Outside the Lines: Meet freshman A.J. Westendorp

Sports Editor Andrew Stover took a few minutes to talk to redshirt freshman quarterback A.J. Westendorp.

Andrew Stover: If you weren’t playing college football right now, what would you be doing and where would you be?
A.J. Westendorp: I’d probably be at some other college just going to school and trying to find something to do with my life, because football is a pretty big part of it right now.

AS: If there is an after-football, what do you want that to be? What are you majoring in and what do you plan on doing?
AW: I’m majoring in biomedical sciences and I know I want to be somewhere in the health field, not exactly sure where. International health, possibly. There’s a lot of different branches of that.

AS: If I’m not mistaken, you were a 4.0 student in high school?
AW: Maybe true.

AS: How are the grades coming in college and how is the adjustment?
AW: It’s been good. I think Holland Christian was a great high school and prepared me really well. Playing high school every season really helped me be ready for the time management that’s necessary here. It’s been fun, I like the little bit looser schedule in college and being able to be a little late for class sometimes (laughs).

AS: How do you fit those classes into your schedule?
AW: Well, everything’s got to be scheduled before 1:00 p.m., so you’re kind of limited with the classes you can choose. You’re pretty regimented playing football and that’s one of the sacrifices you have to make, but it’s worth it being on this team.

AS: So right now, you’re riding the pine a bit. How is the gameday atmosphere? This isn’t high school anymore …
AW: It’s wild. My first game I traveled to was Michigan State and it was just electric there. Obviously, it was a really hyped game and really exciting, but just being on the sideline, it was like, ‘Wow.’ I’m going from playing in front of 5,000 people on a good day to just seeing 75,000 people there watching the game. It was incredible. Electric is the best way I can describe it.

AS: Going to Holland Christian, how does it compare to a rowdy drunken student section you have (here)?
AW: I don’t know. I never got the chance to sit on the sideline and really observe the crowd that much, even when I’m here. I’m pretty focused on writing all the plays down, which is all we’re supposed to do. It definitely provides a lot of energy for the guys on the field, and for the guys off the field too. Things definitely die down a little after halftime (laughs). I think wherever you go, the student section really decides the atmosphere.

AS: Best part, worst part … your experiences at CMU?
AW: Best part would be just the change of atmosphere from Holland Christian to here. Worst part … that’s a tough one, because there’s not too much that’s bad about life.

AS: Teachers?
AW: Teachers are good. The worst day was when I woke up for non-travel, it starts at 6 a.m. I woke up and it was 6:50 a.m. That moment was probably the worst moment thus far being here.

AS: And what were the consequences for that if you can elaborate?
AW: I had to do, like, 50 get-ups, which is like holding a 45-pound plate. You couldn’t use your arms, and you got to get up, put it over your head, and then sit back down with it. It’s not fun. Then I had to do, like, 5-by-20 squats, 5-by-20 bench, 5-by-20 shrugs, really rapid fire.

AS: Using my judgement, you’ve never been late again?
AW: Uh, no. Not yet. So I’m going to ride that wave.