Senior Staff Writer Ben Christ recently talked to football player† Robert Flagg ’12. Flagg has been a dominant force for the Fighting Scots’ offense this year at the running back position. Last week he recieved the honor of being named NCAC player of the week.
BC: You’ve averaged more than 300 yards combined in your last two games and you were named NCAC player of the week last week. What’s the key to your success?
RF: Well, I’m a captain this year, I’m a leader on and off the field. And when we lost to Wabash, I put it on myself to elevate my play. But our success has been a team effort, it’s not just about me.
BC: The team started 0-2 to begin the season. As one of the veterans of the team, how did you help keep the team motivated?
RF: We kept each other up, our chemistry has been good and we played some tough teams to start the year.† It takes some time for teams to come together, coach has been preaching that all year and you can see the results starting to pile up in the win column.
BC: The offense lost some key players to graduation. How did the team adjust?
RF: The veterans had a sense of purpose, there was a need to man up.† We have a new offensive line that we had to adjust to but they have done a great job.
Richard Barnes has been great, can’t say enough about him.† Good teams always find a way to respond to adversity and we have done that.
BC: You played with some tough competition in Florida. How did that help you become the player you are today?
RF: You can quote me on this, the state of Florida is the best state for football bar none.† Florida is a speed state so going against athletes of that caliber really helped.
I played against Dex (current Chiefs wide receiver/running back Dexter McCluster) and other guys who were going Division I. It really helped when I went to other states.† To see guys I played against make it to DI and then onto the NFL really motivates me to be the best I can be.
BC: Wittenberg is on Nov. 13.† They beat you 42-9 last year. This year it’s at home.† What does that game mean for both yourself, and the team?
RF: If we win out, that will be the game for the NCAC conference and that is what it will mean for me.† They are a rival and a damn good team, but we feel that we can beat them. We feel that we can beat every team every week and Wittenberg is not an exception.
We all have that game in the back of our minds, but we are taking it one game at a time.