University of Minnesota Athletics
The Cereal Man; Sophomore walk-on Randy Chall
11/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
We all know about the Trix rabbit and his longstanding pursuit of the box of cereal, but the rabbit never really got the box. Randy Chall pursued the game of basketball like the rabbit after the Trix, but over the years he's made quite a bit more progress than the rabbit. He did not start playing the conventional way, on a grade school team, but opted for a bigger challenge.
"I started in sixth grade with a traveling league. My first memory is the try-out for that league, because I didn't play at all in elementary school or anything. That was my first real experience with basketball," Chall explained.
Ever since that sixth grade season with the traveling team, basketball has been an essential part of Randy's life. He played basketball throughout junior high, but when he got to high school he became even more focused on the game."I pretty much shot everyday. From ninth grade all through high school, I missed maybe five days where I didn't shoot," Chall said.
His focus was on basketball with no intentions of pursuing a second sport, but when the opportunity presented itself he decided to have a little fun. "Football was mostly just for fun. I wasn't playing football, and then the coach came up to me and said `Works done for basketball, so if you haven't got it down now, it's not going to make a difference. So, you might as well play football.' So I just did," Chall said. Even though he decided to take on another sport, he was drawn more heavily towards basketball.
Chall's draw to basketball might remind you of the series of commercials for Corn Pops. The plot always revolved around a grade school-aged kid, who fought his way out of going to school so he could stay home and eat his Corn Pops. Why? Because, "I gotta have my Pops." Similarly, Chall has to have his hoops. He shot everyday in high school, except for those select five, and today, if you're one of the first in Williams Arena before a game, you'll see him on the court shooting endlessly. His rise to the level of Division I basketball has been driven by his dedication and hardworking attitude. While his ascension to college basketball may not have been as instant as it is for others, like any humble individual he accepted the challenge - setbacks and all.
"My first year, I got cut, but I think it was a good thing. I think the Lord blessed me and thought me a lot over that first year. I think it was a maturing thing," he said. "It just wasn't the right time my first year, but the right time came."
Last season was the right time, when Randy Chall was given a spot on the Golden Gopher basketball team. Randy, a name meaning, relentless, determined and academically gifted, seems to fit him well. Since obtaining his position on the team, he has been determined to help his team improve while also improving his own skills.
"I hope to give the guys a good look in practice. Usually they use us for scouts, so I want to help the other guys out," said Chall. "I really just want to play the best I can, and, where ever that brings me, that's great."
Despite having to put in a lot of hours with the team, Randy has also managed to maintain an impressive academic standing in the extremely challenging Institute of Technology. With regards to his ability to balance both basketball and IT, one might say that he has had his share of Wheaties, the "Breakfast of Champions." To be able to juggle very difficult class schedules, as well as hours of basketball each week shows an immense amount of academic excellence and dedication, but it also, as can be imagined, cuts into Randy's free time.
"It's really hard to juggle both IT and basketball. Wade [Hokenson] and I are both mechanical engineering majors and we have hours of homework each night," he said. "It's a lot of work, so it's basically basketball and school. That's it!"
Regardless of how busy he is with school and all its accompaniments, Randy has always managed to make time for basketball. Last year, in the season opener against the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, he saw his first action as a Golden Gopher. As a result, he can attest to the difficulty opponents have in dealing with the crowds at Williams Arena. "They're greeeeatttt," is one way of describing the fans inside "The Barn," however, in his first game there, Randy Chall was overwhelmed to the point that it's nearly indescribable.
"It was strange because I had always spent a lot of time shooting in here, but it was usually empty then," Chall commented. "When there are a lot of people in here, it seems a lot smaller. It's just a weird feeling that's really hard to describe. Even if nobody's watching you, it seems like everyone is."
Being overwhelmed by the crowds at Williams, is definitely not a rare feeling, and it's just one of those things that Randy Chall has managed to work his way through. However, he has also managed to work his way through a great deal of cereal over the years. If you haven't noticed the underlying theme of this story, it's cereal. One of the rare things about Randy could be his intellect or his uncanny dedication, but it should probably be noted that hard work and four boxes of cereal a week have been constants in his pursuit of success. Besides the four boxes of cereal a week, he has carried a particular set of life's lessons with him to help get through those rough spots.
"Some lessons I've learned is that you can't always look at the circumstances, and you got to press through those times when you think things aren't going to work out the way you want them to. It's not always about what the circumstances are at the time; it's what you do with them," he said. "One valuable lesson I've taken with me is that in the hard times is when you realize what kind of person you are. When you get through those, then you usually end up alright."
TEN QUESTIONS WITH RANDY CHALL
1: Do you have any nicknames?
"Strong Dude. Travarus [Bennett] gave it to me in practice last year."
2: Favorite NBA Player?
"It has to be Michael Jordan."
3: Do you think Jordan's comeback was a good idea?
"It was hard to imagine because he went out so perfectly, but he's Michael Jordan, so he can do whatever he wants."
4: If you could have one day in anyone's shoes, who would it be?
"I'm pretty comfortable in my own shoes, and I'd probably like to stay in them."
5: Chocolate or Vanilla?
"Definitely chocolate."
6: Do you play any instruments?
"I play the guitar a little bit, but not in a band or anything."
7: Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera?
"Britney Spears"
8: If you could play one-on-one with anyone, who would you choose?
"Michael Jordan. He's the one person where if you just got demolished it would still be fun, because you could say `Hey, I just got stuffed by Michael Jordan.'"
9: What is your favorite cereal?
"Cereal is my favorite food! It would have to be Quaker Crunchy Corn Bran, Quaker Oat Life, the original not the cinnamon. Cap'n Crunch is okay, but I usually don't eat that. I usually eat the healthy stuff. My top two are probably Life and Quaker Crunchy Corn Bran. My mom usually buys me like four boxes a week and I eat them all."
10: Who's on your dream team?
"It would have to include the scout team in practice - me, Wade [Hokenson], Justin [Lorang] and Tyree [Bolden]. That's my dream team right there."
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant, Tarcy Thompson Hey, Randy likes it!" If anything, that phrase should remind you of the well-known Life cereal slogan - "Hey, Mikey likes it." (If not, then it will simply stand as a foundation of this story.) Simply put, Golden Gopher Randy Chall has an affinity to basketball that is like no other, but, since comparisons are often helpful, it will be likened to his love of cereal. He didn't start dribbling a basketball before he could walk, and he didn't play on a traveling team at the age of four. He, like "Mikey" to the cereal, wasn't really attracted to the qualities at first, but, after trying it, he developed a real love for the game so much so that going without it was like telling the rabbit "Trix are for kids."
We all know about the Trix rabbit and his longstanding pursuit of the box of cereal, but the rabbit never really got the box. Randy Chall pursued the game of basketball like the rabbit after the Trix, but over the years he's made quite a bit more progress than the rabbit. He did not start playing the conventional way, on a grade school team, but opted for a bigger challenge.
"I started in sixth grade with a traveling league. My first memory is the try-out for that league, because I didn't play at all in elementary school or anything. That was my first real experience with basketball," Chall explained.
Ever since that sixth grade season with the traveling team, basketball has been an essential part of Randy's life. He played basketball throughout junior high, but when he got to high school he became even more focused on the game."I pretty much shot everyday. From ninth grade all through high school, I missed maybe five days where I didn't shoot," Chall said.
His focus was on basketball with no intentions of pursuing a second sport, but when the opportunity presented itself he decided to have a little fun. "Football was mostly just for fun. I wasn't playing football, and then the coach came up to me and said `Works done for basketball, so if you haven't got it down now, it's not going to make a difference. So, you might as well play football.' So I just did," Chall said. Even though he decided to take on another sport, he was drawn more heavily towards basketball.
Chall's draw to basketball might remind you of the series of commercials for Corn Pops. The plot always revolved around a grade school-aged kid, who fought his way out of going to school so he could stay home and eat his Corn Pops. Why? Because, "I gotta have my Pops." Similarly, Chall has to have his hoops. He shot everyday in high school, except for those select five, and today, if you're one of the first in Williams Arena before a game, you'll see him on the court shooting endlessly. His rise to the level of Division I basketball has been driven by his dedication and hardworking attitude. While his ascension to college basketball may not have been as instant as it is for others, like any humble individual he accepted the challenge - setbacks and all.
"My first year, I got cut, but I think it was a good thing. I think the Lord blessed me and thought me a lot over that first year. I think it was a maturing thing," he said. "It just wasn't the right time my first year, but the right time came."
Last season was the right time, when Randy Chall was given a spot on the Golden Gopher basketball team. Randy, a name meaning, relentless, determined and academically gifted, seems to fit him well. Since obtaining his position on the team, he has been determined to help his team improve while also improving his own skills.
"I hope to give the guys a good look in practice. Usually they use us for scouts, so I want to help the other guys out," said Chall. "I really just want to play the best I can, and, where ever that brings me, that's great."
Despite having to put in a lot of hours with the team, Randy has also managed to maintain an impressive academic standing in the extremely challenging Institute of Technology. With regards to his ability to balance both basketball and IT, one might say that he has had his share of Wheaties, the "Breakfast of Champions." To be able to juggle very difficult class schedules, as well as hours of basketball each week shows an immense amount of academic excellence and dedication, but it also, as can be imagined, cuts into Randy's free time.
"It's really hard to juggle both IT and basketball. Wade [Hokenson] and I are both mechanical engineering majors and we have hours of homework each night," he said. "It's a lot of work, so it's basically basketball and school. That's it!"
Regardless of how busy he is with school and all its accompaniments, Randy has always managed to make time for basketball. Last year, in the season opener against the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, he saw his first action as a Golden Gopher. As a result, he can attest to the difficulty opponents have in dealing with the crowds at Williams Arena. "They're greeeeatttt," is one way of describing the fans inside "The Barn," however, in his first game there, Randy Chall was overwhelmed to the point that it's nearly indescribable.
"It was strange because I had always spent a lot of time shooting in here, but it was usually empty then," Chall commented. "When there are a lot of people in here, it seems a lot smaller. It's just a weird feeling that's really hard to describe. Even if nobody's watching you, it seems like everyone is."
Being overwhelmed by the crowds at Williams, is definitely not a rare feeling, and it's just one of those things that Randy Chall has managed to work his way through. However, he has also managed to work his way through a great deal of cereal over the years. If you haven't noticed the underlying theme of this story, it's cereal. One of the rare things about Randy could be his intellect or his uncanny dedication, but it should probably be noted that hard work and four boxes of cereal a week have been constants in his pursuit of success. Besides the four boxes of cereal a week, he has carried a particular set of life's lessons with him to help get through those rough spots.
"Some lessons I've learned is that you can't always look at the circumstances, and you got to press through those times when you think things aren't going to work out the way you want them to. It's not always about what the circumstances are at the time; it's what you do with them," he said. "One valuable lesson I've taken with me is that in the hard times is when you realize what kind of person you are. When you get through those, then you usually end up alright."
TEN QUESTIONS WITH RANDY CHALL
1: Do you have any nicknames?
"Strong Dude. Travarus [Bennett] gave it to me in practice last year."
2: Favorite NBA Player?
"It has to be Michael Jordan."
3: Do you think Jordan's comeback was a good idea?
"It was hard to imagine because he went out so perfectly, but he's Michael Jordan, so he can do whatever he wants."
4: If you could have one day in anyone's shoes, who would it be?
"I'm pretty comfortable in my own shoes, and I'd probably like to stay in them."
5: Chocolate or Vanilla?
"Definitely chocolate."
6: Do you play any instruments?
"I play the guitar a little bit, but not in a band or anything."
7: Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera?
"Britney Spears"
8: If you could play one-on-one with anyone, who would you choose?
"Michael Jordan. He's the one person where if you just got demolished it would still be fun, because you could say `Hey, I just got stuffed by Michael Jordan.'"
9: What is your favorite cereal?
"Cereal is my favorite food! It would have to be Quaker Crunchy Corn Bran, Quaker Oat Life, the original not the cinnamon. Cap'n Crunch is okay, but I usually don't eat that. I usually eat the healthy stuff. My top two are probably Life and Quaker Crunchy Corn Bran. My mom usually buys me like four boxes a week and I eat them all."
10: Who's on your dream team?
"It would have to include the scout team in practice - me, Wade [Hokenson], Justin [Lorang] and Tyree [Bolden]. That's my dream team right there."
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant, Tarcy Thompson
