Andrew Madigan '14 wraps up his third year with the Hamilton College football team on Saturday, Nov. 9, when the Continentals host Bates College at Steuben Field for the 2013 finale. The 2013 team captain transferred from Pace University after his freshman year. This year he has played in all seven games at defensive end and has been credited with seven tackles and one forced fumble.
Q. Can you please tell us a little bit about where you grew up?
A. I grew up in Somers, New York, a small town in northern Westchester County. All of my best friends growing up lived in my neighborhood, and we would always bike, swim and play games outside together. As I got older, I stayed friends with those same guys, and am still close with them today. My family and my friends are the most important things in my life. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!
Q. How did you get interested in playing football?
A. Growing up I was not a football player. When I was in fourth grade I went to a Joe Namath Football Camp to try it out and hated every minute of it. I played soccer most of my childhood but was not very good because I was a little overweight as a kid. When I hit a growth spurt in seventh grade, all the guys on the modified football team and my seventh grade coach Bud Von Hyne convinced me to play because I was the biggest kid in the grade. From that point on, I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately for me I haven’t grown since then!
Q. Did you participate in any other sports competitively before college?
A. Yes, I played lacrosse growing up as well as in high school. My junior year we won the Class B Section 1 championship. I had the opportunity to play with some really talented players. We had top Division I commitments every year, and it was a ton of fun getting to compete with those guys every day.
Q. You attended Pace University out of high school. What factored into your decision to transfer to Hamilton College?
A. I knew I was transferring out of Pace from the get-go. I had a terrible experience with college football recruiting and ended up without a school to go to at the end of my senior year. When I began looking at schools to transfer to, Hamilton appealed to me because it was a place where you could learn to learn. This is something that is essential to success in any aspect of life because the world is always changing, and as a result, what you’ll need to know to be successful will always be changing as well.
Q. This Saturday marks your last game on Steuben Field and the final game of your college career. Have you had time to reflect on things like that?
A. I’m trying not to think about all that right now. I’ll worry about it after we beat Bates on Saturday.
Q. The opponent for the season finale is Bates College. Can you give readers a preview of what they can expect to see in this matchup?
A. Bates is a good but very beatable team. From the defensive side of the ball, we are really confident that we can dominate their offensive scheme. We’re really selling out this week and are doing everything we can to get a “W” for our season finale.
Q. You are listed as a defensive end on the roster. For those people not as familiar with football, what are the primary responsibilities on the field for someone that plays that position?
A. My primary responsibilities are to set the edge of the defense, which means no runs should get outside of me, and to apply pressure with a pass rush on passing downs. I really try to get after the quarterback when the offense decides to pass.
Q. Do you have a favorite Hamilton football story that can be shared?
A. My favorite Hamilton football story is from my sophomore year. It was the College’s Bicentennial and Fallcoming weekend when we opened the season against Tufts University and we had a huge crowd. Hamilton had not won a season opener since 1992, so it was a big game for us. The game came down to a fourth-and-goal from around the 10-yard line and they needed a touchdown to win. I dropped back to defend the pass and saw the quarterback throw it in the direction opposite me to someone who looked open to me. Dylan Isenberg ’12 came out of nowhere and swatted the ball down. The crowd erupted and we all ran off the field to celebrate. Winning that game in front of so many people in that way is something I’ll always remember.
Q. As one of this year's team captains, what makes someone an effective leader?
A. An effective leader is someone who can motivate every different type of person. It’s someone who works hard day in and day out no matter what to set a good example, is honest and isn’t afraid to be who they are.
Q. I have recently seen some impressive YouTube videos of you playing classical pieces on the piano. What's the story behind you learning to play like that? Have you performed here at Hamilton?
A. My dad is a great pianist and a great musician, and my family started me with lessons at an early age. Playing the piano was something my family always encouraged, even when I would practice the same 10 notes in a row for three hours, and I stuck with it through my senior year. After taking a brief hiatus my freshman and sophomore year of college, I decided to pick it up again. Spring semester last year I took lessons again and actually got the opportunity to play a solo performance at Hamilton.
Andrew Madigan plays the piano at a 2009 recital
Q. Do you have a favorite professor or a favorite class from your two-plus years here at Hamilton?
A. My favorite professor at Hamilton is professor Jensen. She was my first economics professor here and I have taken classes with her ever since. I loved her Industrial Organization class, and she has been a great friend and mentor to me over the years as my advisor. I appreciate everything she has taught me and I am lucky to have met such a wonderful, caring person.
Q. What are your plans after graduation?
A. Right now I have an offer to work in the investment bank at JPMorgan Chase upon graduation but I still have some details to work out.
