Name: Jordan Brown
Major/Minor: Sports Marketing/ Psychology
Grade: Senior
Position: Running Back #6
Name: Connor McNamara
Major/Minor: Marketing/ Communications
Grade: Junior
Position: Defensive Tackle #69
Name: Mike Westerhaus
Major/Minor: Global Supply Chain Management/Management & Political Science
Grade: Junior
Position: Quarterback #12
HC: Tell us a little bit about yourselves. Outside of football, what are your interests? Hobbies?
JB: Outside of football, I am a laid back guy but always doing something. I am into all sports but mainly football since I consider it my life. One thing people do not know is that I’m really into Indy car racing. I go to the Indy 500 every year and have been since I was six years old. Hobbies for me are getting better at everything in life; a better football player, better student, and better family member.
CM: Outside of football, my interests are other sports such as lacrosse, golf, hunting, and fishing, along with music, boating, hanging out with friends, and I coaching football.
MW: When I am not playing football, I enjoy outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, wake boarding, waterskiing, golf, basketball and just hanging out.
HC: What is your favorite part about being a student at Bryant?
JB: My favorite part about being a Bryant student is being a student athlete. People on campus look at us as leaders and I enjoy setting good examples for the younger generation on campus. After winning on Saturdays and having everyone come up to you is hands down the best part about being a student here
CM: My favorite part about being a Bryant student is the different people that I have met from different areas around the country and world. I enjoy getting to learn different people’s personalities. The things I have experienced at Bryant have changed the person that I am today.
MW: I like that everything is close enough to walk to as well as the size of the student body. I like that the classroom setting is capable of providing the students with personalized attention from the professors. Because the school has a small number of students, you often find yourself spending time with the same people-on the weekends and in between classes. You develop close friendships that I believe will last long after graduation.
HC: How has being a student athlete affected your college experience so far? Tell us about your other involvements.
JB: It has affected it greatly to the point where I am always on the move. My team and I are always doing community service such as Special Olympics and Big Brothers. I volunteer at home to do many football camps to help young kids achieve their dreams of playing college football.
CM: Being a student athlete has affected my life through the friendships I have made and the things I have been able to do through football. Two of them are Special Olympics Rhode Island, which is truly an eye opening experience getting to help out people of all ages have fun through sports. Another is Big Brother of the Ocean State which we do every Monday and we get to mentor and play sports with children in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. These children do not necessarily have a stable home or a father figure in their life. Seeing the smile on a little child’s face when we come into their school is an incredibly satisfying experience. While football itself has taught me many great life skills like overcoming adversity and how to work well as a team, some of the things that have changed my life the most came through community service that we have done outside of football.
MW: Being a football player takes a lot away from your free time but there are a lot of upsides to being a member of the team. We learn to be responsible and punctual, and we hold ourselves to high standards. We engage in community service projects like Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State and St. Jude’s Up ‘Til Dawn. Experiences like these have made me realize how important it is to set a good example by being a role model.
HC: Your names are heard throughout the Bryant community. What are some of the awards and records you three have earned throughout your football careers here?
JB: 2010/2011All NEC Conference Running Back, All New England Running Back, 2011 Nations Leading Rusher, All Time Leading Rusher at Bryant, NCAA FCS All American
CM: 2+ year starter, 2011 Team Defensive Lineman of the Year, 2 times Capitan.
MW: This past spring, I was nominated by my teammates to become one of our team captains. I was honored and humbled by their confidence in me. Recently I was fortunate enough to break the single game passing yards record as well as tie the record for attempts. In my second career start, I earned offensive rookie of the week. My focus however is not on my statistics and records; I would much rather win than set records. I owe the majority of my success to my teammates. I cannot do the things that I am privileged to do without those guys.
HC: After college, what is your ideal future? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
JB: My ideal future is to play professional football and I see myself 5 years being financially stable having my own place and living comfortably, in 10 years I’d like to have a family and raise my kids to become great people in this world
CM: After college, I would like to stay involved in the field of sports through Sports Marketing or become a College Football coach. Whichever I choose, I hope to be the best that I can be in the field.
MW: My only hope is that I enjoy what I am doing. Money isn’t everything to me. Sure I’d like to be successful, but I am not driven by money. I’d like to live in a big city like New York or Boston.
HC: What advice would you give to aspiring athletes wanting to play a sport in college?
JB: Stay focus and don’t let distractions get in your way. Keep your eyes on the prize and never veer off the path. Remember who got you to where you are now and always stay hungry. Because the day someone else becomes hungrier than you, they will eat before you.
CM: Advice that I would have for aspiring college athletes would be to set your goals and go for them, don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. Work as hard as you possibly can to be your best. Growing up my dad always told me “anything worth doing is worth doing well” so if you plan on being a college athlete, give it everything you possibly have.
MW: Make sure that you are prepared to face the challenges that you are presented with. There will be a lot of difficult times in your academic and athletic careers, and it is up to you to power through such instances. Being a collegiate athlete definitely isn’t for the weak minded.