By Nicole Hutchison, Staff Writer
Posted 10:35 AM EST, Thurs., March 2, 2017
In honor of Howard celebrating its 150th anniversary, The Hilltop met with several student athletes to get an insight on what it means, to them, to be able to compete with Howard on their chests and represent the university:
What does it mean to you to be a Bison?
“To be a Bison athlete, to me, is something no other athlete in the country can experience. We may not have state of the art facilities, but our university instills values and experiences within every one of us to make the most out of what we do have. It teaches you to appreciate it more when you get out of the mud, in comparison to other athletes across the country. We’re a work in progress, but that’s fine with me. In my humble opinion, slow success is what makes the story even better.” – Leon Fields, Football linebacker
“Being a Bison means striving for excellence on and off the field with pride and passion in everything you do. Doing it for the name on your back and the people who paved the way here at Howard University before you. Leaving your own legacy for the next generation to come.”-Devin Hurtado, Football linebacker
“It means to learn to be useful. Considering we don’t have the luxury that most schools do with facilities, we all make a way and that’s what makes the student athletes here special.” -Joseph Hawes, Men’s Soccer goalie
What moment made you proud to be a Bison?
“Senior night. Helping my seniors win on senior night really made me proud to be a Bison. I came here to do something special with these group of guys, and sending them home with a victory against UMES made me happy.” –Jalen Jones, Men’s Basketball forward (red shirt)
“Coming from Egypt, receiving the offer from Howard made me automatically happy. I knew that coming to Howard meant great opportunities for me, but as an athlete, I think that the fact that not everyone can say they have competed as a Bison has really made proud to be here.” Kindha Nasef, Women’s Tennis
“I mean this year has been a difficult start for us, but our team is young. Seeing the future of our team really has made me proud to be a Bison. Also, seeing the athletes that also have high academic standards makes me proud to be a Bison because we all compete in the classroom and aim to compete on the field or court.” Jessica Josiah, Women’s Tennis
