Mechanical engineering major, Ross Depperschmidt, is heading into his senior year playing with the Tide. Depperschmidt has been a monster running at inside center and was a major asset to the team when they went to the CRC’s this past spring.
Depperschmidt kicked off his playing career freshman year of college and has been nearly non-stop ever since picking up the ball. He has had so many fulfilling moments in rugby it was hard for him to pick just one but he said his top memory came last spring. He explained, “I broke a 60 meter try against Clemson at the CRC’s this year on the last play to win the game by two was something I’ll never forget. It was huge for our school and the SCRC which has struggled against top national competition in the past.”
Playing in the CRC’s was a lasting memory Depperschmidt he will not soon forget. Not only was it a huge for Alabama, it was great recognition for rugby in the south. ” The CRC’s overall were an incredible experience and I couldn’t have asked a better group of guys to be there with. We were a self-taught 7’s team and relied solely on each other for motivation, so reaching the pinnacle of collegiate rugby with less resources than any other team is something to be very proud of. It was a bit of a culture shock, as we went from playing games in the SCRC where we are just a club sport that doesn’t get much attention on campus, to being nationally televised and surrounded by the 19 other best teams in the nation, and the couple thousand fans were something we were not accustomed to as well,” said Depperschmidt.
Representing the University of Alabama is not something Depperschmidt takes lightly. Passion is something he posses when putting on the red and white. His love for rugby and his school goes unmatched and tries to represent them the best he can whenever able. ” I am very lucky to be able to play for the University of Alabama, and to have a hard-working core of players and volunteer coaches that are always looking to improve the team. The ability to represent our school is something not many people get to say, so we take pride every time we put our uniforms on and take the field,” explained Depperschmidt.
Be sure to catch Deppershcmidt and the rest of Alabama in action tonight as they take on Ole Miss at 7 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala.