Sept. 21, 2002

By Alison Hischak
Athletic Communications Graduate Intern

The art, chemical engineering, business and international affairs departments at Lafayette College all have at least one thing in common - football.

Each of these majors has at least one football player enrolled in its program. While student-athletes choose a wide variety of majors, it is why four Leopard seniors chose theirs that makes for an interesting story.

Senior placekicker Martin Brecht spends time in the print studio and is enjoying his first painting class and split end Vince Boyer followed the family footsteps to chemical engineering. Fullback Darrell Daman has aspirations of being a CEO of a corporation, while linebacker Paul Kingston dreams of traveling to far-off countries.

Brecht admits being an art major is not a conventional choice for an average student, let alone an athlete, but the creative juices flow too freely to not act on them.

"I've always had a very creative side, but in high school it wasn't the cool thing to be into art," Brecht said. "Then I came to Lafayette and it is such a well-rounded school. I started taking art classes and realized it was something I really wanted to do."

Whether it's studying art history or making it himself, Brecht enjoys all aspects of his major.

"I really love all art and I'm always thinking of new images," Brecht said. "I have that visual sense that I'm always trying to stimulate with new and interesting ways to look at the world."

While Brecht expresses his views of the world through his art, Kingston got the opportunity to actually hear different views on world issues.

A dual major in international affairs and government and law, Kingston has an interest in world affairs. Two summers ago, he worked with Lafayette professor Dr. John Kincade on the 2001 Fulbright Summer Institute when 18 educators from foreign countries visited the College for a six-week stay.

While representatives from countries such as China and Armenia were here learning about the U.S. constitution, they offered Kingston a valuable experience.

"They introduced me to different aspects of their culture," Kingston said. "At the same time, I was able to share ours with them."

A business and economics major, Daman has aspirations of running a corporation one day, but said all of his job experience involves manual labor.

"My only experience working is in the steel mill," Daman said. "I come from Pittsburgh, so that's natural. Working around a 2800-degree furnace was really hard work. When I came here freshman year, I was around 240 pounds, and then after the summer working at the steel company, I came back and I was about 220."

Daman's interest in business started when he was in high school and admits that it comes down to one simple thing.

"Money," Daman said. "I like to deal with money and I'm interested in investing. I had already invested when I was in high school, so it was just natural for me to get into the business program here."

Enrolling in the engineering program was just as natural for Boyer, as it runs in his family. A chemical engineering major, two of Boyer's siblings went to school at M.I.T. and another brother went to Widener, with all three now working as engineers.

"I figured I should stay in line," Boyer said. "Math and science were always my best subjects in high school so I figured it's a good combination to go into engineering with."

The program at Lafayette was the main attraction for Boyer to enroll at the College.

"This is one of the better engineering programs around," he said. "Football was just an added bonus no matter where I was going. I came here on my visit, just liked everything about it, including the coaching staff."

Boyer has spent the last three summers working with his sister at a biotech engineering company in Boston.

"She's head of research and development at her company, so I pretty much worked under her the whole time doing lab work," Boyer said. "After graduation, I'm going to look for other options. If there is something better, fine I'll take it, but if not, the employer pretty much already offered me a job. So if I want it, it's there for me."

Head coach Frank Tavani said he has seen players with a variety of majors during his tenure at Lafayette and stresses that academics comes first.

"Our number one responsibility here at Lafayette is that these kids graduate. That's first and foremost," Tavani said. "You want them to have a great experience playing football, but as I've told many of them, the employers aren't looking down the resume wanting to know how many tackles or catches or touchdowns they made."

Although their majors pull them in different directions and require different time commitments, these four seniors all bond over their football experience. Similar to their programs of study, each of these Leopards has their own football story to tell.

For Brecht, a high school soccer player recruited by his uncle to kick for the high school football team, it's been an inconsistent career that has drawn him much criticism through the years.

"I wouldn't say I've had the greatest career," Brecht said. "One thing about kicking is that you're only as good as you're next kick, so there is no point being cocky about one kick and there is also no point on dwelling on them. I'm just really looking forward to the next week or the next game when I get the chance to play football."

Brecht's career has been highlighted by the season-opener against Monmouth when he nailed the game-winning field goal - twice after the team was called for a penalty on the first kick - to give the Leopards a come-from-behind 30-29 victory.

"It was tremendous to see him kick the winning field goal against Monmouth," Tavani said. "Marty's had an up and down three years, but I think staying here this summer and bonding with the team, preparing himself mentally and physically put him in a situation where now he knows everybody depends on him and he is a big part of our scoring offense."

Kingston's role with the team comes as part of the Leopards' special teams, and he also provides strong competition on scout team defense during practice.

"Special teams is the opportunity I've been given and I need to do my best there," Kingston said. "You hope that you're the one that makes the big play and helps your team because there is definitely a lot of momentum from special teams."

"Paul has given tremendous contributions to the team in his attitude and work ethic," Tavani said. He's just one of these kids that never complains and keeps on working and he's a big part of that senior group which is leading our team."

Boyer and Daman have had parallel football careers in that they have both been injury plagued. Daman missed nearly all of his junior season with a concussion, while Boyer missed several games with a leg injury. Now both players are healthy and in the rotation at their respective positions. Daman rotates fullback duties with Brendon Green, while Boyer is the fourth option in the team's receiving corps.

After numerous injuries in his career, Daman is just happy to be healthy and contributing to his team any way he can.

"After I suffered the concussion, it went from trying to start to just trying to come back and play football again," Daman said. "I've been playing for 14 years, so I don't know what I'm going to do when next August comes around and there won't be football."

Tavani praised Daman and said his dedication to the game is obvious.

"He's one of those tough, blue-collar kids from Western Pennsylvania," Tavani said. "When given the opportunity, he's been able to make some big plays for us."

Tavani shared similar thoughts about Boyer and his stint as a Leopard.

"He has had a tough career but this year he's been able to hang in there and get through most of preseason camp basically unscathed from injury," Tavani said. "He will probably see some limited time, but continues to hang in there and work extremely hard."

Although Daman and Boyer are both looking for playing time, they both say their main concern is the senior class finishing with some success.

"I think we've shown that we can win games, whereas last year we had trouble closing games out in the fourth quarter," Boyer said. "It just proves how good the leadership is on this team. I think we just might surprise some teams this year."