2008 Woodie Awards
Vasquez looks to get the most out of football
Pat Neumuth
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Sports
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Staff Writer
Student athletes are constantly reminded the reason they are in school is for academics first and sports second.
Junior defensive lineman Justin Vasquez has a different philosophy. Vasquez says football is king, with a catch.
Vasquez is unlike most athletes in the fact he wants to double major. He said he has his whole life to concentrate on his career, but only has one more year to play football.
Vasquez believes academics takes the backseat to football, but he does not lose focus on how important education is.
New setting, same football
Vasquez is a junior college transfer from Cerritos Community College in California.
"It was a smooth transition going from junior college to St. Cloud. It allowed me to have the confidence to step up as a first- year junior here," Vasquez said.
Defensive line coach Steve Grimit said Vasquez has a great combination of size and quickness.
"He is having a real good first year," Grimit said. "He has a good feel for the game."
Vasquez said the game speed is similar between the two levels, as he consistently lined up against Division I talent in junior college.
Vasquez has made an immediate impact on the defensive line for the Huskies. Vasquez recorded his first career SCSU sack against Western Washington and followed the next week with another sack and two tackles for losses against Augustana.
"We always tell the players to work hard week-to-week, and he has done that," Grimit said. "We are trying to get the most out of his ability."
Junior defensive linemen Tom Conboy said Vasquez keeps the line loose with a joking personality and laid back demeanor.
Vasquez and Conboy play the same position on the line at nose tackle, but that does not prevent the two from being good friends.
"We feed off each other. If he does well, I have to come back and make a play, too," Conboy said.
Who is Justin Vasquez?
Vasquez grew up in Walnut, Calif., east of Los Angeles. Vasquez began playing football his freshman year at Diamond Bar High School.
Vasquez played multiple sports in high school, as he was a heavyweight wrestler, shot put and discus thrower and first basemen on the baseball team.
In his senior year, Vasquez was second in tackles in the Sierra League Conference and runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. At Cerritos, he was a two-time All-Mission Conference player.
Vasquez is a man of many nicknames. His father, Gregory, calls him Bird. He said his most common nickname is Tank. His newest nickname, The Big Squeeze, was given to him by his fellow defensive linemen at SCSU.
Vasquez was able to make the long move to Minnesota because of an athletic scholarship. He is not the only person in his family to get an athletic scholarship.
His brother, Jacob, 22, went to Texas A&M and California State-Fullerton on a baseball scholarship. When Vasquez came on a recruiting trip to St. Cloud, he liked the players and coaches he met and felt it would be the right place for him.
Living in Minnesota
Vasquez is a little nervous for the Minnesota winter. When he came on his visit, the weather was nice. However, he said the weather outside now is what the winter is like back home.
"People keep telling me about what the winter is going to be like," Vasquez said. "But I have never experienced it. I am already struggling with the cold now."
He said the major difference between the west coast and the Midwest it is greener and the people are nicer here. He likes the fact that people are not so materialistic, like many people in LA.
Because of this, the transition to moving to Minnesota has been fairly easy for Vasquez.
"Sometimes is miss home," he said. "But I know some people back home will never get the opportunity to come to Minnesota."
What's Next?
Once football is done, Vasquez plans on going back home to finish school. He said if he still received the scholarship money after football is done, he would finish here.
In the future, Vasquez said he would like to be a high school football coach around the Los Angeles area.
"Some kids don't have direction when they are in high school," Vasquez said.
He has a master's degree in mind, but does not want to that about that until football is over.
Vasquez is focused on getting the most out of his football career. He is more concerned with the team's success than his own stats. As a personal goal, he would like to end his career next year as an all-NCC player as a senior.
"After next year, there is no next year. I want to have no regrets about my football career," he said. "I have fought through much adversity in the past and with God's grace, I got through it."