STAR of the Week: Sam Ozark, West Ouachita Football

WEST MONROE, La. ( KTVE/KARD ) — West Ouachita’s Sam Ozark is everything you look for in a quarterback–talented–smart–and a good work ethic.

But he is also all of those things in the classroom as well.
His education is just as important as his athletics and he is equally successful in both.

That is why he is this week’s Star of the Week brought to you by Coney Island Connections and Chris Lewis.

“It’s a challenge,” Ozark said. “You have to balance grades and homework and tests and all that with the practices and everything just going through that on a weekly basis, trying to make sure you have your grades as well as being successful and preparing out here. It’s a challenge, but you have to really key in on it every week.”

“Their school work is just as important as their athletic ability and what they do out here on the field,” Rainwater said. “They know that football is going to be over with one day and they are going to have to have a career, other than sports. So, they take their schooling very seriously.

Being a student-athlete is a challenge in itself.
Being the starting quarterback presents another beast.
That is the case for West Ouachita’s Sam Ozark.
A stellar quarterback on the gridiron but a scholar in school as well.
Just like every student-athlete, Ozark takes on school, practice, film, etc. on a daily basis and for QB1, it expands even further than most.
But the senior is good with his time and fits everything into a hectic schedule.

“I wake up and go to school,” Ozark said. “I am a senior, so I get out early. I only have like four classes. Normally, I will try to do some homework, try to get some treatment done. I’ll go to practice and then if I haven’t got all my homework done before practice, I’ll do it then. I haven’t had a lot of homework lately, so that’s a good thing.”

Chiefs head coach Mike Rainwater says that is what you want to see in every student-athlete–but especially in your field general.

“We want our best athletes to be our best students,” Rainwater said. “It’s real important that they are a student first. it is student-athlete, so grades do come first. If they don’t have the grades, you don’t play. It’s important, especially for our quarterback, to be good in the classroom.”

Football has played a major role in Ozark’s life; many memories, a brotherhood and most importantly life lessons.

“I played ever since I could,” said Ozark. “My parents got me into it and I just fell in love with it. It’s given me a sense of something to work for. It’s taught me lessons that I never would have learned elsewhere and I a super grateful for the game.”

But Sam knows he is more than just an athlete.
That is why his education means so much to him.

“I am a big Christian,” Ozark said. “I put my faith in Jesus Christ and I just know that when this game ends, it’s not my identity. This does come to an end. There is life after this and there’s life after football. you are going to have a family one day and just know that this is important, but it’s not everything.”

“I am not real positive,” Ozark said. “I am kind of thinking marketing at ULM. I even thought about engineering or something along those lines, but I am not real sure yet.”
“I like to talk to people,” Ozark said. “I love to talk and have relationships with people, so I think marketing might be where I end up going. Maybe get into sales one day. Let’s just see where it takes me. But just talking to people. That’s what I enjoy.”

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