Q&A with former SU walk-on Ross DiLiegro (It's all about the toothpaste)...

[jekelish]

I was going to wait a day or two before publishing this, but I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it. Good stuff, and a huge thanks to Ross for taking the time, and for cto for putting me in touch.

http://.com/the-most-interesting-walk-on-in-the-world-ross-diliegro/

EDIT from CTO: I added the stupid remark about toothpaste to the subject line (without Jekelish's knowledge/permission)... but I just wanted more people to read the linked interview. It is so much fun. It needed a subject line that attracted more attention).

 

[CuseFaninVT]

That was fun. Nice job.

 

[CuseTroop]

solid stuff brotha!

 

[OrangeTown]

solid stuff brotha!

Nice try, but we all know you haven't learned to read in the past month.

 

[CuseTroop]

Nice try, but we all know you haven't learned to read in the past month.

:/ It's so hard!

 

[sufandu]

Without his toothpaste we wouldn't have won one game in that tournament!

 

[jekelish]

:/ It's so hard!

That's what she said?

 

[jimsonjunction]

Nice piece Jek...lots of smart questions in there.

Ross seems like a really cool guy. Great sense of humor and perspective. I love the story about Gerry and the toothpaste. Also, this quote...

"One of the great things about the whole men’s basketball program was that walk-ons weren’t labeled as “practice players,” you’re either on the team or you’re not. This comes from Coach [Boeheim] – I always liked to believe he had a soft spot for walk-ons because he was one too. I distinctly remember after the final game of my senior year (an NIT loss at Clemson), Hop said to me, 'You’ll always be a part of this family.' That meant a lot."

 

[cto]

One of the best interviews I've ever read! Great job, Jeff

 

[jekelish]

One of the best interviews I've ever read! Great job, Jeff

Thank YOU, Joyce! Really appreciate you helping me set this up. Loved his responses. Seems like a guy I would have enjoyed hanging out with at SU.

 

[cto]

Thank YOU, Joyce! Really appreciate you helping me set this up. Loved his responses. Seems like a guy I would have enjoyed hanging out with at SU.

He is a great guy. I see him at all our games in NYC... and hung out with him a bit at that MSG tourney in November.

 

[MSOrange]

Awesome interview! Ross has a nice sense of humor also. I like that he made the point that the walkons are really good players. It's nice to get that point across when people just see them at the end of the games and may not realize that.

 

[Lawrinson14]

I was going to wait a day or two before publishing this, but I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it. Good stuff, and a huge thanks to Ross for taking the time, and for cto for putting me in touch.

http://.com/the-most-interesting-walk-on-in-the-world-ross-diliegro/

I'm totally digging these interviews. Keep em coming!

 

[CuseTroop]

He is a great guy. I see him at all our games in NYC... and hung out with him a bit at that MSG tourney in November.

I'm starting to get a little jealous here, Joyce... I mean.. I thought I was the coolest person you hung out with in NYC... I mean.. Has he ever bought you fries? Or went on a recon mission to rescue you from the wrong bar?!

 

[jekelish]

I'm totally digging these interviews. Keep em coming!

Thanks man. I hope to be able to...just a matter of figuring out contacts. I've got another idea for a Q&A in mind, just need to find someone who knows someone who held this particular role at SU.

Spoiler: I'm looking to talk to a former Otto.

 

[CuseTroop]

Thanks man. I hope to be able to...just a matter of figuring out contacts. I've got another idea for a Q&A in mind, just need to find someone who knows someone who held this particular role at SU.

Spoiler: I'm looking to talk to a former Otto.

Don't we have a former Otto on the board?

 

[cto]

Thanks man. I hope to be able to...just a matter of figuring out contacts. I've got another idea for a Q&A in mind, just need to find someone who knows someone who held this particular role at SU.

Spoiler: I'm looking to talk to a former Otto.

The student commencement speaker at SU a few years ago... was a former Otto -- and did an excellent job! . If you want, I could try to track down this Otto.

 

[jekelish]

I hope you asked him why Richard Branson was at his wedding!

I did, in the very first question of the Q&A.

 

[HakAttack]

I did, in the very first question of the Q&A.

Nice. I obviously didn't read before I posted. D'oh!

 

[sufandu]

Awesome interview! Ross has a nice sense of humor also. I like that he made the point that the walkons are really good players. It's nice to get that point across when people just see them at the end of the games and may not realize that.

I once had a hard time explaining to a friend just how good D1 players are. There was a pretty good player at his high school and he couldn't believe he was more like D3 caliber (still good basketball players) and not D1.

 

[cto]

Bump... Bumping to encourage more people to read a really fun interview!

 

[mountaincuse]

Nice work Jeff, enjoyable interviews and nice site

 

[llandz]

I know 2 former ottos. One female, one male. Both about 8 years ago.

 

[cto]

I am going to keep bumping this thread until everyone reads the linked Q&A. It is one of the better things ever to appear here... because it contains a perspective most of us never see.

 

[CaptainJ]

The perspective i'd like to see of Otto was the one someone once had in their avatar on here. His(?) smile appeared even happier than usual. I wonder if that Otto was ever identified?