Q: What made you decide to play football and stick with it?

A: When I was younger, my dad put a football in my hands when I was about 3 years old and started tossing the football around with me. He had me play with older kids at the park, and after the first touchdown that I scored, I was hooked on that feeling. He signed me up for flag football and then the rest is history.

Q: Who do you model your game after?

A: My favorite player is [Kansas City Chiefs running back] De’Anthony Thomas. This year, I wouldn’t say that I play like him, but I try to. I’ve been moved around a lot: a little receiver, a little running back, a little kick returner. He’s a guy that does all those things, and I try to accomplish the success he’s had with doing those three things on the football field every single play.

Q: What’s the most memorable moment of your career?

A: Probably beating Loyola my freshman year. I’ve never been a part of something like that, never had a feeling like that, and since then I’ve never had a feeling like that either. That’s what I chase when I play football. It’s the ultimate high. Our coach always says that you chase the ultimate high in football, and you fear the ultimate low. And beating your rival on your home turf, when you’re the 35-42 point underdog, there’s no other feeling like that.

Q: You play offense and defense and special teams. Which do you focus on more during the game?

A: Well, defense definitely takes more focus throughout the game because you have to know what the other team is going to do before they do it and you have to dissect what they’re going to do next. So during the game, my focus is more on defense, rather than on offense, whenever I get the ball in my hands I just try to score a touchdown.

Q: What is it like to be one of the youngest guys on the team?

A: Oh, it’s fun. There’s no real traditions of hazing or putting the younger guys down or anything like that, so it’s fun to hang out and be around the older guys and interact with them.

Q: Why did you choose the number one?

A: A lot of great players have number one, and I hope to walk out of here as a great player and be seen as one of the best players to come through here, and that’s why I choose number one. Because, number one usually has a target on their back, and I want a target on my back because I want to be the best.

Q: What goes through your mind when you’re on the field?

A: I’m the best player on the field. That’s the only thing going through my mind. We’re the best team on the field, and nothing can stop us.