Fresh out of Cleveland, student athlete Marcus Thomas came to Wittenberg with only one thing in mind: get a degree and get out. After running into a couple of rugby players at the Involvement Fair his freshman year, Thomas got intrigued and indulged in the sport for his first time.
Starting off as a wing, Thomas quickly found his niche and a newfound love for the sport.
“Wing was my favorite position; a little move here or a truck stick and then you’re off to the promise land,” Thomas said.
Now as a junior, Thomas worked his way to team captain and now plays fly-half.
Playing only a total of three games this season, the team unfortunately had to forfeit its deciding game to get into the playoffs against Denison this past Saturday. After beating them in the regular season already this year, the Mud Pigs were unable to recruit enough people to be able to play. Many people were injured and players they recruited from Clark State were unable to play because the two schools were unable to reach an agreement.
Although this season ended in despair, the rugby team will take this time to get healthy and find some more players for the spring season. The team chemistry is clear on and off the field; rest assured the Mud Pigs will utilize this off season to their advantage.
“Even though were undersized against some teams, we’ve got heart and that’s what guides us to our victories,” Thomas said.
Thomas works at Waffle House on top of all his school work and extra-curricular activities.
“It gets tough balancing school, work and athletics because you don’t have the chill time that you want, but it’s a reality check. You may want to be a coach potato but that diploma is calling your name,” Thomas said.
Keeping his priorities focused, he recognizes school as the main focus for attending Wittenberg.
“Ultimately I’m here for academics, rugby is just the icing on the cake,” Thomas said.
On the academic side of the spectrum, Thomas is a political science and psychology double major. After college, he expressed interest in going to graduate school and pursuing child development or racial studies. However, no matter what he decides, he knows that he wants to stay connected with rugby as either a coach or a player.
Because of this man’s strenuous lifestyle, you probably won’t see him out much on weekends. Although even if you saw him on campus during the day he is most likely working out, watching rugby videos on Youtube or jamming out to Juicy J’s new mixtape, “#MustBeNice.” He won’t deny that he’s an introvert but don’t judge a book by his cover; Thomas is more interesting than what meets the eye.
