Athlete to Watch: Bryan Ochoa
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November 9, 2011
Kenzie Hill, staff writer
His name is Brian Ochoa. He wakes up and eats, lifts, eats, eats, goes to lunch, eats, lifts, eats, goes to football, and then eats again. Needless to say, senior Brian Ochoa is made of steel; but aside from his super-human power – enough to tear a phone book in half – he is also an outstanding football player.
Ochoa isn’t out to prove anything to anyone; he’s just a classic guy who is good at what he does–football. Like any other athlete, Ochoa loves to win and show the world what he’s made of, but he’s not in it for glory; Ochoa is perfectly satisfied as long as he knows he played his best.
Many of Ochoa’s teammates have been playing football since they were scrawny kids in little league. But Ochoa was a late bloomer, and didn’t begin his football career until he was a freshman in high school. It took several years of learning what it took to play football before Ochoa could really reach the top of his game.
“Freshman and sophomore year I didn’t really care about it, but when I got older I knew exactly why we play. Playing is about building relationships,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa has football in his blood, but he admits that he needs to work harder and actually learn plays. He would like to improve his speed and agility to make himself even more of a threat to the defense on the opposing team.
Football holds an important role in Ochoa’s life. “It keeps me out of trouble,” he said. Not only does football keep him out of trouble, but he has learned some valuable lessons over the years about teamwork and determination.
“It taught me to be there for your team and never give up,” he said.
Ochoa’s finesse on the field has helped improve his team’s skills in practice as well.
“I’m playing against guys who aren’t nearly as good as him, so playing with guys who are that good make you better in a game time situation,” senior and team captain Michael Brunk said.
Brunk also hands it to Ochoa that he is not only an exceptional athlete and strong football player, but he plays smart.
“The defensive team doesn’t see Ochoa and he’s running full speed and he just kills the guys on the other team,” Brunk said.
Ochoa believes it’s wiser to take things one step at a time instead of setting huge goals that can be overwhelming–even for him. Currently he has his eyes on making it to the play-offs.
After graduating, he aspires to receive a football scholarship to a division one or two school to continue playing the sport he loves. He’s genuinely going to miss all the close friends he’s made over the years. In fact, Ochoa’s favorite thing about football is his relationship with his teammates.
Ochoa’s actions speak much louder than his words. He doesn’t have to tell anyone that he is a killer football player because they can just tell by watching him. He has amazing skills, and is extremely large–245 pounds in all–but it’s his hard work and inspiring dedication that add so much to the team.
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