The Ouachita football team has nine seniors playing for the 2012 season. All 12 Tigers are ready to take the field one last time alongside their teammates. This group of athletes are ready to finish strong, leaving it all on the field.
Quarterback Casey Cooper played college baseball for two years before returning to football. Cooper not only has big goals for the team but for his future as well, and is majoring in history. He enjoys his time with the Tigers even after spending four years with them.
“What I love the most about being on the team is the fellowship and close relationships I have with my teammates,” Cooper said. “We are like a family.”
This Conway native plans on attending law school following his senior year at OBU and marrying his college sweetheart, Kathryn Kelly.
Defensive lineman Sam Dunnam knows that coaching is not only his passion, but also his future career. Dunnam is one of Ouachita’s leading defensive linemen and is majoring in kinesiology. He calls Palestine, Texas his home, even though the football team is his “second family away from home.” Teammates have realized Dunnam’s abilities on the field, and believe NFL coaches will realize his skills as well.
Kicker Jason Fowler is a quarter Choctaw and quarter Navajo. This native of Mesquite, Texas, has his sights set on breaking records. Ouachita Tiger’s record-holder for most extra points in a season and career is only 39 points away from surpassing the OBU all time scoring record as a kicker. He is majoring in business management. Following Ouachita, Fowler plans on marrying his fiancé, OBU swim star Chelbi Smith, and becoming a member of the Mesquite police department.
Defensive lineman Ugo Nkalari is rarely ever seen without a smile on his face. Nkalari, from Rockwall, Texas, is a strong player with a love for not only his team but for everyone around him. In his words, “my favorite thing about being on the Tiger football team is the camaraderie that I get by being with a group of young men and coaches that are all goal-oriented and driven towards something greater than ourselves.”
His family is from Nigeria, making him “a true African-American.” Nkalari is majoring in business administration and following graduation is hoping to “find a good first job that [he] would enjoy.”
Wide receiver Brett Reece, a homegrown Texan, knows a thing or two about fitness. Reece is a Houston native and one of Ouachita Tiger’s top wide receivers. He is majoring in kinesiology and plans on becoming a personal trainer. He respects his team and knows that being close as a team is important to be able to play well together.
“[We] have been through a lot together and we have fought through the good and the tough times since we’ve been at Ouachita,” Reece said. “Nothing I feel like can tear us apart because we’ve been through it all.”
Reece enjoys collecting interesting rocks and secretly is a huge fan of Tim Tebow.
Center Hunter Soper, a double major in mass communications and graphic design, has a long history in the game of football, playing ever since he was nine years old. Soper is from Plano, Texas, where he attended Prestonwood Christian Academy. He walked on for the Tigers in 2009. Following graduation, Soper plans on moving back to the Dallas area. He aspires to be a successful graphic designer for a Texas advertising agency.
Defensive end Dennis Stratton is almost 600 miles away from home. Stratton hails from Springfield, Ill. This is only his second year on the team, but he has already been making a huge impact on the field. His teammate mentioned, “when [Dennis] is on the field you do not want to be the one lined up in front of him, but off the field he is a great guy.” Stratton is majoring in kinesiology and “plans on being successful in the future.”
Starting left guard Garrett Sykes is a team player; which is made obvious in his response towards his team.
“I’m glad to be a part of the Ouachita football team because I can rely on good friends and teammates and they can rely on me as well.”
Sykes enjoys the amount of respect, care, support and prayer the players give and have for one another. This Pine Bluff native is majoring in kinesiology and looks forward to coaching high school sports in the future.
Wide receiver Peyton Tolliver hails from the Texas side of Texarkana. He played football for Texas High School before being signed with Ouachita Baptist University. This talented senior knows how to laugh and how to make others join in the laughter. Tolliver is majoring in business administration and plans on running a successful company in the future. He is a strong player and an essential part of the team.
