College football season is about to kick off, and there's no doubt that Ross Conner is plenty excited about the fall. The New Mexico State University linebacker will enter his final year, and both he and his father, Tom, have high hopes for a successful campaign.
As a football coach at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, N.M., Tom has been around the game for years and had the pleasure of coaching and preparing his son to play at the next level.
In 2008, Ross earned his first career start as an Aggie. Along with 18 tackles on the field, he also performed off the field in the classroom. He graduated on May 9 with a B.A. in Business Management and earned the 2009 Senior Scholar Athlete Award and was named an Academic All-AC selection for the third straight year.
Living only 10 miles from New Mexico State's campus, Tom and the rest of the Conner family enjoy being able to support Ross as he grows as a football player - and as a person. USA Football Magazine spoke with Tom Conner to learn more about what football has taught his son.
When did Ross start playing football?
He started playing in fifth grade, and what kept him interested is he's got the mentality of a football player. I've been coaching football my whole life, but he took it and ran with it and he just kept excelling at it.
What has America's favorite sport taught your son?
It taught him courage, loyalty, teamwork, attitude and discipline. That's what football is all about. Competition is also big, and people handle competition totally different. Ross handles it with excitement. It's a challenge, and you have this challenge for four quarters and the end result tells you who has won.
What makes Ross a good linebacker?
Leadership, leadership, leadership. It's so big to be a Mike, because you're taking care of 10 other players. You're calling the plays and you're making sure everybody does their assignments correctly. When you make great plays, great things happen. You try to minimize bad plays and go back to the huddle and not let it get to your head.
What was positive about being redshirted his freshman year?
It was great actually because he got acclimated to school - it's a big shock when you go to college. Very few players go into a Division I college and become a starter their first year, so it's a great thing to be redshirted. The extra year allows the player to get bigger, stronger, acclimate to school and understand the Aggie system better.
How has football helped Ross off the field?
You have to manage your time in sports as well as your academics and you learn these skills through football. Everything is under a structured time - you get a certain amount of time between plays, to make the call, to execute it - and this rolls over to his academics as well.
What is your fondest memory of your son's football career?
It was last year, and it was in the Boise State game. Ross was on punt team, and when they punted the ball, it went to the opposite side of the field. He goes down and the guy takes off on the backside, so Ross keeps his lane and this guy comes down and cuts across the field. He's getting ready to score a TD, and here comes Ross Conner and he tackles him on the 5-yard line. He basically ran between 120-150 yards to make the play. That's what he's all about. He doesn't give up in football or with school. He sets very high expectations for himself and never compromises.
