UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
July 15, 2019
For Immediate Release
 
Contact: Wade Denniston
(435) 797-1361
 
Utah State Football Holds Leadership Retreat Over the Weekend
 
LOGAN, Utah – As one of the many initiatives for Utah State's Beyond Football program, team captains and members of the leadership committee of USU's football team took part in a leadership retreat this past weekend in Park City.
 
Senior running back Gerold Bright, senior placekicker Dominik Eberle, senior defensive end Tipa Galeai, junior quarterback Jordan Love and junior linebacker David Woodward were the captains that attended the retreat.
 
Members of the leadership committee that were on hand included senior defensive tackles Devon Anderson and Fua Leilua, senior defensive end Jacoby Wildman, senior cornerback DJ Williams, junior wide receivers Taylor Compton and Jordan Nathan, junior cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram, redshirt junior linebacker Justus Te'i, sophomore quarterback Henry Colombi, sophomore offensive lineman Alfred Edwards, sophomore cornerback Andre Grayson and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Andy Koch redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Peasley.
 
Special teams coordinator/running backs coach Stacy Collins, offensive line coach TJ Woods, assistant athletics director for football operations Zach Nyborg and professor emeritus Dr. Rich Gordin were also in attendance. The group of double-digit leaders for the Aggies left last Friday morning and did the ropes course at the Utah Olympic Park.
 
The Aggies also did exercises with Dr. Gordin to help prepare for the upcoming season. The group also talked about leadership so it could help the team's 50 newcomers acclimate. Before returning back to Cache Valley, the leadership group spent some time at the beach at Promontory, where the Aggies swam and did paddle boards.
 
"The Aggie football leadership retreat is a special couple of days for our captains and leadership committee," said Utah State head coach Gary Andersen. "They had a great time, they bonded as teammates and received tremendous advice from Doc Gordin, who is the best of the best at what he does."
 
Utah State returns nine starters (O-2, D-7) as part of 32 letterwinners (O-13, D-17, S-2), including two All-Americans and eight players that earned various all-Mountain West honors, from last year's team that ended the season ranked 21st in the final Amway Coaches poll and 22nd in the final AP poll as the Aggies tied the school record for wins and best record with an 11-2 mark following their 52-13 win against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl.

Utah State opens the 2019 season on Friday, Aug. 30, at Wake Forest, and begins the home portion of its schedule the following weekend against Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 7. Mountain West play begins for the Aggies at San Diego State on Saturday, Sept. 21.

For Aggie football ticket information, fans can contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office over the phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy their tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online by clicking on the "Buy Tickets" tab at www.UtahStateAggies.com.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
Here is what some of the players that attended the retreat said about the experience and being a leader on the team:
 
Senior Defensive Tackle Devon Anderson
"You have to accept criticism and coaching from everyone, not only looking from your own perspective."
 
"To be a leader, you need to be dependable and honest and respectful, and willing to put your pride aside to better the team. As a leader, you hold a code to hold your head high through adversity the team may face throughout camp and the season."
 
Senior Running Back Gerold Bright
"The leadership retreat was well-needed for this group. I haven't done anything like it since high school. It is very effective and necessary for team cohesion, something that could possibly sprout into an amazing season."
 
Senior Placekicker Dominik Eberle
"The retreat was a great time for us to get together to talk about what it means for us to pursue our goals and how we are going to accomplish them. Being a leader is an honor, but there are a lot of players who lead the team in different ways. It will take all 110 of us to realize our goal of winning a Mountain West championship."
 
Senior Defensive End Tipa Galeai
"In order to lead others, you must be able to lead yourself first. That tells me that I can't be hypocritical in my leadership. If I want my teammates to give 110 percent on and off the field, I must also do the same. With people always watching me, I have to be the person I preach that we should be."
 
Senior Defensive Tackle Fua Leilua
"There are a few things that mean more to me than being a part of this team and the thing I learned the most about leadership this past weekend is that you have to know your teammates' why in order to get their best out of them."
 
Senior Cornerback DJ Williams
"Dr. Gordin and the rest of my teammates on the leadership committee taught me that it's more important to know why you are doing something rather than what you are doing, and it's even more important to know your teammates' why, as well."
 
"It's an honor to be a leader on this team since it was my teammates that voted for me. I will make sure every one of my teammates know that I am here for them no matter what."
 
Junior Wide Receiver Taylor Compton
"The leadership experience this past weekend was fantastic. We can't thank our coaches and Doc Gordin, who discussed valuable leadership principles with us. We were able to come together and discuss the goals we have as a team and how we can inspire each other and hold each other accountable to achieve them. We were also able to have fun together at the ropes course and the Promontory property, and come together as teammates. I'll cherish those experiences the most and it is cool when your teammates are also your best friends."
 
"To me, leadership means holding yourself accountable to the highest standard first and foremost, and being an example of action on and off the field, then showing others around you that you care and love them, and work to inspire them to do the same."
 
Junior Cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram
"To be a leader on this team is a great honor because it is a representation of who I am as a man, son, brother and athlete. With this opportunity, I am able to inspire everyone around me to maximize the greatness within themselves."
 
Junior Quarterback Jordan Love
"The leadership retreat was a great time. I feel that we all bonded and got a lot closer as a leadership committee. It means a lot to me to be a leader of this team."
 
Junior Wide Receiver Jordan Nathan
"To be a leader on this team is very humbling. The way I carry myself and how much mental drive I have for the game and for my purpose can not only benefit this team – I am going to give it my all – but rub off on all my other teammates, as well. The more people we have playing for a purpose, the more success we will see as a team in all aspects. Being a leader means that actions speak louder than words. I will show my team better than I will be able to tell them."
 
Junior Linebacker David Woodward
"The retreat was an awesome experience. The leaders on the team were able to come together and get to know each other better, which opened up conversations about how to best lead our team this year."
 
"We have such a strong and bonded group of guys, and I think that will take us far, so to be able to be a leader on this team makes me really proud and excited to have this responsibility."
 
Sophomore Cornerback Andre Grayson
"One of the most important things I took away from the leadership retreat was to learn and listen from others even as a leader, because there is always more to learn and it is essential to becoming great."
 
"To me, being a leader means that my teammates trust me to be accountable and set an example, which means I must be consistent and never cheat them or myself."
 
Redshirt Freshman Offensive Lineman Andy Koch
"It was a great experience to be able to bond and get closer with some of my brothers, and a great opportunity to listen to the wisdom of Doc Gordin. Being a leader on this team is an honor because we're an elite group, and to know my teammates picked me for this role just reassured me that they believe in me to represent them."
 
-USU-