Torch: First off, how did you discover football growing up?
CO: All of my older cousins were playing it.
Torch: At what point did you realize that this was the sport for you?
CO: Junior year, when lacrosse didn’t go as planned.
Torch: (laughs) So you played lacrosse? You had to be the biggest player on that field right? Lay any monster hits?
CO: Oh yeah, (laughs) gave a couple kids concussions, I may play some club at Ferris.
Torch: Oh sweet Jesus, those club guys better watch out. So now that you were focused solely on football, what did you try to convey to college scouts in high school?
CO: That I’m a guy they could use to help better their program as a whole, that not only am I a good athlete, but I’m a good person.
Torch: When you got that call from Tony Annese, what ran through your head as you decided to sign with Ferris?
CO: That I was joining a great up and coming team with a tremendous coaching staff that was going to continue to help turn the program around and make it great.
Torch: Now, let’s get this out of the way, you are kind of a big dude. You stick out like a sore thumb from the roster as the overall biggest player on the team. What were the reactions from your new teammates when they first shook your hand?
CO: (laughs) They were all in shock, they didn’t believe I was fresh out of school and then they just began to explain to me the massive expectations they have for me.
Torch: How much of a balance do you think there has to be when it comes to size vs talent to be a good ball player? My example would be someone like Yao Ming who some thought was only effective because of his size.
CO: I know some fairly large guys who aren’t good at sports, and I know some who are. I mean size is a huge help but it’s not everything. It’s just another tool in the shed.
Torch: Ok, let’s lighten up the conversation a bit, what you have for breakfast this morning?
CO: Orange juice, steak and a ham and cheese omelet with hash browns.
Torch: Biscuits and gravy with black coffee on this side. Now, I carry around a spare tire myself and I light up when I see a Chinese buffet. What’s your go to food joint when the hunger is real?
CO: Definitely Olive Garden. Gotta carb hard.
Torch: what’s the one thing that you wouldn’t want Coach Annese to know about you?
CO: That Grease is one of my favorite movies and that I sing along to every song in it.
Torch: Should they count your flat top in your roster height?
CO: I wish (laughs), they took my height in like June when the flow wasn’t nearly as nice
Torch: What’s been the toughest part for you in college as a freshman apart from football?
CO: Not smelling when hurrying to class from football. It’s often very tempting to skip showering when you have a 2 o’clock class and practice ends at 1:45.
Torch: Last question, how do you see your bulldog career unfolding?
CO: Hopefully a couple conference & national titles.