Everyday Champion –

 

For football student-athlete , Oregon State University is the perfect place for him.  The Ben Lomond, Calif., native has thrived academically and athletically in helping the Beavers to be one of the winningest programs in the Pac-10 during his tenure that began in 2004. 

 

“Oregon State reminds me a lot of where I grew up,” the 6-3 offensive tackle said.  “The atmosphere on campus, the people, the trees – all of that reminded me of home.  Every time I go home I always think of here; it’s a great place to be.”

 

Beaver Nation is glad Levitre picked OSU as he has developed into one of the best tackles in the nation and is a candidate for the Draddy Award, given annually by the National Football Foundation to the nation’s top football student-athlete and is worth a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.

 

Levitre certainly has a chance as he boasts over a 3.00 cumulative GPA and is a double major in business finance and sociology, and will have both requirements for a major in December.

 

“I started out undeclared, then I moved to business as a major, then I decided to switch to sociology,” he said.  “Then I decided to add business as a minor, but then determined that I was going to graduate early with still some eligibility in football, so I went back and switched business to a major.”

 

A huge academic load for anyone, let alone a student-athlete.  He’s managed it quite well though, appearing on the Pac-10 All-Academic three years.

 

“You learn how to balance the academics and practice quickly,” Levitre said.  “I have always tried to excel as much as possible academically and athletically – it really comes down to finding a balance between the two.”

 

Levitre has certainly excelled and is a leader on the offensive line for a team that hopes to return to a bowl game for the third straight year.

 

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Everyday Champion --

 

Q.  With your academic career coming to an end, what do you most remember about your stay at OSU?

A. “Some of my fondest memories will be about all the friends I have made and all of my teammates.  The whole experience has been great for me; I’ve really enjoyed my time here.

 

Q. What do you hope to do with your degree?

A. I would like to be some kind of financial manager, working with investments or some kind of position in the finance department of a corporation. 

 

Q. If you are drafted by an NFL team or sign a free agent contract, could you be your own agent?

A. I’ve briefly thought about that, but I don’t think I would know enough about the process.  I would probably have to be into the profession for a year or two before I could represent myself.

 

Q. What sold you on your recruiting trip?

A. I actually committed to Oregon State before I came on my official recruiting trip.  I came here an unofficial recruiting trip with my grandfather. The atmosphere around campus and of course Coach (Mike) Riley was a big reason for me selecting OSU. The whole package that Oregon State offers was a big selling point, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

 

Q. Did you ever have aspirations of attending the University of Arizona to be with your older brother (graduated from UA after playing center on the football team)?

A. I did, but the temperature in Arizona gets way too high.  I’m a guy that anything over 90 degrees is too hot; I can handle the few days we get like that in Corvallis.  The constant high heat in Arizona is what kept me away from there.

 

Q.  Did your family find it difficult when OSU played Arizona?

A.  My family had a better time than my brother and I.  My mom would wear an Arizona hat and an Oregon State sweatshirt. I guess it was a win-win situation for the family when we competed against each other.

 

Q. What are your fondest memories on the football field?

A.  Some of the upsets we have had – not that we (team) considered it an upset.  Other than the upsets, just being on the field with my teammates is something I will always remember.  When we have it going and are clicking on all cylinders it’s a great feeling.

 

Q. What’s it mean to you to witness the transformation of Reser Stadium?

A.  “It’s great to see the progress around the whole university the last five years, including the football program.  Athletically, we have a new weight room and the new Reser Stadium – I’m just glad that I had a chance to be a part of the success of Oregon State since I got here.

 

Q. Has the addition of the Sports Performance Center made a difference in the workout habits of student-athletes?

A. I have noticed a big difference. From the football standpoint we have had a lot of guys come in on their days off and on the weekends to get extra lifts in. The facility has been a motivator for people to get in the weight room more often.  The building has made a huge impact for not just football, but all the student-athletes, since it has been built.

 

Q. Describe what it’s like to play for ?

A. It’s been an awesome experience.  Coach Riley is a very nice guy off the field and he knows what he wants to get done on the field.  He has a business mentality, but he also is a great person to be around.  His assistant coaches definitely reflect the type of guy he is. 

 

Q. Describe your position coach ?

A. Coach Cavanaugh is a different animal.  He’s a great motivator.  He’s probably the perfect fit for an offensive line coach, in terms of getting people ready to play. He’s definitely been a blessing for all of us.

 

Q. How important is it to you to have a full-ride scholarship?

A. My brother was a walk-on at Arizona and I watched him work through the system; that was a learning experience for me.  I tried as hard as I could to find schools that would offer me a scholarship and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to have my education paid for me by Oregon State.  I had opportunities from other schools, but this was the place for me and I’m taking full advantage of my scholarship.

 

Q. If you could talk to the Reser Stadium crowd about being a donor to this program, what would you say?

A. When you think about it, not very many kids coming out of high school get an opportunity to earn a full-ride scholarship. One of the things that would benefit our donors is to sit down with a collection of student-athletes and get to know them; understand how your money is being spent.  There are a lot of classy student-athletes at Oregon State and if people had a chance to follow some of them around for a day they would learn a lot, and really appreciate what their funds are being used for.