No TD without JD

When and how long have you been playing football? Why did you choose this sport specifically?

I have been playing football since I was in eighth grade. I first started playing, really, because everyone I talked to told me that I should play football no matter what. I was always this bigger kid, and I didn’t ever find my place on other teams like basketball or baseball, so football really seemed like the most logical option. I chose football because football is such a brutal and unforgiving sport, but it is also beautiful and meaningful. Every time you go out there on the field, you know that you’re gonna give literally everything you have with all of your buddies.

What position do you play, and why did you choose that position?

I play offensive line; more specifically, left guard and left tackle. To most people, the offensive linemen are really the brutes of the game that you send to sort of break through on the front lines, but we are so much more than that. The offensive-line-to-defensive-line interactions are like a dance. It’s a ballet of sorts, in which one player makes a move and the other reacts within a split second to counter, but even to the counters, there are more moves that you can make to fight them. As an offensive lineman, I fight and die to protect my quarterback. That was once James Boodhoo, Vitaly Pyagay, and now it is Fynn Chadwick. The most basic ideal of an offensive lineman is that you must protect your quarterback, and I think for me that’s reflected in my personality. I’m a protective guy, especially of my family, and as an offensive lineman, my fellow offensive linemen, my running back, my quarterback, and my team are my family, whom I protect by any means necessary. Sometimes there are moments in games where the opponent will get in my quarterback’s face, stay on him too long after a tackle, or even bluntly try to hurt him, like it happened last year with Vitaly Pyagay. An opposing player tried to hurt his knee, and the entire team—more specifically, the entire offensive line—immediately pulled the guy off of our quarterback while some of us pinned him to the ground. Being an offensive lineman is an amazing position, but it’s also unfortunate at times. We rarely get recognition for our actions, as many of the positive things we do aren’t even awarded statistics. Our main statistic is how many times we “mess up” by letting up a sack or pressure. 

What was your favorite moment on the Peglegs?

One of my favorite moments came this season, when we beat Truman High School that Molly-whooped us last year 24-6. We beat them this year 36-20 at home in a convincing fashion, and I really felt like I was playing for all of the seniors that couldn’t do it last year.

What does a typical practice look like on the team?

A typical practice for us would look like starting with a quick warmup of a lap and some stretches, and ending with study-jacks, which get us pretty warm and ready for practice. We’d then go to individuals, where we work on some position-based things. After that, if it’s an offensive practice, we may do a “beat Tech” drill, which is a 7-on-9 drill with only the offensive line, running back, and QB working on beating a more loaded box. We might also have an inside run period or a team period to end practice, unless it’s a Tuesday, in which case we have conditioning with our coach, Coach Fuchs.

Do you have any pregame rituals?

My pregame ritual is to kiss my helmet on the three stickers I have on there—one representative of each member of my family, and one extra for a man I knew, a family friend named Golan. He always loved football and encouraged me to play, but [he] passed away last year from colorectal cancer.

What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

My goals for the rest of the season are to get at least 35 more pancakes through eight more games, including playoffs, and, honestly, to just win the championship. We have an amazing team this year, and we could definitely do it as long as we work hard enough.

Funniest Teammate: Aidan Chan.

Favorite Football Team: Dallas Cowboys.

Favorite Post Game Meal: Wingstop.

Favorite Sports Drink: Electrolit.

If you could play any other sport, which one and why: I would be the greatest pickleball player of all time.