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November 18, 201471 NSU students in ‘Who’s Who’ listing
November 18, 2014
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A BULLFIGHTER: It’s been about three years now.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM: I am from Haskell, Texas – a small town just outside of Abilene in West Texas. But I live in College Station now.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES A BULLFIGHTER DO: Long story short, I have two main jobs. The first job is I have to protect the cowboy when he falls off the bull. I have to step in and make sure he’s able to get away. But then there’s also freestyle competitions, which is what I am doing this weekend. What that means is it’s myself versus a Mexican fighting bull for 40-70 seconds. It’s scored just like anything else – you get points based on how well you handle the bull and how well you stay in control.
AT WHAT POINT DID YOU SAY, ‘HEY, FIGHTING BULLS SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA’: I ask myself that same question sometimes. I grew up around rodeo. My uncles rode broncos for a while, and they were pretty good at it. I tried my hand, and I wasn’t as good. But I’m a very competitive guy. So I started riding bulls, and it really clicked. One day in the practice pen, I helped a guy who was on a bull, and then from that moment on, I knew that my goal was going to be to fight bulls.
WHAT’S THE NASTIEST BULL YOU’VE EVER DEALT WITH: Whoa, man. There’s been a ton. I guess I’ll say this bull in one of Rex Dunn’s pens. He’s called Wind Talker. I ended up getting around him and getting 90 points in one of the rounds, but it was one of those defining moments for me, because you’re saying to yourself, ‘Son, are you sure you want to do this?’ That bull ain’t little by any means. He’s a good 1,700 pounds. His head’s big and it’s shaking and throwing snot everywhere and it’s just one of those moments where you either have to do it or run away.
WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO TAKE OFF AND DO THIS, WHAT’S GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND: It’s definitely a huge adrenaline rush. It’s the ultimate challenge. It’s man versus beast. Those bulls have a mind of their own, and you just have this natural adrenaline rush. You’re a little scared, you’re breathing heavy and it’s a rush. But the key is being able to control your emotions and go out and do your job. I like to tell myself that I’m too dumb to think too deeply into this – I’m just winging it. Yes, there are certain moves you can do and certain fakes you can do, and it’s almost like a chess match between me and the bull in some respects. But ultimately, it’s all instincts and not having any fear.
WHAT’S THE WORST INJURY YOU’VE EVER HAD: I dislocated my hip last March. That was one of the most painful injuries I’ve ever had.
HOW LONG WERE YOU OUT: I was only out seven weeks. They said I’d be out longer, but I was only out seven weeks.
ARE YOU NUTS: They said I’d be out 8-12 weeks, but that’s not me. I’m not a fan of sitting on my momma’s couch, so I went home, rested for two weeks and then started walking. From there, I got in the pool, and I walked and ran and did anything I could do to get better. The doctor released me six weeks after the injury and the very next week – seven weeks after the injury – I was fighting bulls again
