, sometimes perceiving him as arrogant or disinterested when really, he is just exhausted from his taxing sport.  

All of the football players agreed that they are one of the most active teams in the community. These men spend a great deal of time in Buffalo’s schools, speaking with young kids about the discipline it takes to secure a roster spot. They encourage these youth to work hard and stay on the “right” path. They’ve worked hard and earned everything they’ve received, and they hope to pass that attitude along to the future of their sport. Many of these college athletes had the opportunity to hear from collegiate players when they were young, and they say the motivation and inspiration gained from the experience still helps to drive them today. The valuable insight that was passed on to our current football players was “incredibly helpful” in keeping them working hard over the years, they share, and so they think of it as their responsibility to give back in the same way. This combination of community service, athletic drive, and academic discipline makes the members of this team some of the best-rounded on campus and drives their success.  Just this past week, quarterback Joe Licata broke the record for most career touchdown passes, and the team recorded its most points scored against a MAC opponent since its entry into the Conference 15 years ago. The men on this team are extremely talented and, although they close their season on Wednesday, they are optimistic about their future. With the fantastic mindset and focus each interviewed player displayed this week, along with the talent of these players, we can’t help but be optimistic as well.

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