Q and A With Bryce Buchanan and Jared Daiber

By Aaron Thompson
Sports Information Student Assistant
Washington University in St. Louis

Growing up in Colorado Springs, Colo., I’m sure outdoor recreation has been a big part of your life. Was it a tough decision to come to Washington University as opposed to staying close to home in Colorado?

Bryce Buchanan: It was a tough choice for me to come to Washington University. I debated for a long time between here and CU Boulder, and actually initially accepted admission to both schools to buy myself some more time to decide. Ultimately, Washington Univesity offered me the opportunity to play football for four more years, something I wouldn’t have been able to do at Boulder. That ended up being the deciding factor for me. I still go home every time I get an opportunity though.

As a senior, you’ve become an integral part of the Bears’ defense this year. Can you talk about your experience as a linebacker and how you’ve improved since coming to Washington University.

BB: The biggest difference between high school and college football for me has been the speed of the game. At the college level, everyone is faster and stronger, and that can take a couple seasons to get used to. So I would say up until last season I was still adjusting to the speed, but have since become comfortable enough to where I can step on the field with confidence and know that I have the ability to make plays.

You set some school records at the quarterback position in high school. How has the knowledge of playing quarterback helped you on the other side of the ball?

BB: As a quarterback, you have to know what every guy on your team is doing every play, as well as be able to read what the defense is doing. So in playing quarterback through high school I feel like I gained a much broader understanding of the game as a whole. It’s easier for me to make sense out of what the opposing offense may be trying to do in a certain situation. I feel like this helps me to react faster.

As a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, how has the close relationship you have with many of your brothers enhanced your football experience?

BB: Playing football and joining a fraternity have been the two best parts of my college experience. In Phi Delta in particular, I have a good mix of friends who play football, people who understand the sacrifices that you have to make as a student-athlete at a top caliber university like Washington U., as well as friends who don’t play a sport and help bring me back to reality at the end of the day.

You’re majoring in engineering, has it been difficult to balance your workload and athletics?

BB: At times it becomes difficult, especially when exams come and the workload gets significantly increased. But for the most part I think it actually helps my schoolwork that I play football. It keeps me busy and focused. I find outside of season that I waste a lot more time and become less efficient.

You wrote that you wanted to head your own engineering firm when you first came to school. Are your aspirations the same or have they since changed? What are your plans after graduating in May?

BB: It would be nice one day to be able to head my own firm, but that’s probably a long ways down the road. I plan on pursuing a Master’s degree in engineering after graduation, possibly at Washington University or maybe at CU Boulder.

How was it growing up with your dad as a football coach? Do you feel like it had an impact on your football career?

BB: It definitely had an effect on my football career. My dad used to throw the ball with me starting at a really young age, as well as coach me on quarterback mechanics and even teaching me his offense when I was still in middle school. It was really fun growing up around the game as much as I did.

Growing up so close to Washington University and going to Ladue High School, was it difficult for you to decide to go to college so close to home?

Jared Daiber: While I was making my college decision, I was actually pretty sure that I wanted to avoid going to school so close to home. However, as I got more information about Washington University, and started talking to the coaches here, it became pretty clear that this was definitely the best fit for me. I’d say that I definitely made the right decision, because I’ve loved my time here.

How have you learned to balance your mechanical engineering workload with football and other extracurricular activities?

JD: It was definitely a bit of a stretch at first getting used to Washington University’s workload, and I felt a bit overwhelmed at first. After getting used to planning my schedule a bit more carefully, I feel that I’ve been able to excel as both a student and an athlete, especially since the coaches take academics so seriously here. They make sure that we get the help we need by putting players in touch with the right people.

Like Bryce, you are also a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Since the fraternity is comprised of quite a few football players, do you ever get sick of seeing the same guys all day long?

JD: Definitely not, in fact I believe it makes us closer. Whenever we see each other for football, it’s usually all business. Between the meetings and practice, we never really get to hang out like we do during fraternity events. But when we do get a chance to go out on the field, we’ve got a bond that goes a bit deeper than just being on the same team, and it helps us work together that much better.

As a member of the offensive line for four years, how has your role progressed in your time here?

JD: It’s definitely been an interesting experience being the only offensive lineman in my class. Starting with freshman year, not having anyone in my class from my position group to hang out with, I became a lot closer with the older offensive linemen. However, it also forced me to hang out with guys from other positions on the team, so it helped me branch out a bit more. Being injured almost all of sophomore year, and most of my junior year definitely kept me from contributing as much as I would have liked. However this year, I’ve enjoyed stepping into more of a leadership position, especially with the offensive line. I know the guys look up to me, and I hope that I can come across as somebody that they can approach for help with school or with football.

Upon graduating in May, what are your plans going forward?

JD: I’ve been accepted into the BS/MS program here at Washington University, so I plan on sticking around for a fifth year and getting my Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

How do you feel that playing football has prepared you for life after college?

JD: Playing any team sport teaches you valuable lessons that you can use for the rest of your life. Beyond the obvious lessons like teamwork and time management, there are values like being able to accept defeat, and then bouncing back. Some people never really have to deal with failure until they get into the real world, but playing a sport teaches you to gather what you can from a loss, move on, and keep plugging away.

What was the main difference between high school football and college football that you’ve noticed?

JD: There are a couple things that have really struck me about the change. The first is the speed of the game. It’s difficult to explain, but everything moves faster than it did in high school. You have a lot less time to think, so everything has to be a reaction. The other big difference is that now we only have to play one way. In high school most people had to play both offense and defense, mostly due to a lack of people. There just weren’t enough players to have specialized squads for offense and defense, but now we get to focus on one side of the ball, making the game much more interesting.