Being a student athlete at the #1 school in America does not come easy. I had the opportunity to speak with 2020 Preseason First Team All-Ivy Tight End Carson Bobo about managing all of his responsibilities.
What's it like trying to balance playing a college sport while managing the academic workload at Princeton?
"Having to balance the school workload with everything I have to do for football is definitely difficult and taxing, but very rewarding. I'll spend pretty much every night trying to get work done so I do not get behind. I will either have a practice or lift during the day as well as a daily hour-long meeting. I really have to treat football as a full-time job in order to complete everything I need to get done. It's definitely rewarding though because I've made some amazing friends on the team, which makes all the work way easier and more fun."
What does a typical daily schedule look like during the season?
"During the season for football, I'll have a team meeting on Monday; a morning team meeting, lift weights, and a padded practice on Tuesday; practice in shoulder pads on Wednesday; a morning weightlifting session and a practice in helmets on Thursday; a team walk through on Friday; game day on Saturday and finally lifting weights, running, and team meetings on Sunday. There is also an hour-long Tight End meeting on each day, except for game day.
For school, I'm in five courses. I'll usually start each day with a morning meeting or lift, go to class, mix in my daily position meeting somewhere in the day, eat lunch, finish class, go to practice, eat dinner and then start working on whatever assignments for class I have to finish."
Are you able to have any time for a social life? If so, how are you able to balance this and make the most out of your college experience?
"I personally put a lot of emphasis on taking time off after a long week, it definitely helps to keep me sane to relax or go out on the weekends to blow off some steam. Yes, it is difficult to get all of my work done during the week to have Saturday night off, but for me, it's necessary to have that time to not worry about schoolwork."
What is your major? What are your plans with this major?
"The full name is Operations Research and Financial Engineering. I hope to work in finance in New York City after I graduate."
Do you have any aspirations to potentially play football at a professional level in the NFL, or are you planning to graduate from Princeton and work in New York, or is it all yet to be determined?
"Yes, my ideal route is the NFL, and while I think I have a real chance to make it to the NFL, I understand that things beyond my control can take that dream from me. Thankfully, I go to a good school that has prepared me well to go into the real world."
All Ivy League football players, including Carson Bobo, were unable to have a 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The dedication of these student athletes will not go unnoticed, as the conference hopes to conduct a 2021 season as normal in the fall.
