ISU Bengal

Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: Sports

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About six feet five inches, big, usually wearing high top chuck taylor sneakers, or skater loafers, a pair of shorts, classic looking eye glasses, a backwards hat, a sweatshirt, and perhaps even the ever-popular 'pick' in his hair. Not the most abnormal looking thing seen on campus these days, right?

If you have ever seen someone on campus that fits this description you might have just walked by thinking that he is just another average student here making his way between classes on a longboard. Simply put, you obviously don't know Quincy Griffin.

Quincy, also known as 'Q' to his close friends and teammates, is extremely different than what you would imagine for a defensive lineman playing collegiate football. The Moreno Valley California native is in the middle of his sophomore season of football and junior year in school. When asked how he describes himself, he responded with a laugh, while studying his japanese homework, "from time to time I've been called a nerd." His Japanese tutor laughs as he continues, "I think I'm the only athlete at ISU that majors in math and minors in japanese."

Quincy spent his high school days spending time in the classroom after school was out, if he wasn't at practice. He grew up playing basketball and loving it.

However, he wasn't always a member of a team. He didn't play organized sports until his ninth grade year when he tried out and made the basketball team. He continued to get bigger and started playing football as a junior.

Before high school he spent time with his friends at the mall, going bowling, playing video games, and showing his skills at the local skate park. "Most people wouldn't look at me as a skater, but I used to really be into it. I was the biggest kid at the skate park, and I had a lot of fun" Quincy said.

Playing college football wasn't the first thing on his mind when he finished high school. Quincy had plans to just go to college on an academic scholarship because of his good grades. As he started improving on the football field, coaches and recruiters started recognizing, and he began receiving letters about playing college football.

The reason he chose ISU, "I'd never seen snow before and I really liked the idea of living in a place where it snows a lot, and they gave me a scholarship." Although "Q" is not a starter this year on the team, he has received significant playing time and is getting great experience. He feels the team is improving and will eventually become a contender for the Big Sky Championship.

Continued...

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