Like Rodney Dangerfield, Josh Stephens ’07 can’t seem to get no respect. The men’s soccer team’s starting defensive midfielder, Stephens spends his time hustling to disrupt and neutralize opposing offenses. Last year, Stephens was a consistent presence on a Cardinal team that made a run to the second round of the NCAA tournament. We at the Argus hope that Stephens gets more time in the spotlight this year, and that’s why he is this week’s Cardinal Character.
JC: You do a lot of the dirty work for the men’s soccer team. Is it hard not getting much credit for the team’s success?
JS: Yeah it sucks to see people like Jared Ashe ’07 get the credit. When you have someone like him who thinks it’s smart to take off his shirt and dive on the field turf, you have to question whether people are being smart about who they appreciate. But you have to do what you have to do for the team. I don’t mind being dirty.
JC: Do you still feel the love from the athletic supporters who come to your games?
JS: Tons of love. They’ll think you’re playing well even when you’re not, and it’s nice to have that encouragement.
JC: Those guys call you all sorts of different nicknames. What’s your favorite one?
JS: I’ve been through a lot, but my two current favorites are “Stivinicles the Great” and “Uptown Arjuna.” It makes me a little worried that people can’t stick to one name though.
JC: I notice you spend a lot of time in the library but not a lot of time studying there. Care to explain?
JS: Hey, easy. I’ve been really good this year.
JC: If you could choose your roommate for the road trips this season, who would you chose and why?
JS: Well, definitely not [Chris] Brown ’07 because he spends too much time with his hands in his pants. Definitely not Jared because all you hear is “your boy, your boy” all night and probably not Morgan [Owen] ’07 because he has flatulence problems. I wouldn’t want Dave [Baharestani] ’07 because he grunts too much. And probably not [Justin] Mello ’08 because he just says, “No shot you could ever see buns like the way I do.” I’d probably take Mike Walker ’08 because he’s entertaining.
JC: What’s your goal celebration going to be when you tuck a “g” in the Birdcage this year?
JS: I’ll probably be so excited that I’ll just lose it and do something stupid. But I’m just out there to please the fans.
JC: How was last semester in India?
JS: Well, it certainly was a breaking away from the paradigm of the construct that is Wesleyan.
JC: Last one, how do you feel about Saturday’s game against Trinity?
JS: I feel strong to quite strong. It’ll be fun to finally play a team in our league. Hopefully the rain will let up so we can tuck some “g’s,” and maybe I’ll finally get some credit.
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