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University of Minnesota Athletics
Future Gopher Q&A: Quinn Bauducco
2/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
GopherSports.com will be posting interviews with all the newest Gophers from the 2011 signing class throughout the remainder of the winter and spring. The first profile of the series is a conversation with linebacker Quinn Bauducco of Moorpark, Calif.
Bauducco was rated the No. 37 inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com, while Scout.com and ESPN/Scouts Inc. rated him No. 41 and No. 51, respectively. Rivals also rated him as the No. 96 player in the state of California. Bauducco was a first-team all-league selection for the last two seasons, a first-team all-Los Angeles choice and a second-team all-county pick last season. He recorded 53 tackles last year, after putting up 80 stops to rank No. 3 in the Marmonte League as a junior.
| Quinn Bauducco |
Quinn Bauducco: For me, it all sunk in pretty early because I committed as a junior. But definitely on signing day it really sunk in that I'm going to be a Gopher next year.
Gophersports.com: What other schools had you been considering as well as Minnesota?
Quinn Bauducco: A couple other schools that I looked at were UCLA, Stanford, Colorado, Colorado State, Northwestern and Boston College.
Gophersports.com: What made you want to come to Minnesota?
Quinn Bauducco: I wanted to experience something new off of the west coast. I also love the facilities. I love the direction of the program. I love Minneapolis. I love the campus. Minnesota is also a great academic school, which is important for both me and my parents. Minnesota was just a good fit for me.
Gophersports.com: When did you decide that you wanted to play Division I Football?
Quinn Bauducco: Growing up, I was always going to go to UCLA because my dad was an alum there. But I started playing football when I was 9 and I knew from the first time I started playing football that I wanted to play in college.
Gophersports.com: What are some of your goals in your first season as a Golden Gopher?
Quinn Bauducco: Some goals for my first year would be to get some playing time on the field, which is unusual for a freshman. I also want to make an impact anywhere I can, wherever I can. Whether that is on special teams or on defense, just make a difference.
Gophersports.com: What are some of your long-term goals for your college career?
Quinn Bauducco: Goals for my college career will definitely be to represent Minnesota in the best way I can. I also want to lead the team. Middle linebackers are leaders for the defense, so lead the team and defense, and obviously my ultimate goal is to eventually play in the NFL.
Gophersports.com: What are you most looking forward to coming into Minnesota?
Quinn Bauducco: What I'm most looking forward to is playing in the Big Ten. The Big Ten has some of the best football in the country and that's exciting for me. It's kind of surreal that I'm going to be playing in TCF Bank Stadium and the Big House. My first collegiate game is at Coliseum, which is crazy. For me to be able to play at that level and be in a major Division I Program is something I'm really looking forward to.
Gophersports.com: What is your favorite Football memory?
Quinn Bauducco: My favorite football memory would have to be when I first started playing football. My team wasn't very good, because it was just our first year. But I scored the first touchdown for my team, and it was my first touchdown ever. So that's probably one of my favorite memories.
Gophersports.com: Is there anyone in particular that you've idolized throughout your football career? If so, who and why?
Quinn Bauducco: Being a defensive guy, and a linebacker, I idolize guys like Ray Lewis, just guys that have a crazy attitude. Right now I like watching Clay Mathews play, just guys like that. It's pretty cool because I know Coach Miller, the linebackers coach, coached Ray Lewis, so that's kind of crazy.
Gophersports.com: Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Quinn Bauducco: I definitely had rituals, at least through high school. We play on Fridays, which is a school day, so in between classes I would listen to my iPod and not talk to anyone at all. I usually don't eat too much before games. I also always listen to the same song right before I go on the field. I've had a routine I do every single game ever since my first game.
Gophersports.com: Do you play any other sports along with football?
Quinn Bauducco: I played baseball for a long time, but when football became really serious, and I knew I was going to look to go to college with it, I decided to quit. But I played baseball up until I was a sophomore in High School.
Gophersports.com: What have you been up to since signing day?
Quinn Bauducco: I've been working out a lot. I train at a facility called The Factory, which is where a lot of the guys go to train before the NFL Combine. So I train there, and I work out at my school and I have just been preparing to leave for Minnesota.
Gophersports.com: What is some of your favorite music to listen to?
Quinn Bauducco: A lot of rap before games. I like Lil' Wayne a lot. Mainly rap is what I listen to, especially before games. For me music is a big deal before games, I know it is for a lot of football players, it just takes your mind off things before a game.
Gophersports.com: What are your favorite movies? Or what movies have you seen recently that you really enjoyed?
Quinn Bauducco: My favorite movie would have to be The Sandlot. I watched it a lot when I was growing up. Recently I thought that Inception was a really good movie. It makes you think about of a lot of things differently.
Gophersports.com: Do you have any "must see" shows you watch every week?
Quinn Bauducco: I definitely do, the show Shameless on Showtime is one that me and my friends watch every week. And I usually watch Jersey Shore weekly too.
Gophersports.com: Do you have any hidden talents that not many people know about?
Quinn Bauducco: I don't really have many talents besides playing football. I can't really sing or anything. I do want to become a lawyer and my parents always say that my hidden talent is arguing because I argue with them about everything. So I guess that might be my talent
Gophersports.com: Do you have anything else you'd like to say to Gopher fans who are reading this?
Quinn Bauducco: I'd just like to let them know that I looking forward to coming to the Midwest, and I really like the football culture there. It's a lot different than on the west coast. I look forward to coming in and making an impact early, and having a great career.
-Interview by Athletic Communications Student Assistant Jennie Clark
