Athletes of the Week: Will Edwards, Brendan Rosseau and James Quinn

Athleticism, diligence and brotherhood—three words that encompass the sport of football, also describe seniors Will Edwards, Brendan Rosseau and James Quinn, this year’s Big Red football captains. They excel on the field, but more importantly, they always support their teammates, motivate players struggling to finish their team workout and pump up the band of brothers before the beginning of a game.For all three captains, football has always been an essential part of their lives. Will Edwards grew up in a football-crazed Birmingham, Alabama.However, it was not until seventh grade that he got to play the sport he loved. His town league had a weight limit to protect the smaller kids from larger kids the same age. “I was always pretty tall growing up, usually a few pounds over the weight limit, so I didn’t play football until seventh grade,” Edwards said. “When the weight limit disappeared, that was the first time I played football.”Despite Edwards’ late start, he knew the game well from countless hours of watching and talking about football. “I always loved football growing up in Alabama. It is kind of hard not to. War Eagle.”His love for the game quickly translated into success. In his prep year, he was one of only three preps who received a varsity letter at the end of the season. He recalled that the experience of being on the varsity team was tough but enjoyable.“Coming in as a freshman was really nice. It was kind of a blessing and a curse. Football was FGH, and as a prep you had to take health, and a lot of your classes met five times a week,” Edwards said. Because of this, Edwards had only one free period each week which, coupled with the exhausting nature of football, made for a depleting first term.Yet because of the football team, Edwards quickly built core friendships with his teammates, which helped smooth his transition into Exeter. “I knew the football guys, which was really nice. It was really helpful in settling in and getting used to Exeter.”Contrary to Edwards’ late start, Quinn began to play the game for his town team when he was in second grade. “My first two years, the team was awful. I struggled. I think the first year, we won one game and after that my team enjoyed a lot more success and, ever since then, football has always been a part of my life.”For Quinn, playing on a team full of talented players as a freshman was an extremely humbling experience and was initially challenging. “I was smaller, weaker and less mature than older guys,” Quinn said. “Getting playing time at a young age was one of the harder things, and not a lot of guys get to experience that, but it is essential to growth. I now know that the playing time I got early on was essential to my growth, and I really enjoyed it.”Like Quinn, Rosseau also had an early start in football. “I started in second grade,” Rosseau said. “I played youth football, and I loved it. I used to play soccer, but I got too many yellow cards, so I switched over to football and I haven’t looked back ever since.”He, however, came to the Academy as a new upper, leaving the school where he would have become a first choice captain. “I came from a really big public school where there are four thousand kids. The game day tradition was that the whole town would come with a marching band and everything. It was really different.”“We also ran a different style of the game,” Rosseau continued. “So the attitude of the game changed a lot for me. It was difficult for me at first because it was really easy for me to be motivated for games at my old school. I learned to adapt, and I think it brings the team together.”Although these players’ long careers include many achievements, their most memorable experiences come from the team’s bonding.“The win against Deerfield two weeks ago was one of my favorite wins here,” Rosseau said. “But I’d say just being able to bond with the team is one of the best. This preseason was really fun. Getting to know all the guys. There is a moment we got trapped in the elevator, like 15 guys, and that was a moment that we all look back at.”Just like Rosseau, Edwards loves the friendship within the team. When he was voted captain at the end of the season, Will said it was one of the most humbling, yet exhilarating, experiences of his life. “Being named captain was a huge honor, and all the captains would attest to that. Just being voted as someone that all your teammates have faith in and trust was very humbling.”“The one thing I’d say about sports at Exeter is that it just gives you another group of people that you inevitably become friends with, just because you are on a team and you are practicing with each other hours every day,” Edwards continued.“You grow close to a lot of guys on the team, just as you live in a dorm or a group you are involved in. I think football is a special game in that it is the most team-oriented sport, where 11 guys are in sync with one another in order for a play to be successful.”Quinn, like the two other captains, enjoys every minute he spends with his teammates, especially the wins. “First, two E/A wins. Wins with the boys are the best, those are one of my favorite memories,” he said. “Another was freshman year. We had just lost to Loomis and we were 0-4 and we were struggling. We were in the locker room and the captains were very passionate and emotional. They motivated us and we ended up going 3-1 afterwards and killed Andover that year.”Coach Rob Morris believed that these three individuals embody the core tenets of Exeter. “They all lead by example—through their work ethic both on and off the field. Weight room workouts in season and in the off-season, video sessions, team meetings—doesn’t matter,” he said. “All three of them seem to be quiet leaders, but in reality, they are not—they speak up at the right time and they motivate with words but more so by their overall positive approach to team—team comes first and they embody our credo of ‘TOGETHER.’”Morris continued to briefly explain what each captain brings to the team. “Quinny in particular helps to keep things loose. He is a lunch pail kind of guy—shows up day after day without fanfare and simply works hard and gets it done,” he said. “He is very smart, and he is the glue that keeps the offensive line together! He was named a captain by the coaches after pre-season this fall.”“Edwards plays every minute of every game on both sides of the ball, very well respected. Mr. Consistency—he was elected last November,” Morris said. “He, along with Rosseau, set the tone last November for this team bonding together and working hard with a shared sense of purpose. They did this by creating a culture of working at football all year around, by selling the notion that we are a team no matter the season.”Upper JT Thompson thinks that the captains have done an excellent job leading the team this season and work hard to ensure the team remains motivated and focused. “They are all great leaders on and off the field in their own ways,” he said. “They give inspirational, heartfelt pre-game and halftime speeches and lead by example through their play on the field.”“Off the field, they show true character, treating everyone they interact with the utmost respect,” Thompson said. “Although football means a lot to them, school still comes first, and they are all leaders in the classroom. Their actions on and off the field are a motivation each and everyday to be a better person off the field and leave it all out there on the field.”The Exonian careers of these talented, diligent captains are coming to a close. Each one of these young men wishes to give all they have left before the season ends.“Win or lose, I just want to go off the field knowing that I gave my 100 percent,” Quinn said. “I’ve been playing football for 11 years, and there is no feeling better than waking up on Sunday morning and barely being able to get up on my bed from the game, knowing I gave it my all.”“As a team, we have been close from the start—much thanks to our captains,” Thompson said.“They get the team going everyday, and it is starting to reflect in our performance. We all look up to our captains, and it has been an unforgettable season.”