Every Friday, ODUSports.com will do a Q&A with a member of the ODU Football team. Today's Q&A is with freshman defensive tackle, Bunmi Rotimi.
Q: Why did you choose Old Dominion?
A: Well, they were the school that offered me pretty much the preferred walk-on position. I had always been talking to Coach Z throughout my high school career and he and I have a pretty good relationship. So he told me that I had a chance to come here, work as a walk-on, and then I would be rewarded if the coaches liked me.
Q: You came in as a walk-on, are you still a walk-on now?
A: No, I was awarded my scholarship right before the season started.
Q: What is the team environment like?
A: Everyone is friendly. We all joke around. We all try to stay together, because we are all each other has, so we are all really good friends.
Q: What is the most popular thing to do in your free time with/without your teammates?
A: Probably play video games. Primarily NBA 2K14/15
Q: Have you decided on a major?
A: Right now my major is business marketing. I will probably choose a minor later down the road, but I am pretty sure business is what I want to go into.
Q: What would you like to do with your degree?
A: I haven’t completely decided yet, but what I have been thinking about is to try and become an advertising manager. Advertising and promotions is something that seems interesting to me.
Q: Who is your role model?
A: The people that I look up to are definitely my parents. My mom has been my motivation for everything that I do. She is pretty much who I look up to and my family is my role model.
Q: Did anyone in your family play sports?
A: No one in my family played sports. I am the first one to play a sport.
Q: Was your family supportive of you wanting to play sports or a little hesitant?
A: They were supportive, but my parents were always worried about how football is a physical sport and I could get hurt. There will always be worries, but they have been extremely supportive.
Q: What is your favorite part about playing the defensive tackle position?
A: Probably just the sort of freedom of being a defensive lineman. In high school the offensive line has so many technical things they have to be aware of but as a defensive lineman you get to tackle and bang heads. You are pretty much free to do whatever you want. The coaches will just tell you to go get the quarterback in a third-down situation and that is just like freedom to let the chains off.
Q: What is the most difficult part about playing defensive tackle?
A: For me it is definitely covering the double-teams and combination blocks. When two guys come straight at you with no intention of going after someone else that has been one of the hardest things for me to get used too as a defensive tackle.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would your dream vacation be and why?
A: Right now I would probably say Hawai’i, because I don’t travel a lot and it is somewhere I have never been, but just from what I have heard Hawai’i is definitely a place that I would like to visit.
Q: What is your favorite thing about game days?
A: On game days my favorite thing is probably the atmosphere. It is something that I have never played in before. Something that I really like is when we get to go out the tunnel because this is my first year actually playing and when you see the 20,000 fans screaming and rooting for you, and then you get to run out the tunnel it is a pretty great feeling.
Q: What three things would you take with you if you were on a deserted island?
A: I’d take a phone to see if I could call someone. Some type of radio kit if the phone doesn’t have a signal. And I would bring an antenna to help me get a signal.
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger?
A: When I was younger there were a couple things I liked a lot. I went through a few phases. I know I wanted to be the CEO or boss of a company. Just the big man who owns everything. Then once I started playing football I had the dream of going to the NFL.
Q: When did you start playing football?
A: My freshman year of high school was the first time I every played. I played offensive line my first two years, then I switched over to defensive line my junior and senior years.
Q: How different was it for you playing both offense and defense?
A: For me it was completely different. As an offensive lineman, it was my first time paying football so I wasn’t that good at it, but there were a lot of technical things that I had to think of while still learning to be aggressive and just learning the game of football. But as a defensive lineman, I just like the freedom that comes with defensive lineman. The aggressiveness to get to the quarterback and have a goal.
Q: If you could do one thing without fear of failure, what would it be and why?
A: Ride this roller coaster called ‘Kingda Ka’, because I’ve just recently started looking at it and it is like 450ft high and goes from like zero to 120mph in 10 seconds or something like that. That is what I’d like to do without fear of failure.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: Right now I’d have to say the ‘Avengers’. I liked that movie a lot and thought it was really good.
Q: What is one piece of advice that you keep with you every time you step onto the field?
A: One thing that I remember every time I step onto the field is to remember why I do what I do. Just remember the reason why I do it, which is to pretty much help my family and that I have to remember to just enjoy it while it lasts, because it does not last forever.
Q: If you could have a super-power what would you choose and why?
A: Telekinesis. Because there are a lot of things you can do with telekinesis. Like you can make yourself fly. You can bend light waves and make yourself invisible. You can read minds and move objects.
Q: If someone wrote a book about your life, what would they title it?
A: ‘BOOM’. Just because my name is Bunmi and it would sum up a lot of things that have happened to me.