Ric Fukushima

"Ric is the quintessential Oxy football player; he combines excellence in leadership and performance on the field, while achieving remarkable success in the classroom." - Head Football Coach Dale Widolff

Playing football at Occidental College gives you the opportunity to excel, both on the field and in the classroom: just look at senior Ric Fukushima.  Ric, a graduate of Moanalua High School in Hawaii, was voted team captain his senior year for good reason.  Ric was named to the Tiger's Platinum Lifting Squad in 2005, and also won the King Tiger Award for off-season excellence between his junior and senior year.  He followed up his selection as a 2nd team All-Conference selection in 2004 with a 1st team selection in 2005, his senior year.

Not only did Ric succeed on the field, but he excelled in the classroom as well.  Ric is leaving Occidental with a degree in Physics and has obtained a remarkable 3.45 grade point average.  The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) noted Ric's impressive accomplishments in the class room with three straight selections to the Academic Al-Conference team in 2005, 2004, and 2003.  Ric also received the conference's highest recognition as he was chosen as the John Zinda Award recipient, which goes to the player in the SCIAC that best epitomizes athletic performance, sportsmanship, and academic excellence.

Now read what Ric himself has to say about playing football at Occidental:

Why did you choose to attend Occidental?

"I chose Occidental because not only was I going to be a part of a very successful football program, but I was also going to be a part of a college institution that would allow me to reach my full potential, academically and personally.  There are colleges that field football programs, and there are great colleges with strong academic reputations.  Occidental combines both better then any other college."

            In your mind, what makes Occidental football different then other programs?

"In my mind, I feel that there are no individuals in or football program.  Everyone from Coach Widolff to our third string punter, puts away their egos in exchange for the enjoyment and success of the team."

Did you find it hard to balance football with the tough academics at Occidental?

"Balancing a tough academic schedule with football was not hard for me at all.  All of the coaches understood the importance of a great education, and since playing professional football is not the number one goal in our lives, they understood the sacrifices we made in becoming a professional in another field after graduation."

What can you take away from your experiences playing football for Occidental?

"I will take away strong core values and a great work ethic that Occidental Football has instilled in me for the past four years.  Also the whole team of great friends, especially the 21 other seniors, that shared my passion and love for the game.