Zach Canter is a member of the Class of 2007 and the starting quarterback for the football team. He has led the Cardinals to a 2-2 record thus far, breaking league and University passing records and directing one of the most memorable Cardinal comebacks in recent memory when the team came back from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to steal a victory from Hamilton 41-35 on Oct. 2. Canter transferred from Colgate this year.
MC: A football player from my high school transferred from Colgate to Wesleyan the year before I arrived as a freshman…what made you decide on the Wes and Middletown?
ZC: I wanted to play football. Colgate was the best team in Division 1-AA last year; played in the league title game, loaded with All-Americans. It was hard to find a spot on that squad. Once I’d made the decision to transfer, I wanted to come back closer to home, and I’d been recruited by schools in the NESCAC. I also wanted to go to a good academic school, and between Wesleyan’s good reputation in that sense, a spot available at quarterback, and an offensive strategy centered around the pass, I guess you could say it was a match made in heaven.
MC: Obviously at home on the football field, where did ResLife find space for you to sleep when not practicing or playing?
ZC: I’m living in Lo-Rise.
MC: What’s the situation?
ZC: The whole apartment is transfer students. It’s interesting.
MC: What has stood out about Wesleyan in the first two months?
ZC: My teammates are a great group of guys. I immediately had a lot of friends on campus, and being nervous about how I’d fit in with the team and at a new school, it was a pleasant surprise.
MC: What about the famous liberal environment?
ZC: A couple of weeks ago I was outside the campus center and about 40 people were just dancing around.
MC: The boogie club?
ZC: Yeah. I turned to a friend of mine and was like, “What the hell is going on?” My buddy just shook his head and laughed and said, “Welcome to Wesleyan.” Colgate was definitely more conservative and the whole place takes a little getting used to, but so far it’s been a good mesh.
MC: You told me earlier you were from a town outside Boston. With the Sox and Yankees recently finishing another intense series, is it good to be home?
ZC: The rivalry was definitely alive at Colgate. It’s awesome to be back in New England though because here everyone is a fan of one team or the other. I was at Game 4 on Sunday night sitting twelve rows back from home plate, blind drunk, and within shouting distance of Peter Gammons. It was unbelievable.
MC: What about just being a quick drive from home?
ZC: It’s nice. I’m a homebody. I stay in touch with my parents. The Boston connection and getting to play against schools like Tufts; it’s all a nice perk to being at Wesleyan.
MC: Speaking of Boston connections, being from Mass is about as common as it gets at this school. Did you know many people before you even got to campus?
ZC: There are a solid number of people here from my high school, and I can play the name game with anyone and come up with someone we both know. It definitely makes you feel more at home.
MC: What would you want people to know about you before they met you?
ZC: I like girls.
MC: Blonde or brunette?
ZC: I’ll take anything.
MC: What’s the best night you’ve had on campus?
ZC: Saturday night after the Hamilton win at home was bar-none the most fun I’ve had yet. There were high fives all around. In-season I only get to go out one night a week though so I haven’t really had a chance to break out of my shell and string a bunch of late nights together. I’ll tell you one thing though; the boys at Wesleyan can drink.
MC: Any parting words?
ZC: Two quotes: From Starsky and Hutch, “Do it… Do it.” And, “Go Sox.”
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