A college experience to remember

In the small town of Spartanburg, Pall is gearing for his first season at Wofford College.

The NCAA division 1-AA school is a ‘gem’ according to Pall who was absolutely mesmerized by the campus on his first visit last March.

“What I remember most are the white buildings,” said Pall. “I knew this was a school I wanted to attend.”

Pall, mostly known for the athleticism he brings to the defensive line, broke virtually all Cegep triple-A records during his stay at Vanier College.

The undersized 5’11”, 235 lbs Pall is the single season and all time sack rusher. Previous record holder Alain Kashama is currently defensive end for the Montreal Alouettes.

For Pall making it to the NCAA is a dream come true.

“This is the chance I’ve worked hard to get,” said Pall. “Coming here will bring my game to the next level.”

Currently the team is undergoing their annual training camp. The gruelling experience requires all members to practice twice per day, meet with their coaches once the day is over and weight train four times per week.

“I already feel the difference,” said Pall. “Over here, everything is structured. It’s unlike any other team I’ve been on. My ‘welcome to camp’ drill was running the full length of a football field 16 times with a 90 second pause in between.”

Thus far Pall is enjoying the experience, but admits getting over the home sickness is the hardest part.

“Back home I played football and had a chance to relax with friends outside of the team,” said Pall. “Here [at training camp] you’re with your team mates all the time.

“Not that there is anything wrong with that, my teammates are super friendly. But I miss having a home cooked meal.”

Life in Spartanburg does flow to a different pace for Pall. Getting to know southern culture has been amusing and humbling.

“When my coach first called me ‘bubba’ I wasn’t quite sure how to react,” said Pall. “But they have showed me a lot of respect, and it’s great to be here.”

As much of a culture shock moving from Pierrefonds to Spartanburg must have been, the most daunting task has been the weather. A typical summer day is 35 degrees with lots humidity.

“There’s only so much I could have done to prepare [for the weather] while I was home,” said Pall. “It’s like nothing the weather we were having [up until july]. But that just means I have to work harder that everyone else.”

Wofford College will begin their quest to improve on last year’s second place finish in the Southern Conference August 30th against Presbyterian College.