Male athletes turn down collegiate careers to cheer at UConn

They're the ones who get you riled up at the games. They're the ones that feed that UConn blue energy to the crowd. They're the ones standing right on the sideline when Donald Brown breaks loose. They also have an outstanding work ethic and rigorous gym routine. The men of UConn Cheer have brought a sense of life to the crowd and support to every player who puts on a blue and white jersey.

Over the years, the faces have changed, but the spirit has remained the same. For the past two years, senior Anthony Parrish has become one of the more recognizable faces of the squad. Parrish began a strict diet and disciplined exercise routine his sophomore year of high school and has had little downtime since

At Fairfield High School, he was an All-State wrestler two consecutive years and the state open champ in 2005 in the 189-pound weight class. Parrish wrestled and played football all four years of high school.

"In high school, I was a two-time FCIAC Champ, LL State Champ and the State Open Champ in 2005," he said. "I was also a three time academic all state for wrestling."

Unfortunately, UConn does not offer a wrestling program.

However, Parrish is the perfect physical specimen for a college level linebacker; truly built for the sport. The indisputable evidence lies amongst the mirrored qualities he shares with accomplished professionals today. NFL draftee and 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year, New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo possesses a workout résumé that is not far from that of UConn's own. At 6-foot-1, 242 pounds, Mayo posted an impressive 4.54 40-yard dash during the NFL combine. He also recorded 22 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Parrish meets the performance expectations that an NFL scout would be looking for. Parrish submitted a 4.5 40-yard-dash and 23 repetitions of 225 pounds. So, with Parrish holding a candle to Mayo, the question remains why he did not suit up alongside defensive standouts Scott Lutrus and Greg Lloyd II.

"I considered it," Parrish said. "But I figured it would be too much of a commitment and I wanted to stay focused on school and prepare for the next stage of my life."

Parrish is more than pleased with how his college career turned out.

"I wouldn't say that I regret it, being a cheerleader is really awesome," he said. "I love it. So, no regrets. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

But, it's not just Parrish with the physical potential to play a full contact sport for a major university. He holds his teammates in high regard, too.

"Matt Golod, who is the captain of the cheerleading team, was a pitcher for his high school baseball team, throwing 85 miles per hour," Parrish said. "Bobby Karrat, is just an all around dominant athlete and Jared Christopherson was an all state swimmer. So all of our guys are coming from backgrounds of competitive sports, and being the best at it."

Parrish feels that the stereotypes that follow male cheerleaders should be put to a halt.

"You know, we really get the crowd fired up," he said. "That's what we do, by getting fired up ourselves. The girls do more cheering than anything else; we just do the heavy lifting."

Make no mistake; these guys are competitors performing at the highest level of their craft. They have the physical ability to compete alongside the ones they are cheering for. It is their way of contributing to Donald Brown's draft stock and UConn basketball being No. 1 in the nation.

"I like to think what we do helps out," Parrish said. "By getting fired up, we hope to keep the players motivated. If not, what are we doing this for? If I thought being on the field would help more, I would do that."

Though football requires much more than physical ability to succeed, it takes heart. There is no adequate replacement for a relentless passion for the game, because that is what directed the NFL's greatest into the Hall of Fame. And who knows, Parrish could have caused some carnage on the gridiron in a UConn Husky helmet, but for now, he's just the spirit in the dog pound.