The final round of senior profiles for the fall athletes begins with five of the 19 football seniors.

Scott Barton

How rewarding has it been to have earned a full-time starting spot during your senior season? It has been very rewarding to say the least. I’ve seen a lot of good lineman play during my four years here. I feel like I’ve paid my dues and put myself in a position to play wherever the team needs me.

What’s your most memorable off-the-field accomplishment from your time at Muhlenberg? Having the opportunity to intern at Northwestern Mutual this past summer. It allowed me to see what an agent does at a risk management company on a day-to-day basis. I met a lot of great people, and it definitely opened my eyes to a potential career choice.

What are your future plans? My ultimate goal is to be a financial advisor for a big corporation. In the meantime, I’d like to be a financial representative at a company that can offer people comprehensive financial services. I do, however, sometimes joke about pooling my money together with Gregg Mercogliano and just trading stocks at our computers all day.

What’s it been like playing with MJ Rus for the past four years? MJ’s been a great guy to have on the team. He’s someone who leads by example with his play and work ethic. I consider him an honorary offensive lineman because he never forgets to bring us maple syrup from his home state of Vermont.

MJ Rus

Fullbacks generally don’t get a lot of fame blocking the way for the running backs; what’s it like being an unsung hero? In football, it takes all 11 guys to execute their assignments to be successful on any given play, and just one person missing an assignment poses a high possibility of ruining the whole play. So although the fullback may not get a lot of recognition for a running back’s outstanding day, neither do the other guys on the field. As long as we’re coming out with wins I’ve got no problem trying to block the way for TD and Merk onto the front page of the papers.

What’s your most memorable off-the-field accomplishment from your time at Muhlenberg? My most memorable off-the-field accomplishment is introducing my teammates to real maple syrup. It’s truly a life-changing experience, and anyone who I have yet to convert to Vermont maple syrup should invite me to brunch on Sunday mornings so you never have to let Aunt Jemima ruin your breakfast again. 

What are your future plans? I plan on buying my own island in the Whitsundays off the coast of Australia.

What kind of teammate is Scott Barton? It’s been a pleasure having Barton as a teammate. Seemingly always in a good mood and able to get along with anybody, … he seems to always be the first one to “resolve” the offense vs. defense scuffles when tensions run high during preseason practice. Truly a great person with a fun and sincere personality, I couldn’t ask for a better teammate to be with for four years of Mule football.

Justin Myers

What is the best part about being a quarterback? The best part is being able to have the ball in your hands on every play. The mental aspect of it is great, too. Having to understand where to go with the ball based on what the defense is doing and understanding the down and distance add a whole other dimension to the game.

How have you improved since your freshman year? I think my accuracy and understanding of the game have been the areas I’ve improved in the most. Coming in from high school, I was convinced almost any throw had to be thrown with as much velocity as I had. This led me to become incapable of completing the easiest 2-yard slide ball, which annoyed just about every fullback we had. I hope by now I’ve learned to have some touch on my throws.

What are your future plans? I hope to travel. Studying abroad [in Australia] opened my eyes to what is out there, and I want to see as much as I can as soon as I can. A job somewhere in there would also be welcomed as well.

What kind of teammate is Sean Mulligan? Mulligan is a great guy to have on the team. He’s had some tough injuries in the past but still comes to work every day. You never hear him complain, and he catches whatever you throw at him. He’s someone who is always in the weight room and works hard to get better every day.

Sean Mulligan

How frustrating has it been fighting through injuries for a good portion of your career? It has been incredibly frustrating fighting through injuries for almost half of my career. In the span of about a year I had to deal with two torn ACLs and three knee surgeries. These injuries have definitely set back my progress both on the field and in the weight room. It would have been great to never have had to deal with these setbacks, but I also think that they have made me a stronger person mentally. I believe that there are really no obstacles I cannot overcome.

What was it like getting to play a season with your brother? I see my brother as a role model in my life. Getting to play a season with him was very cool. It was especially nice having him around to ease my transition into college. Most freshmen start to feel a little homesick during the first few days of football camp, but I was fortunate enough to never feel that way because I had my brother out on the field with me.

What are your future plans? I plan on working in New York City or New Jersey for an accounting or finance company. At this point I am still unsure as to which of my fields of study I will end up pursuing a career in.

What’s it been like playing with Jesse Long? It has been a great experience playing with Jesse for the past four years. Jesse is a great guy and one of my closest friends on the team. Jesse is kind of a quiet guy, but having had the chance to live with him and really get to know him over the years, I’ve realized that he’s actually pretty hysterical. I can really relate to Jesse because he has also been plagued by many of the same injuries that I have throughout his football career. It’s nice to see that he’s finally healthy this year. These past four years have been a lot of fun.

Jesse Long

How have you improved since your freshman year? My strength and my mental toughness. After facing so many injuries and missing an entire season last year, it has made it easier for me to not sweat the small things and worry about every little mistake I make.

What’s the most lasting memory from your football career? The 2008 season and winning the conference my first year here. It was one of the greatest teams I’ve ever been a part of.

What are your future plans? I plan to attend law school, preferably somewhere warm, and become a contract lawyer.

How is Justin Myers as a quarterback and teammate? Justin Myers is a great teammate and quarterback. It is always fun going to meetings and having Justin telling stories or making jokes. He also is a great player on the field, and I have enjoyed playing with him for four years. He’s also a great hangman player; he probably knows every movie ever made.