Fans worry every time a senior graduates. What do you bring to the quarterback position to reassure fans that the offense will be in good hands now that Anthony has departed?
Anthony was a great quarterback and it is always tough to follow someone who had the success that he had on the field. I am lucky to have been able to work with him for the past two years. I have been working hard this offseason through film study and on the field so that the transition from Anthony to me can be as smooth as possible. I am lucky to have an experienced receiving corps that is essentially the exact same receiving corps from last year and an experienced offensive line to protect me in the pocket. With all of these pieces, our offense (specifically our passing game) should be able to pick up right where it left off.
What did you learn from him that has prepared you to take over?
I have been able to watch film of Anthony from the past two years and been able to learn from him in a lot of ways, but the thing that I have learned from Anthony the most is just to enjoy the ride. It is easy to get caught up in the season, but it is important to enjoy every second of it. He has been a great person to talk to throughout the offseason and I will definitely be able to talk to him throughout the season if I need anything.
What can you say to fans worried about Joe The Show graduating?
Replacing “Joe the Show” is obviously not easy. Isaac Spence has done a great job through the years of being ready when called upon and really showed just a glimpse of what he can do last season in the playing time he had. I know he is excited to show everyone how hard he has been working. We have a lot of talent in our backfield, Bennett Lewis is a young guy who we are excited to see prove himself… Alex Koski and Wade Wood also provide us with great depth at the position. Like I said, Joe was a special player and will be hard to replace, but we’ve got talent at the position.
One of Hillsdale's obvious strengths is the defense returning. How does playing against those guys everyday make you better?
We’ve got a great defense coming back this season. Playing against those guys has helped me tremendously. Because they are so “good” at defending our routes, it forces me to throw into much tighter windows than I will in a game. Yes, it is extremely frustrating playing against them at times. They know our plays, the snap count, some of them probably even know some of the signals… It gets frustrating; but, if you ask them, I’m sure they will say that the offense holds every play so it is even.
What has it meant to play with your brother Nick who is an offensive lineman at Hillsdale?
I’m so blessed to have been able to play with Nick as long as I have. My relationship with him has become much stronger at Hillsdale. I know it makes my parents happy that we play at the same school. My freshman year with me playing at Kalamazoo College and Nick at Hillsdale was definitely a hardship for my parents trying to make the both of us happy.
How much do you worry that if you tick off your brother he just might happen to miss a block sort of on purpose?
We used to joke about it in high school until he “accidentally” let in former MSU Spartan and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Will Gholston untouched on my first high school pass. I was on the ground for about 5 minutes before being able to get off the field. Needless to say mother prefers we don’t joke about it anymore.
Best thing about being a Charger is...... definitely the brotherhood of being a Hillsdale Football player. It starts in the locker room with the current players. We are truly a family. Those will be some of the best memories at Hillsdale. It goes further than that though. I’m lucky to have met guys like Troy Weatherhead who has helped me a great deal through the past couple of years or even Aaron Waldie who I never even went to school with. Any time I’ve been able to meet football alumni it has been easy to develop a relationship with them and continue to keep in contact with them. I am really blessed to be apart of a brotherhood like this one.
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