Q&A With Football's Gerald Brobbey
Nov 2, 2004 | Football
Nov. 2, 2004
NEW ORLEANS, La. - His name may not be as familiar as that of some of his Green Wave senior teammates, but special teams stalwart Gerald Brobbey is a prime example of a thoughtful, intelligent, model Tulane student-athlete. Below, Brobbey shares his thoughts on a variety of topics ranging from his most memorable moment at Tulane to his favorite book.
What is your major?
Computer Science. I want to be a programmer. I like trying to figure things out, and then building them, so I'm going to be a programmer.
What is your favorite book?
Maintenance Man, by Micheal Baystein. It's about a guy who had the perfect life, the kind everyone dreams of. He had everything he ever wanted, but deep down inside he was really hurting because his father wasn't there when he was young. He felt like he learned some of his ways because of how he was raised, and even though everyone on the outside thought he was perfect, he was struggling. It's a pretty good book, a friend gave it to me, and I really enjoyed it.
If you could play any other sport at Tulane, what would it be?
I'd probably play golf. I like golf a lot, and I'm pretty decent. My dad plays often, so every once in a while I'd go hang out with him. I'm the putt-putt king. In my apartment I have a little putter that returns the balls to you out on my balcony.
What would you like to do after you graduate?
I want to take a year off to earn some money and focus on graduate school tests. My immediate plans are to go into pharmaceutical sales or something in that area. I want to go back to school and get my MBA.
What is your personal philosophy?
My life philosophy is that you never know when an opportunity is going to present itself, so be positive, and stay prepared. If a lucky break comes up, then you'll be ready. Success comes with preparation. Don't ever let yourself get too high, or too low, just stay positive.
When I was younger, I had athletic role models, but since I've reached college I've learned that the people who inspire me are not athletes. They are people who I want to be like one day. They're successful businessman, such as Bob Johnson. He's the owner of the [NBA's Charlotte] Bobcats and BET. Another role model of mine is Oprah Winfrey, because she came from nothing and built a life for herself so that she can do anything she wants. That inspires me.
What is the best advice you have been given?
The best advice I've ever been given is from my Dad. He told me to find something that I want to do, and then shoot for it. Don't let anybody stand in your way. You might fall, but the important thing is that everybody falls. When you do, you get to show what kind of a man you are by how you respond to adversity. If you fall, you can't stay down, you have to get up, and try harder.
What class would you recommend to other students?
There's a class called Drug Use. It's taught by my favorite Tulane professor, Reginald Parquet. He is a good teacher and he's really down to earth. He's a graduate level sociology professor, but he did this one course for undergrads. It's the best class I've taken, and all of his students enjoyed it, probably because the teacher was such a great person. I enjoyed his class very much.
What's your dream vacation destination?
I want to go to Egypt. I want to see the pyramids. Just thinking about how they were built so long ago, and how tough it must have been to build something of that nature with no technology. I think that's a huge accomplishment that I want to see for myself.
If you could have dinner with any three people in history, who would it be?
I want to have dinner with Nelson Mandela. I want to know how he could be locked up for so long, and still stay so calm and still inspire so many people. Mia Harrison, the singer. She's my dream woman. I would like to have dinner with my father's mother. She passed away when my dad was 2. I would just like to find out what kind of person she was, because we never had a chance to know her.
Who is your favorite teacher?
Ms. Clark, my fourth grade English teacher. We did the regular fourth grade stuff, but she made it fun to go to school. Everybody wanted to be in Ms. Clark's class because she was so nice and so warm.
Who is your favorite professional athlete?
I like Earl Campbell. He might not have the most yards, but he had an aggressive, relentless style. When most running backs see a guy in front of them, they try to shake him and get some extra yards. Campbell would try to punish the guy so next time he would get out of his way. He was a hard runner, and a really tough guy.
What is your favorite moment with a fan?
I think it was our Fan Day 2002. There was a guy out there who knew everything about us. I thought it was neat how people could know who you are and know so much about you, even though they've never spoken to you a day in their life. It's special to know that people actually spend their time trying to find out about me.
What is your favorite movie?
Coming to America. I like how it showed that money is great to have, but it's not everything. He wanted to go out and find his own woman, and not use his status. He was able to find someone who loved him for who he was, not what he was, and I enjoyed the plot. There were a lot of funny parts too.
What is your most memorable moment as a Tulane student-athlete?
The night in Hawaii after the bowl game. It was just great; everyone was in high spirits and enjoying the moment. To know that you did what you set out to do, and we achieved our goal for the season was a great feeling. The celebration and the spirit of the team that night made it my most memorable moment.
Any people you would like to thank?
I would like to thank my parents. From an early age they instilled on us what we need to do to succeed. They taught us not to use anything like race or background as an excuse. If you start out to do something, others might have an advantage over you, but that just means that you have to work harder to get what you want. I want to thank my parents for believing in me. I would like to thank Coach Godfrey, because when I came in as a freshman he was a senior. I looked up to him, and he taught me the ropes around here. I want to thank Coach Scelfo for giving me a chance to come to this school. I would like to thank my high school coach too. I only played for him one year, but in that year we built a good relationship. I still call him every game day, and he wishes us luck. He's a really good coach, and a great person.
