ODUSports.com takes a closer look this week at ODU punter, Satchel Ziffer.
Q: Why did you choose Old Dominion?
A: I had a few colleges looking at me when I was in JUCO, but I came to ODU because I really liked Coach Zyskowski and the whole school in general.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hampton Roads?
A: I personally like Ghent a lot. It is a pretty cool place. The beach in the summer is obviously a plus, also.
Q: What is your major?
A: My major is communications.
Q: When did you start playing football?
A: I started playing football my senior year of high school.
Q: What got you into football?
A: I played soccer all the way up until my junior year of high school but decided to play football my senior year because all my friends were playing, and they needed a kicker.
Q: What other sports did you play growing up?
A: I played soccer, lacrosse and basketball.
Q: Who is your role model?
A: My role model is Mahatma Gandhi.
Q: Favorite food?
A: My favorite food is a Reuben from Carnegie Deli in New York.
Q: Favorite music artist?
A: My favorite music artist is Cher.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: I would have to say The Big Lebowski.
Q: What’s on your iPod?
A: I have Spotify, so I just listen to a bunch of random things.
Q: Favorite NFL team?
A: My favorite NFL team is the Oakland Raiders.
Q: Favorite athlete?
A: My favorite athlete is Tim Tebow.
Q: One place you want to travel to?
A: New Zealand would be cool. It is just beautiful there, and it has great weather.
Q: Hidden talents?
A: I can actually cook pretty well.
Q: Pregame rituals?
A: I just like to go out on the field, stretch on my own and calm myself down.
Q: Favorite actor/actress?
A: My favorite actor is Samuel L. Jackson.
Q: What is something people don’t know about you?
A: I have a dog named Duncan.
Q: Favorite part of gameday?
A: My favorite part of gameday is running through the tunnel before the game.
Q: You took a very circuitous route to Old Dominion. How did that happen?
A: Out of high school I got recruited by Coastal Carolina. I went there but it wasn’t the right situation for me. I went home and tried to decide what to do next, and I realized I still wanted to play college football at some level. One of my coaches told me about JUCO out in California, so I looked it up and ended up going to City College of San Francisco. Then accreditation issues happened, so I had to transfer to make sure I got my AA degree. So I went down to Pasadena, and then ODU found me. They offered me a chance, and that’s all I wanted.
Q: Tell me about growing up in Lancaster, Pa.?
A: Everyone thinks of Lancaster, and they automatically just think of the Amish people there. Lancaster is actually a pretty big city; it’s the fourth largest in Pennsylvania. I lived right downtown my whole life because my mom owns a glass store. I grew up to be very independent because I would just kind of do my own thing around the city. I loved it there.
Q: What do you want to do when you graduate?
A: I would like to go into sports marketing. Right now, I am trying to look at different MBA programs and get ready to take the GMAT.
Q: Before this year, you had never punted before in a game. Talk about what it’s like to be the full-time punter this year?
A: It is interesting because it’s a whole new thing for me. Our punter in high school ended up going to Virginia Tech, and the punter from my junior college went to USC, so I was always the backup. This past summer I went to Florida to get some training for a month or so. I think it paid off because they are happy with my hang time.