Texas Tech University Athletics
Making the Grade
November 16, 2001 | Football
Nov. 16, 2001
By Alisa Brydson - Texas Tech Media Relations -
Regardless of whether they are on offense or defense, Texas Tech football players are on the same side of the ball when it comes to furthering their education.
On the offense, Paul Erickson, Matt Heider, Jason May, Darrell Jones and Ricky Williams are all working towards master's degrees.
Take a minute and try to put yourself in one of their shoes. How about Paul Erickson's?
Erickson, a 6-5, 294-pound offensive lineman, is in graduate school pursuing a master's degree in sports management and hopes to complete his degree in December of 2002.
In a typical day, Erickson gets up and going just like anyone else but his day, from beginning-to-end is filled with school, meetings, practice and oh yeah, eating.
During the week, he wakes up and goes to class from eight to nine in the morning and then heads over to the athletic training center to lift weights. Then in the afternoon, he eats lunch, goes to meetings and then to football practice.
Practices are usually over around six o'clock and this gives all of the graduate students very little time to shower or eat before going to class. Erickson has night classes on Mondays and Thursdays from six o'clock to nine o'clock. And given the weekly schedule of practices, travel and games he only has two nights a week to catch up on everything he has to do.
In addition to playing football and being a graduate student, he is engaged to a Texas Tech volleyball player, Ann Romjue. When do they ever get to see each other, let alone, plan a wedding?
Erickson has also been accepted into the National Guard and in addition to sports management, hopes to become a pilot like his father.
"I am really excited about the chance to be in the National Guard. It's another challenge that I am looking forward to," Erickson stated.
Now, were Erickson's size 13 shoes too big? How 'bout trying Ricky Williams'?
Running back, Ricky Williams is on track for a record-breaking season and a promising career in the NFL. But, he is not limiting himself to just one option because he is receiving his masters in sports management and could one day manage the careers of many other promising athletes, as a sports' agent.
Could you handle the pressure that this team captain has? Not only does Williams have school and practice but he is also president of the Texas Tech chapter of Omega Psi Phi.
As president, he is responsible for holding meetings, putting together events, such as the step-show and making appearances around campus as Omega Psi Phi's representative.
It is probably safe to assume that his shoes did not fit either and honestly, who could fill the shoes of this athlete. He has had such a bright career at Texas Tech and headed into an even brighter future.
Then, on the defensive side of the ball, Lennard Christensen, Jonathan Hawkins and Ronald Ross are also working towards masters' degrees.
After walking on to the team in the spring of 1999, linebacker, Christensen has found his niche on the field and in the classroom. And there are not very many people who could even attempt to fill his shoes.
Christensen is working toward his high performance management degree while maintaining a 4.0 cumulative grade point average. High performance management, an honors program in the college of business will enable him to pursue a career in real estate management and he hopes to own and manage his own hotels or golf courses one day.
Well, when it comes to no free time, Christensen knows exactly how it feels to not have any. He keeps his planner full of things that he has to do. In fact, his days are just as full as the other graduate students on the team.
Christensen wakes up, eats breakfast and uses his mornings to study. Then he goes to class, meetings and practices in the afternoons. Then it is back to class at night and then he is lucky if he goes to bed between midnight and two in the morning.
"My schedule is very busy. If I don't stay on top of things, I easily get behind and when I get behind, things can get ugly," Christensen said.
When the average person's work or school day may be long over, these young men still have a long day ahead and their work as players only allows them one day a week for themselves and that is only if they do not have class on that day.
These eight members of the Texas Tech football team are taking advantage of their time at Tech and working to have successful careers on and off of the football field.
Oh, by the way, you can give them their shoes back now.
