I sat down recently to talk with the leading receiver of the Flyers' football team, Nick Ruhe. At 5-9, Ruhe doesn't seem like the stereotypical football player, but his words and posture spoke for themselves. A humble, everyday guy, Ruhe discussed with me his passion for the game of football, his secret wish of being a Buckeye and his thoughts about the basketball team.

Flyer News: You played basketball and baseball in high school, as well as football. Why did you end up picking football?

Nick Ruhe: That was the one I excelled the most in. I had a chance to possibly play baseball at some other smaller schools. Basketball was never really an option. I don't think I had the height to do that. Baseball was always a passion of mine, but football was just the intensity and the camaraderie of your fellow teammates. It meant more to me than other sports did.

FN: Besides winning a game, what's the most rewarding thing about playing football?

NR: I would honestly say that it doesn't even involve the game beyond even completing two a days and looking back at the past season. Not necessarily our record of wins and losses, that's always a big priority of course to every player. You know, you want to win. But just completing two a days and all the hard work you put together and your friends, it's just a big accomplishment I think.

FN: You're having a pretty good season so far, averaging 17.3 yards per reception, what's going on there?

NR: I'm trying too hard. (Laughs) I think it's mostly the plays that are presented to me. I'm not really a possession receiver. It's more, 'we gotta throw the ball downfield.' We're more of a running offense more often than not. We run the ball, then we set up and my play might be catching off of a play action that we didn't end up running. It seems like most of the offense is geared towards that.

FN: You know, Ted Ginn's still got you by about a yard more per catch.

NR. (Laughs) I'll have to catch him.

FN: Not comparing you to him or anything.

NR: I'll have to have a good weekend, maybe I can pass him.

FN: Well tell me who's better, you or fellow receiver Carlton McFadden?

NR: Oh I would say we're really similar. You can't say one of us is better than the other. He's bigger and stronger than I am, and speed wise we're the same.

FN: If you had the chance to play for a top 25 team, who would you play for?

NR: Ohio State, hands down. (Laughs) I've been a die hard Ohio State fan ever since I was a little kid. Growing up that way, everyone in my family all went to Ohio State and they wanted to play football, but they were never quite good enough to do that. I would have gone there if I would not have played football here.

FN: Do you have any football superstitions?

NR: Nothing other than, I don't know, looking the same way. You got your wristbands a certain way every game. I wanna make sure I match the color of the tape and my wristbands to the uniform. I want to make sure everything looks good and appropriate. I gotta make sure I look good to play good. I'm not like the guys who don't wash certain stuff, I think that's disgusting.

FN: On the field, what is your biggest weakness?

NR: I would say my size. I feel like the majority of the time I'm probably one of the smaller kids. I'm only 5'9'', 175 pounds. I try to use that to my advantage. I feel like I'm quicker and faster than everyone else.

FN: What's your biggest weakness off the field?

NR: I hear this overused a lot, but I'd say procrastination. I put off stuff all the time. I put it right to the end'study the night before a test. For some reason in my head I feel like I do better on a test when I study the night before, which I know is probably not the case.

FN: Would you think that you're jealous with the popularity of the basketball team?

NR: Yea, it's hard because a lot of people don't even know we have a football team here. We're definitely not quite as well known as the basketball team. I still feel like people talk to us and feel almost more down to earth with them. They treat us more like people, as opposed to people putting basketball players on a pedestal. Sometimes I am a bit jealous, but at the same time I would never give up what I have with football.

FN: Considering you redshirted a couple years ago, will we be seeing you play next year?

NR: Yes, I've decided to. I talked to my dad about it. Money is kind of an issue, coming back for that fifth year, but we've decided it'll give me a chance to get my minor in marketing. It worked out both ways, I'll be able to play football and be able to get that minor without too much of a headache of packing in eighteen hours of credit every semester.