Under the Helmet with Will James
Get to Know Will James
School: Texas A&M University
Position: Attack
High School: Bellaire High School (TX)
Year: Senior
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Awards: 2006 and 2007 1st Team All-LSA Attack, 2007 Academic All American
CollegeLAX: When/where did you first start playing lacrosse?
Will James (WJ): Sophomore year at Bellaire. My best friend Varun Ambrose got me into it. I wanted to play in middle school when I lived in Utah, but my parents didn’t think I would stick with it and they didn’t buy me the equipment.
CollegeLAX: Who is/was your biggest lacrosse influence and why?
WJ: My high school coach Greg Pryor. I pretty much followed in his footsteps. He played at Bellaire back when they used to win state championships, then he came to A&M and played attack with #47 under coach Scazzero.
CollegeLAX: What is your current stick of choice?
WJ: Brine Cyber with a Gait DB803 handle. Really light and really cheap is the way I go.
CollegeLAX: What is favorite pre-game ritual?
WJ: I’ve had a number but my favorite is getting to the field ridiculously early and slowly putting my equipment on in between throwing sessions with a team mate. My freshman year I went out to our home field at 9am before a 1pm game time start against Texas.
CollegeLAX: What is your fondest lacrosse memory on the field?
WJ: It would have to be beating Texas in overtime my sophomore year in Austin. Former teammate Scottie Knepper (now at UF) scored the game winner in OT to win 12-11. Before the game I had been looking at scores from around the league and maybe 4 of the 10 upsets listed on Laxpower were won by a score of 12-11. Texas was heavily favored going into the game, and when the game was tied up 11-11, I knew we were going to win.
CollegeLAX: Describe the intensity of the A&M/Texas rivalry both in general sports
terms and then as it relates specifically to the lacrosse rivalry in the LSA.
WJ: The A&M UT rivalry is pretty intense. Here at A&M our school song includes a reference to UT’s school song:
“The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You”
That is the song they sing so well
SOUNDS LIKE HELL
People here at A&M call fans of Texas T-Sips, and refer to UT as TU. Aggies believe that since A&M was founded first (1871 as opposed to 1883) that we are the true University of Texas, and that Texas should be called Texas University instead. In general though I would say that the UT rivalry is one of respect, especially when compared with the A&M/Texas Tech rivalry. As far as the lacrosse rivalry goes, the Texas A&M/Texas game is always close regardless of the level of play of each of the teams all year. I think both teams consider the A&M/UT game the most important regular season game of the year as far as pride goes.
CollegeLAX: Favorite part about playing MCLA lacrosse at your school?
WJ: The tradition we have. This team has been around since the 1970s. In fact, I believe that next year Coach Scazzero will be coaching an alumni’s son for the first time.
CollegeLAX: Tell us something about Coach Scazzero that people might not realize.
WJ: There are a million things I could say about T-Scaz that people don’t realize, but most of them are well kept secrets. I love all his quirks, like showing up before the Minnesota game this year with a Long John Silvers cardboard pirate hat on. He kept it on all the way through pre-game, but I don’t think he wore it out on to the field.
CollegeLAX: Do you have a lacrosse nickname? Explain.
WJ: Pip. It started in high school. Being British by nationality, and having an accent, my teammates drew from a combination of Great Expectations and Southpark. Somehow it stuck around all the way into college.
CollegeLAX: Given your British background, do you ever want tryout for Team
England? World Games return to Manchester in 2010 should be fantastic.
WJ: I have thought about trying out for Team England. I was told two years ago I wouldn’t be good enough, but that’s not really what’s stopping me. Right now it would be how difficult it is for me to travel over there. It would be a really great experience to play for that team though.
CollegeLAX: Aside from your own home field, what is your favorite MCLA school to play at or against?
WJ: Really enjoyed playing at BYU my freshman year. After the game we went to a local pizza place and watched ourselves play on BYUTV.
CollegeLAX: Aside from your own team’s unis, what is your favorite MCLA uniform and why?
WJ: Seriously wanted to steal a pair of Oregon shorts last year at nationals. Colors and solid design.
CollegeLAX: What is on your Ipod these days?
WJ: No Ipod here, bu recent favourites include: the Streets, Acarine, Digitalism, Hot Chip, RJD2 to name a few…
CollegeLAX: What is favorite “guilty pleasure”?
WJ: Sbisa dining hall here at A&M on campus. All you can eat goodness at an exorbitant price both fiscally and physically.
CollegeLAX: If you could have one superhero power, what would it be and why?
WJ: Teleportation. So you can get anywhere you want any time you want. Makes travel a non-issue in terms of cost or anything else.
CollegeLAX: What is your favorite Pro Sports Team or Pro Sports Player (non-lacrosse)?
WJ: Probably Wayne Rooney of Manchester United.
CollegeLAX: What do you do for fun in your spare time?
WJ: In my spare time, I play the piano/compose music, watch movies, sleep, hit the wall, or chill with friends.
CollegeLAX: What Hollywood Star would play you in a movie about your life?
WJ: My brother says Ashton Kutcher looks like me, so maybe him.
CollegeLAX: What is your favorite (can’t miss) TV show at the moment?
WJ: Actually none. I used to watch Lost but then I began to grow suspicious they were just toying with me. My roommate has a million episodes of the Simpsons that we watch all the time.
CollegeLAX: What are your top three movies of all time?
WJ: Lock Stock and Two Smokin’ Barrels, Gladiator, Primer
CollegeLAX: If you could only invite three people to your “Final Supper” – who would make the final table and why?
WJ: Toughest question on here. Probably my three brothers Richard, Eric and Eddie. If I could invite famous people I’d invite George Bush, John McConnell, and Robert Gates and get some answers.
CollegeLAX: If you could only take three items with you to that deserted island for the rest of your life, what items would they be?
WJ: The Bible, Flint and Steel (to light fires), and a knife.
CollegeLAX: What food could they NOT pay you enough to eat?
WJ: If I was paid enough I would eat any edible food. But I’d have to be paid a seriously large amount to eat black pudding or chicken feet soup.
CollegeLAX: What is your dream job?
WJ: World famous inventor.
CollegeLAX: Rank the three Jessica’s (Alba, Simpson, Biel) in preferred order.
WJ: Alba, Biel, Simpson
CollegeLAX: Other then CollegeLAX, what are some of your must visit daily Favorite web sites?
WJ: laxpower, insidelacrosse, news.bbc.co.uk, gmail, facebook.
Warrior Lacrosse is a proud presenting sponsor of the Under the Helmet Feature each week on CollegeLAX. For being our guest, Will wins a prize pack from Warrior Lacrosse. Be sure to check CollegeLAX each Tuesday and Thursday for more MCLA Player Profiles from around the country… Warrior Lacrosse. The Means To Dominate!
