Football Preview: Q&A with Rodney Van

The Daily Bruin sat down with junior cornerback Rodney Van and
talked about his experiences at UCLA on and off the field.

Daily Bruin: Describe what it was like going to Long Beach
Poly.

Rodney Van: What can I say? It’s one of the top schools in
the nation, if not the best. They wrote about it in Sports
Illustrated and stuff. It was a nice experience overall. It
prepared me for this level both academically and football-wise.
Just coming from there, I wasn’t surprised by too much once I
got to college, like the big crowds, you know, the football
experience, the academics. So it just prepared me well for this
level.

DB: Did you have a welcome to the college football
experience?

RV: I would say the Oklahoma State game my freshman year. I got
a big clip-in-the-back call. We ended up losing that game, not
because of my clip-in-the -back call, but it was just a rough first
experience. But it was a learning experience and I learned from it,
and I’ve been doing pretty well ever since.

DB: You were one of the top corners coming out of high school,
why did you decide on UCLA?

RV: UCLA’s just been a childhood place. It’s just a
place I always wanted to be. When it came time to make that
decision, that’s where I wanted to go. Be here right in
Westwood; be here close to home and my mom.

DB: What’s the biggest hit you’ve ever made?

RV: It would have to be in high school, actually. We were
playing St. Paul, a game before the start of playoffs and I hit one
of their tight ends, knocked the ball loose. It was a big crowd
going wild and everything. It was an overwhelming experience and I
loved it. It was a fun time.

DB: What’s your most memorable experience so far at
UCLA?

RV: I would have to say playing at Notre Dame last week. We came
out; we did the things we had to do. We played well, but we just
couldn’t get the win in the end. But that’d be my
overall best experience so far.

DB: Who’s the best player you’ve ever lined up
against?

RV: So far, I would have to say probably Jason Hill ““ the
receiver we’re going to play this week, Washington State.
He’s probably the best overall well-rounded receiver that
I’ve played in the Pac-10. You know, we played them last year
and it came down to the wire and he was a big part of that.

DB: What do you do in your free time?

RV: I’m a big video-game guy. I mean, I have every video
game known to man. I’ve had them all starting from the
Nintendo to the PlayStation 2 to the Xbox and all the rest of them.
In my spare time, when I’m not doing football and
school’s not in the way, I’ll sit down and play a lot
of video games and watch a lot of sports, cooking shows, things
like that.

DB: Ever play as yourself?

RV: Yeah, the only team I play with on college is UCLA. You
know, I like our team. I like what we have to offer in the game, so
I play with them a lot.

DB: What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?

RV: I wouldn’t say it was scary but the best movie or the
most surprising movie, I would say, is “Saw.” It just
kept me on my toes, never know what’s going to happen next,
and it surprised me in the end. All the “Saws” have
been great, so I would say the “Saw” series.

DB: Have you ever been legitimately scared watching a movie?

RV: Actually, I have. I was younger, but it was
“It.” When “It””“ the movie with the
little clown ““ first came out, he was rough. He had his
little jagged-edge teeth. You know, when you’re a little kid
you like clowns, but you see that movie and he scares the living
daylights out of you. I’d have to say that was the only movie
that ever truly scared me.

DB: Who’s the biggest comedian on the team?

RV: Biggest comedian … I would have to say probably Osaar
Rasshan, our backup quarterback. He always has a joke or something
funny going on. You know, something to do that keeps us entertained
in the locker room and on the field. So I would have to say
Osaar.

DB: What’s the biggest prank you’ve ever pulled?

RV: No real pranks, but one of the funniest things, uhh … no
real pranks. I’m going to have to get to that. You gave me an
idea. Now I’m going to have to get to the pranks, but no big
ones as of yet.

DB: What do you want to do after UCLA?

RV: After UCLA. I have two options I’d like to pursue. One
obviously being the NFL, if that’s what God sees for me. But
if not, I might want to do something probably in law, probation or
something like that dealing with kids. You know, I like dealing
with kids. I feel like (with) kids, you still have a hope for them
when they’re young and they mess up and things like that, so
probably something with kids.

DB: What’s the most rewarding experience you’ve ever
been a part of?

RV: Being able to play here and just seeing all the people and
the fans and the supporters that I have here. Just seeing all the
fans and everybody that supports the football here. It’s one
of the most overwhelming experiences that I’ve ever been a
part of.