Patrick Blanks looks forward to his last football season at CMU
Senior running back Patrick Blanks, one of the four captains of Carnegie Mellon’s football team, looks forward to his last season.
Blanks studies business administration in the Tepper School of Business, with a concentration in finance.
“I would enjoy an opportunity to work in the financial services industry immediately following graduation, but I have higher aspirations to start my own business someday,” he said.
Blanks started playing football at seven years old and played throughout high school, until some complications arose.
“I was seriously injured during my senior year of high school. This injury required intensive rehabilitation that sat me out for two years,” Blanks explained.
“I was extremely proud when I finally earned my first collegiate carry against Washington University half of the way into my freshman season. I was able to recover from a serious setback and focus on higher goals.”
With such a large team, there is no shortage of laughs in the locker room. Blanks’ funniest moment occurred during his sophomore year.
“We were watching film of a game against Wittenberg,” Blanks recalled. “The play was on the goal line going in to score. I got the ball on a sweep to the left, but I chose to reverse the field to the right. Just as I was about to score over the right pylon, a Wittenberg defender came out of nowhere and launched me into the air out of bounds. Everyone laughed as the offensive coordinator replayed the segment several times.”
In college, he has found his perseverance through the years rewarding.
“I have the rare opportunity to play a sport that I love on a highly competitive stage, while earning one of the best degrees in the nation,” he said. “The professors and coaches at CMU expect the best on both fronts, and you cannot have athletic success without classroom success; at CMU they go hand in hand.”
Since completing preseason training, Blanks has some goals in mind for the upcoming season.
“The other three captains and myself understand that this team has the talent to be successful and it is our goal to turn all of the talent into wins on the field,” he said.
Having three years of college under his belt, Blanks has some advice to offer to the incoming class.
“College is the bridge between childhood and adulthood — you should be learning all you can and stretching yourself to your limits,” he said. “Try new things so you can understand the type of person you want to be.”