SAC Alums
Distinguish Themselves in Athletics and Academics
In February, SAC Alums David Richmond (AA Degree 2007) and David
Buehler (2005; entered USC in Sept. 2006) were among hopefuls
who competed in the NFL Combine, the football “Olympic trials”
for those who want to play in the National Football League.
It’s definitely the “big time,” as Buehler, who kicks for USC,
noted as a guest blogger on
USCRipsit, the official Pete Carroll website,
“(the Combine) is a four-day-long job interview. You have to be
professional in your mindset and go in and be ready to produce.
You have to nail the interviews you have, the physical and
mental tests… From his entry on Day One, Buehler’s perspective proved
on-target:
“It’s all business here. You have to be
professional, and they’re definitely instilling that in your
head."
But it wasn’t all about athletics.
On Day 3 Buehler reported, “…we took the
Wonderlic test. I feel
like I did pretty well. There are 50 questions and you have 12
minutes to answer as many as you can. … Some people speed
through it trying to finish, but I just wanted to make sure I
got all the ones I answered right. It’s like the SAT in a way:
there are synonyms, math questions, shapes, etc.”
Then on Day Four it was over, and back to campus life, and the
classroom:
“I’m still in school, finishing up my last three classes so I
can graduate in May. The NFL Draft is so close, graduation is so
close — it’s just an exciting time right now…I can't wait to see
how this all pans out in the next few months.”
The draft is April 25 and 26, so it will be some time before
Richmond and Buehler know what their futures hold in the NFL.
But they already have achieved a degree of success in academics
and athletics that began on the campus at Santa Ana College.
David Richmond graduated with a 2.66 GPA from SAC
in 2007, where he also made First Team All-Conference and Third
Team All-American.
He transferred to San Jose State University as a wide receiver
on a football scholarship. Although he took this semester off to
train six to seven hours a day to be ready to go to the NFL
Combine, he plans to complete his last semester and receive his
BA degree in Philosophy.
In a recent interview, Richmond looked back and forward at what
has led him to this point, and what he sees in his future:
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Q: |
How did your education at SAC affect your life, and your
opportunity to participate in the NFL Combine? |
| A: |
My experience at Santa Ana College
helped me mature, and it helped me learn how the college
system worked. Getting my AA degree also showed me that
I could succeed in college. |
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Q: |
Were there special people on campus who influenced you? |
| A: |
Rey Rebledo was a great counselor; he laid out a plan and got
me started on the right path. Then he and my football coach,
Geoff Jones, and all my other instructors really taught me what
I needed to do to succeed on the field and in the classroom. |
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Q: |
What is the most challenging part of your current life, and what
advice do you have for others who may want to play pro football? |
| A: |
You have to establish your priorities
and stay on task. You have to have balance: it’s about
education and athletics. You need both. You need to show
up in class, in the training room, and on the field.
It’s hard. It’s demanding. But it’s what you have to do
to separate yourself from the competition. |
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Q: |
If you make it into the NFL, what do you want to do when that
career is over? |
| A: |
Go directly into the Police Academy. |
David Buehler, who completed 51 units in his year at SAC with a
cum GPA of 3.21 had similar reflections:
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Q: |
How important was your experience at SAC? |
| A: |
It was a great introduction to college
life. |
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Q: |
What area of academics are you focused on at USC? |
| A: |
I’m a public policy, management and
planning major; my goal is to do real estate
development. |
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Q: |
How do you feel about the risks that accompany pursuing a
pro-football career? |
| A: |
I know that sports are just a bonus;
you can always fall back on an education. You can’t
always fall back on athletics! That’s why I will
graduate with a B.A degree in May. And we are called
‘student athletes’ because we are students first, and athletes
second. Nothing is more important than completing your
education! |
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Q: |
What advice do you have for others who may want to play pro
football? |
| A: |
Keep at it. And remember: in academics
and in athletics, there’s no substitute for hard work. |
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