Posted 9/22/06
Belmont native Matt Eastlick captains the UW-Platteville football team. The junior linebacker leads the Pioneers into their home opener Saturday vs. nationally ranked Augustana (Ill.) at 6:30 p.m.
How important is it to get off to a good start at home?
"It's really important because Augustana is a good team, and we want to see how well we can do against them. It's a good chance to see where we are at before we head into conference play."
Is there something special about playing a night game here, with Student Appeciation Night crowd? Do you feed off that energy?
"I think so. There are always a lot of people there, and it's the the night atmosphere you remember from high school years, and that's a cool thing."
Speaking of your high school days, you're from all of seven miles away. What brought you to UWP?
"It's far enough away from home for me to do my own thing, yet it's close enough to see my family every week. That's why I wanted to come here."
Do you get a good family turnout each home game?
"Oh yeah, my family members come here, and there are usually some other people from Belmont who I know who come."
Did you grow up watching Pioneer football?
"We used to live about two blocks away, so my dad (new Belmont High School Coach Jeff Eastlick) and I would walk over and watch by the fence. I remember that."
You're a captain as a junior. What kind of responsibilities do you have?
"Being a role model, being a leader. I don't know really say a whole lot, but I want to be the guy who leads by example. That's what I try to do."
What is your major, and what would you like to do with that?
"Biology is my major, and my minor is environmental science. I'd like to teach in high school and definitely coach football and wrestling. I coached wrestling last year as an assistant for Belmont-Platteville, and I love coaching. I'm looking forward to that."
Interview by SID Paul Erickson