Football | 11/27/2019 8:00:00 AM
Graduate student Ryan Oliver of the Utica College football team has 77 career tackles in four seasons. Oliver, who plays linebacker, recorded 24 tackles, including five for loss in six games during the 2019 season. On Sept. 21, Oliver recorded a season-high six tackles and had a sack against Rensselaer. He compiled a career-best total of 44 tackles with two passes defended during the 2017 season.
Oliver has a 3.5 grade-point average as a physical therapy major. Oliver was named to the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his work with the Haiti Rehabilitation Project. He was part of the original group that began work to establish a physical rehabilitation clinic to serve people in need of physical and occupational therapy services in Gonaives, Haiti. Ryan has traveled there each year since to work with Physical and Occupational Therapists. The team's focus is on the provision of free rehabilitation services to children who have cerebral palsy or who have other pathologies (eg, stroke or amputation). They also teach local therapists and staff various rehabilitation techniques so that they can continue to provide services for these children.
In January, 2019, Oliver led a team of four college students, including three from Utica, on a service trip. The trip was completely self-funded by the students. The group ventured to a remote village where they provided assistance to a school and orphanage in the form of school supplies and other resources. In addition, a regional hardship had resulted in the school's teachers not receiving pay for their services over a six month period. Oliver and his team were able to raise the necessary money to reimburse those teachers, and have them be paid for several months afterwards.
Ryan Oliver - Tomorrow's Leader
Major: Physical Therapy
GPA: 3.50
Class Year: Graduate Student
Anticipated Graduation Date: May, 2021
Favorite Professional Team: Dallas Cowboys
Various Academic Honors/Academic or Athletic Clubs: 2019 Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year, 2019 Allstate Good Works Team
What Type of Community Service Have You Done: I have made seven Mission Trips to Haiti. While there, I helped to establish a Rehab Clinic in Gonaieves for people with disabilities to receive free services they otherwise would not be able to pay for. In addition, we raised money to pay for the salaries of teachers in a remote village who went six months without pay due to the hardships of living in Haiti.
Plans After Graduation: The goal is the obtain a full-time physical therapist job and learn as much as possible about the profession.
What Do You See Yourself Doing in 5 Years: In five years I would like to own my own physical therapy clinic.
What Do You See Yourself Doing in 10-15 Years/What is Your Ultimate Professional Goal: Ultimately, I would like to own and run a successful physical therapy clinic with potentially more than one location.
How Has Playing Collegiately and in the Empire 8 Prepared You For Life After College: Playing football at Utica College has taught me how to deal with adversity effectively and move forward from it. There have been numerous obstacles I have faced throughout my years here that I don’t know I would have handled properly, if it wasn’t for being involved with Utica College football.
Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time in College: Winning our program's first ever bowl game and seeing all of the hard work it took prior to get it done.
Biggest On-Campus Mentor: Utica's defensive coordinator, Coach Will Pluff. He taught me to focus on the details of every single thing you do. He has taught me never to be complacent in any situation of life. Coach Pluff also has a way of teaching us about life and relating football to life any chance he can. I feel I am a better person and man because of him.
What Have You Learned About Yourself from Freshman to Senior Year: I’ve learned that there are no limits of where I can take myself if I work hard enough.
What Type of Leader Are You: I like to lead by example. I don’t like to be overly loud unless I have something really important to say. I like to work as hard as possible and bring people along with me to do the same.
One Thing Most People Do Not Know About You: I am learning how to play the banjo.
Advice for Freshmen Teammates or Student-Athletes: Do not take for granted the time you have with your teammates and friends because four years go by faster than you can believe.
The Empire 8 Conference's “Tomorrow’s Leaders Compete Here” Series features a student-athlete from one of its member institutions who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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