TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

This season you play road games against Auburn, Wisconsin and Boston College. Do you and your teammates approach these games any different, knowing the football tradition at each of those schools?
No, at least for me. Every game you have to treat it the same way. You don't look at one game as more important than any other; the most important game is whatever game is coming up.

Recently, College Football News honored you as one of the top tight ends in the nation. What does it mean to you to be given that type of distinction?
It's always nice to be recognized with individual honors, but I'm not really that worried about stuff like that right now. I just have to go out and play and all that stuff will take care of itself.

You open up your home season with a game against Temple. Having been through home openers three other times, how special is it for you and the rest of the Bulls to be able to run through the tunnel and be greeted by your fans?
It's always nice to open up at home. When we played Syracuse at home two years ago, that was really cool. It's comfortable to start the season off at home.

You have professional bloodlines in your family, as your dad played Major League Baseball and your Cousin, Gene, has spent numerous years in the National Football League. What have you learned from these family members that help you be a collegiate athlete and maybe even one day a pro athlete?
I think that following the example set by my dad and see how he carried himself on a day-to-day basis. He always, in the summer, was taking us to the ballpark and seeing how guys carry themselves at that level.

Last spring you joined the men's basketball team for eight games, scoring four points and taking in three rebounds. How was that experience for you and did your work ethic change at all between football and basketball?
It was a little bit different because I had a lot of friends of the team to begin with and it was kind of different because you almost feel like a freshman again because you have to get used to the way they do things because they do things a little bit differently than we do in football. And because it's such a smaller group. In football, I knew I would always be on the field and in basketball, it was different sitting on the bench because you never know when you're going in.

Over the last three years the athletic department has gone through some significant changes. First there was the hiring of Warde Manuel, then the hiring of Turner Gill and lastly with the new logo. How excited do you and your teammates get when you think of where UB is going and where it will be in a couple of years?
It's definitely exciting. I've been there a long time and there have been a lot of promises made that weren't necessarily kept, and it's nice to see when they say things are going to get done, it's done the next day or right away. It's good to at least be a part of it and I'm happy for the younger guys that they're going to experience a bit more of it.

As a tight end, you serve as a blocker, but also a receiver. Do you get more pleasure out of catching balls and scoring or making that big block for your running back?
They are different types of feelings. Obviously, you get more attention from making great plays by catching the ball, but it's more of a personal satisfaction you get knowing that you made the block that got the back off to a score. I like both of them.

In the 2006 football media guide, you list your favorite show as Seinfeld. Which character do you think you resemble the most?
Definitely Jerry. I think I have a similar sense of humor, attitude and outlook on life. He's kind of cynical and sarcastic, like me.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB student-athlete?
I've enjoyed it all, even though we haven't won a ton of games, but I just enjoy coming out everyday and playing and I love playing on Saturdays with my teammates.

“The 10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Brian Wolff.