Jessi Plunkett Interview

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Salutations listeners and welcome back to another episode of the Player Profiles Podcast. I'm your host, I'm Israel and if you're looking to hear the fantastic stories of all the athletes we have here at St. David University, then you have come to the right place. Hold on, coaches call on the play.

Alright, I want SxU Football, Evergreen Park, Illinois running back Jesse Plunky. Alright, listen up. SxU Football, Evergreen Park, Illinois running back Jesse Plunky. Let's make a play.

Alright, Jesse, thank you so much for taking the time out to come here and do this interview, man. Oh, for sure. I'm so excited right now. You know, I love doing podcast interviews and stuff.

It's like one of my passions. Right, so you're running back, huh? That's sure. So why running back?

I think I like having like control of the game. You know, I like I had to ball my hands right away and do something like that. I've been playing running back since I was like seven years old playing football and stuff. So ever since I knew how to play, that's what the position I played.

So it was kind of like you just kind of grew into being a running back. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Like now a lot of stuff comes second nature and it's just like we do the drills and I can just do anything running back related. You know, and it's like it's still nice to learn new stuff and like to perfect my craft, but that most of the cuts and stuff is just second.

You know, what would you say is your favorite move to utilize as a running back? Definitely the definitely a quick cut or a Duke move for sure. Just like make someone miss just a little bit enough for me to get past them. Kind of like a strategy thing, you know.

Yeah, just so I can like it's not like conserving, but it's like so I can get to my full speed faster, you know, so I try to get through through through and then big burst. Right. So you played running back at Brother Rice. Yes, right.

Right on the street. Yeah, right. Like literally right down the street. And as you know, Brother Rice is a pretty successful football program.

You've been in some games. You've been in quite a few games in your lifetime as a crusader. How would you when you look back at it, you know, how much did you enjoy, you know, playing football there at Brother Rice. Looking back, I think it was an amazing experience.

We were playing, we would play games and have like 5000 people at like most of our games just because we're playing teams like loyal, maris like top 10 teams and stay on the weekend. We got and it's like we you have to win this winter to home for like playoffs and stuff like that. We went all the way to state my senior year and I went to trade the experience and everything. Yeah, and obviously, you know, those junior year senior battles, they were as intense as they come and obviously there are a lot of ups and downs, you know, it's just like a roller coaster.

When you made that big playoff run in 2018 at Brother Rice, like what was the energy like you were playing October in November football? That that's definitely different experience that a lot of kids in high school don't get. I'm very fortunate to have because when you're in a winter home situation and you're going out there and practicing on Thanksgiving day, it's like, you know that it's bigger than just you. It's like you're playing for all the alumni that have been there in the past.

You're playing for your parents, you're playing for your siblings, everything. You're playing for like guy next to you most importantly, you know, and it's just like we would be there and it's Thanksgiving. So it's like that's our family too and we're out there and we're the vibes are great. The vibes are great.

Yeah, and obviously this is completely corny, but brother is in the name of the school. So brotherhood obviously looks like a very crucial thing with those guys like when you look back at the times that you have with your teammates or your brothers. Right. You know what I mean?

What was kind of like the experience like having those guys around you and just being able to play football with the guys that you hang around with the most? Yeah, it's like you know, you know how a person's like going to react. They're like in terms of like, you know what they're going to do on the next plate just to hang out with them every day. You know, and it's like we don't want to go into all boys school too.

It's like there's like no distractions. Stuff like that. Not the same just girls. But like there's a whole bunch of stuff that goes into like a poet school.

So having one gender is a lot less like I don't even know. I swear to it, but I think that the commodity and like the grouping we would be in a locker room playing music like 30 minutes before practice is like having a party in there and we'd go out and ball out and come back into the same thing. You know what I'm saying? Straight vibing.

Yeah, we literally ask every game. We'll win. We'd be like, Hey, no man. We're singing that song.

I was saying that movie. Remember the Titans. We do that same thing, man. Oh, man.

I was living that life. I've been in every game, too. So we would win and we'd go out as their game. In the party, my friends are saying it's just all like we're with each other all the time and then they did it so good.

So I want to ask you. I've always wanted to ask a football player this when you realize like as a number one C that you had to play a road game. Was there any like confusion in your head? Like, what?

What? No one overall C? Why are we going on the road? Did you ever feel like I just say it's rules?

Hey, it's kind of messed up for sure because I get the lower seed wins. You play it their place or whatever. Because it's like it should be home for the advantage the whole time. You know, I thought we should have never played away.

It was still a great experience. Like we played Marist Away in the semifinals and it was literally like over 10,000 people up again. It was insane and everywhere you look, people, there's people, the stands were completely packed, the people surrounding every single gate. Like my parents had to get tickets, like the day that we won the game, the next day people were back tickets.

We won the quarter of final game, the next day. Tickets were sold out. It's crazy. Right after the war game?

Right, like literally the next day, Sunday, the biggest one was it. It was a marist one too. And it was like the greatest thing ever. Everyone's like rematch from the first game of season.

That we barely won. And the first game of season we won, it was like, ooh, it was a minute ago. I think it was like 16 to 10 or something. Like it was so close.

Like we came down to fourth quarter and won it. And they felt like they were supposed to win the game. And I understand it, but we felt like we were supposed to win it too. And we showed them the second time we won 14 to three.

So it's pretty convincing. Wow, dude, how fun is it to be in an environment like that in an atmosphere with all that context, like thinking about all that stuff on game day. How does, like, what is your mind telling you in those moments, man? It's a bunch of nerves, it's definitely a bunch of nerves before the game.

And like, I definitely get butterflies, but like once I get on that field and I start playing, I can't hear anything. Like literally I only hear you when I come on the sideline because when I'm in that game, I'm in the back field. I'm just focused on my play. And that's it.

Everything else is round up. Like, I can hear a dime drop next to me. I'm a great one seriously. That's crazy, man.

So obviously when you made the run to the state, obviously people were thinking, you know, you guys were heavily favored against Loyola. And then, you know, obviously things didn't play out the exact way that you wanted it to. When you, you know, went home after that game, like what was the experience like? And how did you, you know, like what was the, what was the bonding?

Like what was the moment? I know it was a heartbreaking loss to lose in state, but you know, you went all the way. And it's like, some people say that the greatest stage is to get to the championship game. Regardless of what happens then, it's like you don't want to lose before the last game of the season.

Because it almost feels like, you know, the job isn't done. Obviously you want to win the championship, but it's like getting there is almost, as you know, as almost as big of an accomplishment in itself and it's on right now. Right now because it is like getting there, it's like that's gonna get you talked about too. You made it to state, that's a big thing.

But like for us, we had went undefeated and we were playing a team that we already beat during the season. Our heads were huge, I'm adding a lot to you. Some kids were bringing like Hawaiian shirts and stuff to where I have to go to the game. That's what we want.

And it's messed up we lost because we had, we had game playing a certain way. And I don't think if we were stuck to the game playing, we would be in better shape. But I can't say that now. It's like three or four years ago, you know.

Like I had like 40 rushing yards in the game. I was averaging like 100 in the game. So they were shutting me down pretty well. I probably had the most yards out of the individual player on my whole team, you know, 40.

So you can imagine how defensively that game was played. Our defense had three goal line stands. Literally taking the ball from three different times. Like literally first and goal and either a field goal or like complete stop.

So they were balling out the loyal defensive ball and out to like, we give them a bunch of credit. They really had our number of the game. Their coach also was a great coach. He used to play linebacker for the Bills for 10 years.

Like, you know the stuff. Yeah. So it's a lot that goes into it. But the actual like, I will always give respect to my high school strength coach, coach Kano.

He at halftime, he gave us a great speech. And he's saying like, this is what we work for. Like, this is all you got right now. I can't do it for you.

You got to do it yourself. And we went out there and we scored three points right away. It was 10 to three. And we end up giving a late field but it was tough.

But we definitely gave our best shot once we came back out there. And then we came back in. We talked to us again. And it was sad.

But it was like, look at everything you accomplished. You know, it was like we did something that had been done in the Belly Rises series in Miami, like the rest of the day, it was the end of the day. Rest and have undefeated season since like, 19 before that. Like literally, we were 13 and no going into that championship game.

And that was unheard of. And we were just different. Like our freshman sophomore year as a group too, we were undefeated as well too. So we knew we were gonna be special.

And we had that camaraderie and like that band that we needed. We just couldn't finish when they counted. And that's just what it came down to. Yeah.

It's real sad. But I mean, how long did it linger around? Like, did you feel the impact during your classes the very next week? Or did it catch?

I would say that probably 75% of the team skips will the first day back. Wow. Yes. I didn't go.

I didn't go. We were like that hurt. So because we beat that same loyola team, like that loyola team was. So I lost team.

We were both like freshman sophomore. We were undefeated. They only had one loss those years. And it was us.

And so they knew what we were about. They were. We were the only team that they couldn't beat. They were being everyone else, but they couldn't beat us.

And then their senior year, they had some, their QB was hurt for a couple of games and stuff like that. So they did take a couple of else. But when he came back, they had a playoff run. That was crazy.

We kept seeing them win. And we were like, bro, how are they winning? We beat them 35 to 3. How are they winning games?

And they play us. Literally. And they beat Lincoln Way East, they are too. I remember.

And I was supposed to be like the best Lincoln Way East team of all time. Like, literally. And they were blowing teams out 42-nothing. And then the boil would be done.

And everyone's like, what is going on? It was one of the best playoff run in the history. Yeah. All credit to that, for sure.

All credit. I will say this. I still am very, very salty because it should not have been you guys versus Merist during that run. It should have been you versus me because I went to HF.

And we lost a Merist before your game against Merist. That game. So it should have been. That morning game?

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. We lost a film. We lost a film. Dude, I was so sick.

We were there? No, I wasn't there. But we were supposed to get right, man. I'm like, oh.

We played all the same teams. We were like, we won some business. We played that one team. I thought that one team was great.

And we beat them 20-0. But they hung in just as good as anything that we played before that. And like teams had that, like how you said, we wanted rice. Team really wanted us.

Like they were like, they wanted our number. Wow. Like seriously that year, they were like, everyone. But even though we were top dog, they wanted to knock us off.

800% knock us off. And it was like, it was a good experience to have that. They had that target right back. But it's like, you have to consistently show up.

You have no wiggle room to be dead at all. You know? So there did come a time where you were graduated. You had graduated.

And Brother Rice went from number one C run to state to OK, they're five and four. They kind of fell off a little bit as a 24-seat. But then they went on a run for the ages as a 24-seat, all the way to the state semifinals. Like, what was it like watching Brother Rice go from being the bull's eye team to watching them bull's eye, everybody else from a distance while you were in college?

So yeah, the year after I was graduated, I was at COD. And I would be home for all the games. My home, one of my best friends now to the day, Jack was on the team, Jack and Mo. And he played at Western Michigan.

Those kids, they went through so much that season. Obviously, down to the quarterback, they didn't have a real quarterback. Because the guy that graduated with me was all state. He won conference play the year.

He won any award that you could think of, this name won. And then so they had to fill his shoes. And he, the QB struggle, they ended up bringing in a sophomore to play QB the last game of season against Mount Carmel. Jack Lough, she's playing QB at Northwestern now.

Go, literally, like crazy athlete. He was wearing number 37, playing QB. Because he played safety. They played number 37 at QB.

And then that first game they put him in though? He had like 80 yard touchdown. Like, whoa. Touchdown run, yes.

This dude was legit. This dude is different. He is at Northwestern right now. You'll hear by him soon, I promise him.

And just going to watch their games, every week, they play all some stuff. It was like, they had that heart. Like, seriously, they had like some different type of heart. Because they didn't even have necessarily, like, they couldn't replace everything that we had.

But they had that extra heart, you know, that made up for it. And they even, I went to their last game when they lost their warm. It was a rematch, warm, from when we put them. And it was just like, they kind of ran out of gas.

It was like, they put so much into those first three games that once they got there, they really ran out of gas. It was like so much. The other team was good too. And there was so much stuff going Warren's way.

Like, there was literally a play where Warren's running back fumble and Warren's wide receiver picked it up and ran an ADR for touchdown. Oh, man. Like, I was just like, undershuck. You can hear on the side of my complete silence because for something like that to happen, it's like, the world doesn't want you to win at that point.

There's nothing to do about that one. So that's tough. But I thought, I thought what they showed that year was very impressive. I thought that for them to be five and four and be a 24-seat and make it that far, different.

For sure, it's different. Yeah. They also, I mean, I would run out of gas a little bit if I beat a top-ranked team in a quarter-final game. Yeah, number one.

They beat number one in the quarter-final. I think Manuka was the number one seed that year. And so kids on my team played on these teams. Like, it's things they've run right now.

And week two, I mean, week two of the playoffs, they played South Elgin, Vince Klein, and he went to South Elgin. And he was like, South Elgin best player. And then Manuka ahead, Nick Schultz. He played for Manuka.

Yeah, so all these guys I'm playing with now played against Brother Rice. And they know about it. It's crazy to think about. Dude, what's the dynamic?

Like, those transitions in the college, that's a good way to transition the college. What is the dynamic, like seeing these guys that you played against in high school? And now you're in the same locker room, you're in the same brotherhood as them. What is it like?

It's definitely cool. It's like, it's a different experience, too. Because I've lived over here, too. My whole life, my life lived in the area.

And these dudes are from out far coming over here. So it's cool to meet new people. And I came in and I transferred, too. And they welcomed me with open arms.

Like, I got cool everyone so fast. And so we talked stuff for sure. Every time we get on the field, we always talk stuff to each other. When it comes to high school stuff, we always talk about who's team could be, who?

Or who's team did beat, who? Because there's guys like Kyle Aquinn went to Lincoln, and they lost a little. And he's going to say, we both lost a little. And even like, our strength coach, he went to a little.

So we all just talked stuff to each other. Casey went to Providence. We played Providence. I have a picture that got in the newspaper, Shaggle, sometimes, a front cover of a sports page.

Me, Herdling, Kevin Ketcheman. Harderling, like a very full, off the ground. He's under me like this. And I showed him the one day because I was like, yeah, I was like, we played you guys.

He's like, no way. I had to remember you. I told him the picture. I was like, oh, look at this.

I don't know. That's me. I'm like, probably you. I had no clue.

I just saw him in a picture to prove that we played them. And it was literally me, Herdling, and like crazy, funniest thing ever since I've been here. Oh, my goodness. Seriously.

Dude, that's a classic, dude. I mean, that's bad to happen with so many guys on a team because obviously there's no sport that's more champion than a locker room in football. Right. We got 80 more than 80 guys.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. We got full swab. And it's like every year they're bringing in 30 freshmen.

So that's 30 new friends for me. You know what I'm saying? Like we're all that type. Like everyone in that locker room is my friend.

Let's go a little bit between the lines and between brother Rice and where you are right now as saying Xavier. You did one year of a little Juckel football. Yeah. Yeah.

And it was at the college due page, but I'm not mistaken. Yeah. So at college due page, I went there right out of high school and I registered at my freshman year. And that was tough.

So I spent three years there and I played one. So I registered at my freshman year. And then, and that was tough because it's like, you're practicing every day in the morning. We had morning practice at two days, two.

Another thing that's pretty tough. You waking up at five, three every morning. And on Saturdays, I wouldn't be able to play in the game. You know what I'm saying?

So it's like, as a red shirt, it was tough to come in and come out. But I think that it made me better now to deal with that. You know, and then my second year was COVID. And Juckel didn't even have a season for COVID.

Like I know that talking to guys from here, they had a spring season stuff. We didn't have a fall or spring season. So I had a full year with football. Absolutely not.

And that was heartbreaking. Wow. That was so hard. The meeting that we had in January, like first week of January after New Year's, they broke the news to us that we weren't going to have a season at all.

Because we had a spring schedule playing. We had about six or seven games with teams from like a couple of New York teams, ASA, Miami, like teams that we, Juckel teams that we've heard of. We haven't usually played them, but they told us that. And they were like, yeah, we're not going to have a season this year, boys.

And literally I started crying. I was like, I can't play for two more years now. This is what my life is right now. And like football was what drive me.

And like why not exactly why I want to go to college or graduate college, but where I'm choosing my college was based on football. You know, so for me, I have to be able to play for two years. Or I registered it, but like not actually playing games. That's what you're there for.

You know, playing at that game time is a whole different atmosphere. And just tonight even had the opportunity. It just hurt me so bad. And a bunch of dudes trying to run our thing, even the coaches were like choking up because this is what we live for.

This is what this is that we played it. We had a whole season 2020. No football, not even a practice, not even a practice, not even a practice, not one single practice. They had it to where if you lived in district that you could play a spring ball.

And it's only like eight guys. Yeah, because they because they're knowing that lived, you had to live like in it was like long bar we didn't know like never go. So if you didn't live out there, then you had no choice. And you couldn't live in that apartment because of COVID.

Like so you couldn't get your housing right because of COVID and everything. It was the most messed up situation I've had to deal with in a minute. So just for me to get back that year after it just to do what I could to like, you know, a feel or whatever because a lot of guys came back, we had 10 running backs and I run back up and I still had great stay. I ever still living out of security.

I had a couple of carries over 50 yards. You know what I'm saying? So it was still like I still got my redemption, but that one year was the toughest year of my life for sure. And COVID was probably tough as your for most people's lives, but it was just like everything was piled on me and stuff.

And I had to like dig myself out of it. And if like now I feel great and I feel like that made me a better person. But in the moment it was rough. It was so rough.

Like it's a lot. Did you guys even have a condition? No, we so right before COVID had my rights to my retzier here, we were working out up until March because March is when we got that full blast lockdown and we were kind of talking about it like, oh, like we're not going to shut down for COVID. Like what are you talking about?

You know, it was in China at the time. No one thought that we were going to get it. So we were like, oh, we're just working on every day, whatever. The one day they were like, yeah, we're not going to have listening today because we could see what's going on with the like if we're going to get locked down or whatever.

And we're still kind of like not taking a series. And then we had a real meeting the next day or Zoom and they were like, we're shutting everything down until further notice. They were like, you can move out your apartment and stuff like that. Like it'd probably be a while.

Oh, wow. And we're like, wow, because we've been working out for two months pretty hard. It'll be about now, you know, this about this time this year. And it was the beginning of March and we're kind of like, we've been working out for two months.

What do you mean? Like, this is where it was start spring ball. You know what I mean? And dudes, absolutely all moved out right away and went home and stuff.

But it was like, we were waiting to like all come back and it never came. Wow, for a full year. Like that was like, imagine you were working out your iPad. Like I finished the Red shirt and, you know, I'm ready to go.

And I was having a great listening season. Like I was maxing all myself out and we had to go home. And it was kind of like, what do I do now? You know, everything turned online classes.

I was at home all day long because it couldn't go anywhere. And it was just like everything just hit me all at once. You know, yeah. It was like a whirlwind just came right at you.

Seriously, that's all I can describe it as a lot. Even the thing about now is like, I know how I got through it, but I don't even know how I just didn't break down a few times. You know, like I just, I kept it up for most part like a whole time and I was going through day to day. And that's kind of what you have to do.

You have to take it step by step. You can't think about it. Because if I was thought about it in a year, I couldn't play football, I would have been able to do nothing then, you know what I'm saying? But I was still working out.

I would go to my dad's house and like work on his basement for hours and like just trying to stay in shape, stuff like that, you know, but it was still tough every day. It's still tough to get up and do that stuff, you know. You were a freshman in college when that got with it? Yeah.

Wow. Because of my season, the season before that was my red shirt here. And then right after the winter break, it was still my freshman year as the second semester. Yeah.

That's going to happen. And it was insane. Wow. That's, that's a no, that's unheard of.

Yeah. I mean, you guys, I mean, it's ideal for colleges. So you know, stay active during spring because it's like the grind never stops. Right.

But when the grind did stop, that's crazy. I mean, two years, no football. Yeah, exactly. I don't know how, I don't know how you got through it.

But all I know is that you got through it. Yeah, that's the, yeah, for real. But I just got through it. And looking back and still like shocking me now talking about it, you know, it's like unlocking those memories again.

It's just kind of like, I'm glad I got through it. And I said, I can just be thankful now, you know. Yeah, you can. And speaking of memories, you did have one really good memory while you were still a chap.

You went from chap to champ. Yes, sir. So that's, that was pretty cool. Two years of turmoil.

And the third year you actually play, you actually, you guys actually have a season and you go out and win a national championship. Yes, sir. Like what in the world was that experience like, because I know it's like in high school, it was like brother, brother, rice runs, the brother rice runs were great. You were knocking on the door, but the door never got blown out.

You blew the door. You guys blew the door down first year back for you playing football the way the game that you love and you go out and you walk, you walk in there, you want a championship. Yeah. What in the world were you feeling?

That was like the winning national championship was incredible. That was a whole different experience. We literally in that season wasn't the easiest season either. We weren't blowing teams out every week.

Like we we won the first game against Ellsworth by like three points and we were away on the road in Iowa and we didn't know what we had. Honestly, we were kind of going out there and you know, you have a bunch of guys at every position that play. So it's kind of like we're trying to see who can start and who can like stay on the field longer or whatever and QB we had three QBs playing that game and the college is a whole different experience. Usually just have one like you have one guy, even the high school, you have one guy that's the main guy and for us, I had three QBs that were going in different drives.

No one can really get a rhythm. So we weren't really scoring offense and but we found a way to pull that one out. We had a couple defensive touchdowns. Second game we get blown out by Iowa Central like 49 to 7 literally get blown out and we just have to come back.

There was we end up losing and I can't remember we lost two or three games. I think we lost two. We lost to Nassau who we ended up beating playing them again and that's championship. Nassau and Long Island we went all out to Long Island, New York and lost by three and it was horrible.

That feeling they drive home was so different because this is 17 hour drive on a bus. Oh my goodness. Literally was the worst experience. But like the thing about JUCA that I love was that we weren't a university so we had like connections like bigger schools that we would eat at and sleep and so we were going like we went to Long Island we stayed at Penn State for a night.

Like so it was really cool atmospheres to be in and everything but getting back to the season we we had to beat Georgia military to give them an internship. And then the second to last week was either. Georgia military was the top 10 ranked division one JUCA and we were division three JUCA. So we were playing division up.

There's only two divisions. So it's D3D1 and we're playing division up and they were top 10 team. They were beating teams that they beat a team that BI was central that blew us out. So that tells me anything.

We're like wow and we had this is a must win game and we're kind of like what can we do to beat them like what do we have to do to beat them and we just had to play hard on football. We're watching film every day and our coaches are hyping us up there like we believe in you guys we think that's a real shot we're not BS and you this is real like we went in because they kept it real honestly as you go it's like a different type of different type of bond because they know they only had you for two years or three years next whatever you know. So it's like a business on both sides. But for them to tell us that like they really were confident they believe in us we felt that like we know that that that's it and we end up being them and they have like guys commit to SEC schools like Auburn, Georgia stuff like Tennessee like DB's D line running back committed to these big SEC schools in Georgia military in the south but these guys were really going to these schools in mind you my freshman year we got beat by them 49s in Georgia at Fort running because they play on a military base everything like this team is legit and we go back to next year and we beat them on our own turf.

Hey go to an extra championship. How about the backfield. That one was crazy it was freezing cold out and they you can tell they didn't want to be there they weren't used to the cold and we were just playing hard on those football we probably rushed for like 300 yards on them and they they average like 150 rushing over the game so we put up double what they average given up we doubled that we were just running the ball down and throw we had there was no stopping to say there was no stopping us seriously. That looks satisfying as a running back to run to run down the team's throat like that.

Oh for sure for sure we it was like all five of us got in the game and it was it was insane running back committed by committee is fine. Yes sir. So I want to take you through the national championship game because it was an interesting game. I mean you guys were up 21 and it was like all right we were cruising I mean the long journey we're coming in we're you know I'm sure it was a similar feeling to the Hawaiian shirts have brother rice and stuff like that but actually putting it putting the work in the championship game and you know you guys feeling good and then all of a sudden you find yourselves down one less than a minute left to go and you're like oh crap we need to come up with the driver's season three plays later boom right there.

And I got that and I the ball is kicked to me on that kickoff to to go into the end of the game and I was like all right he has made it as you can so I got to like I think like the 40 yard line or something and right after I got there our 2B had trampled because there's nothing open and he got hit as a flag 15 hour penalty. So we were we weren't a few more range just yet but they were making mistakes and we're like all right you make a mistake then we had we had one place that we knew if they ran man to man this place is gonna be open and it looks like they're running man which is kind of crazy in the end of the game and that's championship in your up by one and I go yes I will. They run it man to man and the seam rock is open. The seam rock was wide open and I'm watching and I'm like there's no way this is real.

Catch the ball for touchdown and we that's how we won. We literally we were up 21 at nothing half and everything wrong that could go wrong for us did in a second half. Fumbles, interceptions, them scoring crazy touchdowns where they're bossing people one hand in the back of the end zone like everything that they can have to us did and we still overcame it and came back like we never had we always knew we were gonna win and we never gave up. Like if we if we were down by one it was 40 seconds left.

I don't know many things I hear come back down and try and drive this work to be honest. Touchdown. I touched down. You need a field goal you got to touch down.

Yes. Yes. craziness. The crowd went absolutely insane.

Like that was the last I've heard a C.O.D. game. It was an extra championship rightfully so but that was the loudest game I've been at. Wow.

That was the loudest game. Yes for sure. I mean in terms of like that roar at the end but like overall loudest game that the mayor's teams that we've had were crazy like throughout the whole game any like big play you would hear. You said loudest moment.

Lattice moment for sure. Touchdown to win an extra championship. We were on the sideline going bzerke like in our coaches are going crazy. She was actually a lot of fans.

You know who's back and forth. But I know it's such a great experience. I would try that one for the world. I got my ring at home.

It's beautiful. You know it's huge. Did you ever talk to Matthew Brown after that game? Oh yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna love.

He is going to be like the team is going to do it. Yeah. I've been to this. I've been on the team.

You know, I think I've been going to do that. Yeah. I've been on the team. I've been on the team because it was kind of getting to end this career and he had got hurt.

He had messed up his needs. So when Coach Ra and he was interned head coach for that covid year and when we came back. He got hired full-time like they gave him a real contract for head coach. He's like that is what we're going to do.

Like he took a lot of stuff for foster but he also made it his own. And he was always a great coach like he always mess with us and stuff like that. But he always gets serious when it matter. But he will tell us all.

And after that game, he literally touched on he hugged me in the air and everything, like, the end of the game, it probably hit you in the air. He hugged me so high there. I'm like, bro, what's going on? And then we had the bring ceremony to come back and get our ring and stuff at their string ball game the final season.

And all the vibes were great. And they just went back to back. They just went again. So he's already solidified his legacy as a coach.

And I thought he's a great coach. I appreciate everything coach Ryan did for me. And talking to him, he'll always be there for me. I can go up there right now and have a conversation.

So it was great experience for sure. Wow. And that was one of your last memories at the college of DuPage. Yeah, that was like the last memory.

Because that was December, January 10th. I was in things they were working on. Oh, wow. Yeah.

So it was it was it was off the next chapter. Right. More weeks later, I was here and I was signed everything. Like it's boom, just like that.

Cause I got my associate degree in that December that last semester for me. Now there that was my it was like two and a half years. It wasn't a full three years because I came to try here after. Yeah.

But in the one year was COVID. It didn't really like it was a crazy year for everyone. Yeah. But that that was not coming straight here too.

It was a lot nicer. Cause I was a commuter there too. So I would have to drive four times a month. I'm leaving out the house at like five, 10, five, 15 every morning.

And to come here, it's still morning, but I could leave out the house at five, 45 and be here one time early. You know what I'm saying? I live five minutes away down the street. So for me, this was a lot.

It was just like it took my pressure off me. The stress was gone. And it was just like I could just enjoy playing football and get my degree in extra science. It was more too.

Yeah, I will admit, if I went to a college that was literally the backyard in my old high school, I feel pretty good about the dad, the traveling as well. Yeah. It was like, oh, yeah, it was like, oh, yeah, it was like, but I'm like, at least I got to drive far. Yeah, I like it was like, at least I got to drive far.

So that's all love, you know? And I love everyone here. I think that I really got welcome. Open arms, they call me Juicy.

It's my nickname. So they all love me. You know, I love all of them. And I think this year we're gonna have a squad.

I think this is the year that we go, make a B play off run, try and get that in extra championship first once it's 2011 hopefully. So I'm excited though. I'm not excited. I think I'll get a lot more playing time this year.

I got hurt last year. And then my first game back from being, or my first like real game back from being hurt, first carry the game 65, so I'm excited. I'm ready to go. Game after that, I 60, I have two or 11 carries.

And it just felt good to be like, get a lot of carries in the game and like do something with it, you know? So you were done. Right, exactly. Yeah.

So talk to me about this past season. Obviously it was a bit of a roller coaster. Obviously the introduction to, okay, this is NIA football was a little bit rocky, a couple of losses. We ain't gonna mention you, Wendy.

No, exactly. But then you guys just ripped off a nine game winning streak just out of nowhere. Just doing what's saying, just doing what's saying, save your things. I mean, when you're doing all that winning at a new school, after what you had just been through at the page, what was that?

Like this is Cougar football that you're talking about. Right. And that's one of the main reasons I came here because the recruiting and process were so quick for me that I had to really like know what else came myself into, once I went to a new school. And a couple of schools that recruited me, I'm not gonna name names, but they didn't have a winning season that I want that.

So I was like, do I really want to do that? And really deal with losing, because losing for me, that hits me down. I'm a very competitive person because all my friends, whoever, you know my mom, my mom and dad, I'll tell you, I am one of the most competitive people out there. We could be playing rocket precisers, and if I don't win, I would be superman.

You know what I'm saying? So for me to come here, I'm like, they have a winning culture, this is what I need. This is what I love to do, I love to win. And this is why I want to be a part of that.

And that was a big thing for me. And then coming into it, and then we lost our first two games. It was tough for me because I'm like, how are we losing games? We were, and we're not the first game I was like, what am I talking about?

Second game, we were in the game for a long time, and it's just like, we couldn't finish it. And our meeting, that Monday, yesterday game, our captain's especially Joey Mark-Sovic, we, they came in there and they were like, they just kept it real, honestly. They were like, we need everyone. We need the guys that are red-shirting, we need the ones, we need the two's, we need the star guys, we need our picker puns that we need every single person to buy in.

Or we're not gonna do nothing. Like, and we felt that, like we felt that. Joey, he said these things like, we're rolling the boat, and we all gotta row it. Or we're gonna be left behind.

Like there was nothing we could do. And we all took that personal for sure. I seen it in these guys. Like we took that personally.

I was heard at the time, that's the second game. And I still felt that I was still making sure I was ready. So by the time I come back, I was gonna be going crazy, you know, and be one of those guys that contributes. So I think that was the biggest turnaround in our season.

I think from there on, you see it in the freshman's eyes, they were going to break their playing hard. And they were making older dudes mad and stuff. Like they were getting on their skin because of how hard they're playing. And I think that's what is a beautiful thing about football, is that you can push that guy next to you as much as you can, and he will get better.

Hey, there's no, those results will always come. Wow, no taking. Yeah. No taking.

That is, I mean, I felt like after going by the starting only two, that there was gonna have to be something that just got lit up under the vire of the scene. Because a winning streak like that is just ridiculous. No matter what the situation is, no matter how deep and disease you are, there's got to be something that fuels that turnaround. Obviously that sounds- You guys went in close games.

These games weren't close. They were close to hard-fought games. Yeah, I will admit that like the loss that we had last year before you came here, I was looking at them and be like, man, sometimes we just feels like we can't finish when it matters the most sometimes. And even in some of our wins, it's like that's too close for my comfort.

Like we should have had that in the back. But seeing the run that you guys went on this year, yeah, the early wins, they were pretty close. And then you guys started just blowing teams out middleweight. But obviously the biggest game of the year again for us was the St.

Francis game. Which obviously that's the senior day game. That's the game that decides who wins the MFSA Midwest again. Like, and obviously it is deeper for St.

Francis because we beat him in their crib but over time last year. I got guys that played on St. Francis. I wasn't here last year.

I wasn't, I didn't feel the same feelings. But I felt it when I got there, they environment. I tell you that. When we were at the game, that was some real hatred.

Let's see each other. That's a little brother. We were calling them a little brother to their face. We made sure that they knew.

But it's still like love for those guys. If we were to be whoever would make it to playoffs, I'm sure they would room for us and we would room for them to if they would beat us. We want our comfort to still go as far as possible. But when we're against each other, that's our biggest rival.

We're putting you in the dirt. Like there's no FAs or butts. Could be the last game of the year too. Yeah, exactly, exactly.

That there's no, you can't ask for much more intensity than, okay, this game could end our season. Yeah. That's a different feeling. Nah, it is.

I mean, my goodness. So you guys, undefeated in conference, obviously there's a hump that we have to get over and that's winning the playoff game. We've got bounced out the first round, past over years. So going into next year, what's it gonna take for this team to not just win a playoff game again, but ultimately make a deep run and potentially become a national championship contender?

It's just, I think it's just the competitive factor. And then when we go down, at certain point, we can't, it's just about our personal mistakes, honestly. I think that we shoot ourselves in the foot a lot as a team and there's stuff that, you know how they say like, pick each other up and stuff like that. Offense picks up defense, defense, defense.

There were so many times where offense and defense was shooting each other's foot. And there's nothing, you can't pick each other up once you get to a certain point. And so I think that limiting our own mistakes, I think mostly games are us versus us. I don't think any team is really like not unbeatable.