Third-year Rayce Thompson is a part of Carnegie Mellon’s winning football team. He is just a regular student like any of us, but with one significant difference. In addition to a Carnegie Mellon workload, he takes on daily football practice from 4:50 p.m. to 7 p.m. as well as lifting every morning at 9:30 a.m. With games happening every Saturday during the season, this means that Thompson’s only day off is on Mondays, but of course he still has class. This makes for a busy schedule, but Thompson wouldn’t change it.
Thompson takes the field along with his fellow Tartans. Courtesy of Rayce Thompson.
Thompson has been playing football since he was in the 6th grade. He was drawn to it because it’s the “ultimate team sport.” In other sports, one player can take it all on himself and win the game, but in football it really is about working as a team. “You need 11 guys on each side of the ball operating at full capacity,” Thompson said, “trusting each other and if one guy messes up people get hurt. You are literally putting your well being on the line and trusting it to the brothers beside you. And when it comes together it’s beautiful.”
The coaching staff is a significant part of Carnegie Mellon Football’s success so far this season. As Thompson put it: “We have a truly spectacular coaching staff. Coach Larson, our head coach, he’s a football genius.” Thompson went on to explain that during the first week of the season Coach Larson was calling timeouts to try to prolong the game so he could run the offense. “And then we have our coordinators, Coach Helms and Coach Gibb, both of them are football geniuses,” Thompson explained. “My assistant coach, Coach Bernie Colbert, is one of the best men I’ve ever known.” Thompson went on to say how Coach Colbert works for Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) and will come and coach practices after work and then record the film for them at practice, which they’ll get around midnight, and then gets up at six a.m. again for work. “He knows football and he’s a great man,” Thompson said.
Sometimes it can be a struggle to balance a full time student workload with games and practices that take up so much time. But as Thompson puts it, “You get the hang of it. We have a great support network. That’s something Coach Larson emphasizes significantly. If you’re struggling academically, reach out, get help. That’s the great thing about institutions like Carnegie Mellon which support us.”
After graduating from Carnegie Mellon with a degree in Ethics, History and Public Policy, Thompson plans to go to law school and then serve in the army as a JAG (Judge Advocate General). After serving in the army, he wants to return to his home state of Texas and get involved in politics.
Thompson at practice. Courtesy of Rayce Thompson.
Needless to say, Thompson is just one of the hardworking football players on the team. It’s important that the student body shows up to support them in all the hours of work that they put in every single week. “Come to games. We put on a show every week,” Thompson concluded.” The next home game is against Waynesberg on Oct. 5.