Murray State University Athletics
Football lineman Ronald Samuel tackles master's degree at MSU
12/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Several college graduates walked across the stage at the Regional Special Events Center on Saturday, Dec. 18, for the Fall 2004 commencement ceremony. One of these graduates was Racer defensive tackle Ronald Samuel.
Samuel, from Columbus, Ga., completed his master's degree in management technology. This program is designed for individuals who wish to further their knowledge of management, leadership and technology. Emphasis is placed on involvement with real situations and problems. The program consists of 30 hours.
Although earning a master's degree and playing on a championship-caliber football team might seem like a heavy load to bear, Samuel learned to adjust to it.
"I do not think it was that hard balancing football and school work in the master's program," Samuel said, "because by this time in my life, I had already figured out how and what I needed to do to balance football and my school work. It is not like when I was a freshman in college, just excited to be out on my own."
The 6-2, 280-pound transfer from Auburn played in 14 games in his brief two-year career at Murray State, totaling 20 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks. While these numbers may seem low, most of it is attributed to Samuel's switch from offensive tackle, where he had played all his life, to defensive tackle halfway through the 2003 season.
When Samuel is asked about his favorite memory as a Racer, he chose a thriller that fans and players are sure to enjoy.
"My favorite memory as a Racer had to be when we went down to Eastern Kentucky and played them this year," he said. "This is my favorite moment because the game was so intense and fun. I had a friend that played for Eastern Kentucky that I played football with in high school. We were calling each other during the week of the game, talking junk to each other. I was telling him we were going to beat them, and he was telling me the same about them. We were just having a little fun. The game was so intense, and we ended up beating them in overtime."
Samuel, the son of Frances and Ronald Samuel, played for head coach Dwight Jones at Hardaway High School in Columbus, and was rated as one of the top 16 offensive linemen in the country by National Recruiting Advisor. He did not allow a single sack as a senior.
"If I could give anybody just coming into college some advice, it would be to make sure to stay focused on their school work," Samuel said. "I know it sounds a little cliche, but it is the truth. It makes it a whole lot easier later on in college if you start out right and on top of things."
