Q&A With Aaron Thompson
9/26/2000 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 26, 2000
By Jason Zhang Athletic Media Relations
GameDay: How do you feel about being a leader of this team?
Aaron Thompson: I'm glad that the team sees me as one of the few who can lead us to a bowl game and in the right direction. I feel honored to be seen that way, and it's a great experience for me.
GD: Why did you choose to play at Maryland?
AT: I really liked the atmosphere here. The coaches did a great job of recruiting me. Maryland is a big school, it was just something different for me. I think my decision to come here was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.
GD: Maryland has a history of quality linebackers on the team, especially recently. What are you planning to do to carry on the tradition?
AT: I want to do my best here at Maryland to keep the fire burning. I think we also have a group of good young linebackers here, so that when I'm done, they'll carry the torch and hold things down.
GD: What do you like the most about being an outside linebacker?
AT: I like blitzing off the edge. Sometimes I come off a block and have a great shot at the back of the quarterback. I get a lot of tackles in the backfield and I'm able to force the other team back.
GD: Do you consider every quarterback that you face to be your enemy?
AT: When the referee blows the whistle and the clock starts ticking, the opposition's quarterback automatically becomes my enemy. My success comes by having them not be successful, and that's my biggest challenge on the field.
GD: How do you block out the crowd noise and focus on your game?
AT: The ability to block out the distraction comes naturally for me. When I'm on the field, I have tunnel vision. Most of the time, I don't know that the crowd is even there. My vision only contains the man who has the blocking assignment, and the quarterback.
GD: Why do you choose the word "deceiving" as the one word that describes you?
AT: Generally, I'm a gentleman with a smile on my face. I use the word "deceiving" because even though I have my smile, that doesn't mean that you can take advantage of me. People always come to me and wonder how I can be so nasty on the field.
GD: Of all the places possible, you said you'd most like to travel to Egypt. Why?
AT: I want to go to Egypt because of the mystery over there. The pyramids and the tombs are all really fascinating. It's still a mystery about their existence. I just want to be there to touch it and feel it myself.
GD: Who is the most influential person in your life?
AT: There are actually two people, my mom and my uncle. I grew up in a single-parent family, my mom provided everything for my two brothers and me. We never went without anything. She worked 40-50 hours a week, and I think that's really admirable. She is my hero. On the other hand, my uncle helped me grow as a person. He allowed me to see things ahead of my time. He was also a major influence in my life.
