FINDING BALANCE
Game time vs. screen time Day to day, Seun Omonije ’18 manages to balance two rigorous lifestyles at Yale University: life as a computer science major and life as football player.
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he 6 a.m. alarm goes off for the fifth consecutive day. Legs aching with pain after yesterday’s practice in the freezing Connecticut weather, he manages to find enough strength to roll out of bed and drag himself to the showers down the hall. Just 30 minutes later, he throws on his beanie and walks over to the workout facility just a couple minutes from his apartment. Here, he is met by nearly 100 teammates ready for another day as a Yale football player. After grinding out several sets of squats, bench press, weighted pull-ups and various other intense workouts, the easiest part of his day is finally over. Now back on campus, he prepares for a routine day as a computer science major. For nearly four hours, he devotes himself to courses like intro to quantum computing, data structure and algorithms, software engineering and others. He looks at his clock; somehow the day is only halfway over. After classes, he heads back to the facility once again to watch film, practice and eat dinner with the team. At 9 p.m., finally, he watches his favorite Netflix show to put himself to sleep. This is the life of Seun Omonije ’18.
February 5, 2021
Sports
The ReMarker
28
Omonije went on to play football as a wide receiver for the Yale University Bulldogs after graduating from the school. While this was a milestone Omonije had dreamed of his whole life, he had even greater ambitions for how he could impact the Yale community: he wanted to epitomize the role of a student-athlete. Omonije majors in computer science. During the football season, one of the most important components to Seun’s success is his ability to switch gears from being a football player to being a computer-programmer. “In the fall of freshman year, I went to a lot of parties, and even though I’m still social now, there are a lot of nights where I’ll stay in and do some computer science work instead,” Omonije said. “I go from a guy that’s super hyped up playing football to a nerd hanging out with a bunch of guys ten times smarter than me.” On average, Omonije balances nearly six hours of football activity with six hours of computerprogramming each day; however, he knows what he is doing is special. “I believe I’m the first Yale football player in computer science in history,” Omonije said. “So knowing I’m on a mission that is different and I’m blazing my own trail is enough to motivate me to get through the times when I’m tired.” For Omonije, the football practice facility is a
TYPING AWAY On a daily basis, Seun Omonije ’18 manages to balance two rigorous lifestyles at Yale University: life as a Computer-Science major and life as Bulldog football player.
place of comfort where he is able to evaluate his past performances to improve for the future. “Being at the football facility is kind of like an escape from my hectic life,” Omonije said. “Practice in college is different. There’s a lot more film work because it’s the best way to improve. There isn’t as much of a drop off in talent, so whoever can execute the best on a day will usually play and that has a lot to do with who watches the most film.” Although Omonije strives for perfection in each of his athletic and academic endeavors, he understands that being a student-athlete at a prestigious university will inevitably present shortcomings. “One thing that’s important to note is that there are sacrifices that I have to make to get it done,” Omonije said. “I can’t do both perfectly, but I can do both really well and succeed in the classroom and on the football field.” Seun’s computer-programming skills helped land him an internship with Google where he had first-hand access to new tools and technologies that the company uses. Next year, Omonije plans to further his experience with Google as a Quantum Artificial Intelligence Intern. “After talking to the head of Quantum Computing at Google, I got another internship for
Google Quantum AI next year which I am really looking forward to,” Omonije said. “I’ll be working on quantum compilers and 3D quantum circuits.” On Sunday, to finish off the long weekend, Seun spends a couple hours at church to decompress and prepare for the new week ahead. Omonije credits computer science instructor Kurt Tholking for helping inspire his passion for computer programming. “One thing I love is that Mr. Tholking is very supportive of our dreams,” Omonije said. “I created an iPhone game in his class that I still use in job interviews today. Mr. Tholking really gave us the tools to do what we wanted.” During his time 10600 Preston Rd., Omonije was surrounded by over-achievers, something that has helped him greatly in college. “The biggest thing is just understanding that I’m different, and I think that coming from St. Mark’s fostered this attitude,” Omonije said. “Every day, stepping on the St. Mark’s campus and being around people who want to do great things inspired me. St. Mark’s has been a cornerstone in my understanding that anything is possible.” STORY Luke Nayfa, Rajan Joshi PHOTO Abe Echt
Ryan McCord ‘20 contributes to historic moment in women’s sports history by William Aniol and Arjun Khatti yan McCord ’20 helped make history Nov. 28 against Missouri as the holder for Vanderbilt University kicker Sarah Fuller’s second half kickoff, making her the first female to ever play in a Power Five conference college football game.
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DYNAMIC DUO Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power Five football game when she delivered the opening kick of the second half vs Missouri Ryan McCord ‘20 was there to hold the kick.
Fuller, a soccer goalie fresh off an SEC championship, expressed interest in joining Vanderbilt’s football squad after the Commodores were left without a kicker because of positive COVID-19 tests within the position group. “We all got a text saying we were having kicker tryouts later that day, and anyone who could make it would be great,” McCord said. “The one long snapper who didn’t get COVID texted our group chat saying, ‘We might have a girl kicker.’ We were all really confused.” As all of the school’s regular students had left
campus already, the Commodores lacked the ability to add anyone new to the team. “The only people who were still there were the members of the soccer team,” McCord said. “And [head football] coach [Derek] Mason just reached out to the head coach of the soccer team and asked, ‘Do you have any people who can kick? We don’t have any kickers; we really need someone.’ So she tried out, and I heard she did really well.” McCord, a freshman cornerback for the Commodores, is also the backside safety for the kickoff team. Because Fuller was used to kicking the ball off the ground, the team decided to use a holder instead of a tee. “Our coaches told us, ‘We just need someone to hold the ball for her,’” McCord said, “so we changed how the kickoff worked. I always knew I was going to be holding for her, which is kind of strange, but I got used to it during the week of practice [prior to
the game].” Although Fuller’s situation was unique, McCord treated her the same way he treated any of his other teammates. “She got a lot of support doing what she did,” McCord said. “To me, and to all of us, she was our teammate, and she did what she needed to do. She came in wanting to help the team, and she ended up doing that. She loved it.” Minutes after the game, McCord found himself pictured in viral photos across all social media platforms. He realizes that this wasn’t a lifechanging moment for him, but he still admits that it was an experience he will always look back on. “In 50 to 100 years, this will probably be seen as a big moment for women in sports,” McCord said, “but it’s also one of the most random things I’ve ever been a part. To see myself pictured in history, it’s definitely something I’ll never forget.”
