From: Born and raised Pittsburgh (East Hills – Bracey Drive)
Occupation: Facilities Maintenance Tech for CBRE
Position: Wing & Most Back Positions
Played Rugby Since: 2014
Birthday: May 4
Accolades/Accomplishments: 2020 Forge, Men’s Team Captain
Previous teams: Pittsburgh Rugby Club
Interview
Q : How did your rugby career begin?
A : I had went to trade school with someone who played in high school, at that time I had no clue what rugby was ( I assumed he meant polo rugby like with the horses lol) after he explained he brought me out to a 7s practice and I fell in love with the sport.
Q : What do you love about rugby?
A : That’s honestly a tough question to answer, there are so many great things about rugby I think I love the teamwork it takes to be successful how team oriented rugby can be especially coming from a football background.
Q : To spread the rugby love, what would you like people to know about rugby who have never encountered the sport before?
A : It’s the brotherhood/friendships that comes along with playing rugby and you just build a certain amount of comradery with people from all over teammates or not it can be someone you only play against but there is a certain amount of mutual respect had from fellow ruggers and that is so hard to come across just in life in general. You meet so many different types of people from different cultures and that’s why I continue to play. I have lifelong friends from this amazing sport, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
Q : What is your favorite personal rugby moment?
A : That would have to be my 2nd home playoff game again the CLE crusaders fall season of 2019. It isn’t often a Pittsburgh team gets to host a playoff game so that’s always great also I would like to think that when the lights get brightest that’s when I shine that playoff atmosphere and the intensity that comes along with it brings a lot out of me I enjoy being in high pressure moments
Q : If I had an airplane full of jellybeans and I wanted you to get them all out, but in a very sanitary way so that I could still eat them, what would you do? You have 24 hours to do this, but you have unlimited funds.
A : UMMMM lol…. I’d start off by paying the pilot whatever it took to land the plane in Pittsburgh. I would call up all my teammates from the PITTSBURGH FORGE RUGBY CLUB and bribe them with food, money, and beer…. IRON CITY…. OF COURSE!
