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| Jon Dolph was a member of the 2000 State Runner-ups. |
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Anyone who plays the game of football wants to play in a winning program. Former Piqua standout Jon Dolph is no exception.
PiquaFootball.com was recently able to sit down with the speedy wide receiver for an exclusive interview.
PiquaFootball.com: What is your current football status?
Dolph: I'm currently a junior and I play for Mount Union College, home of the Purple Raiders and I joined the team in January of 2004.
PiquaFootball.com: How difficult is it to adapt to a new football program?
Dolph: It is definitely a challenge making the transition to new coaches and a new system. It is probably more difficult adapting to a new system rather than the coaches, because all coaches look for good work ethic and a positive attitude, but learning a new system takes a lot of time and patience.
PiquaFootball.com: How much did playing high school football at Piqua help in the process of high school to college football?
Dolph: Playing for Coach Nees and the Piqua coaching staff was one of the keys to making the transition to the next level. The time and work that went into being a Piqua football player has prepared me for my stint here at Mount Union.
PiquaFootball.com: How did it feel to play for such a great coaching staff at Piqua?
Dolph: Again, playing for Coach Nees and his staff was quite the experience. I learned a lot of lessons, not just about football, but also about life. Since I have been in college I have written a handful of papers about some of the lessons I took away from Coach Nees. I have even quoted a few of his speeches in those papers.
PiquaFootball.com: What was your favorite high school football moment?
Dolph: One of my favorite off the field moments was before the State Championship when we had the pep rally at the Miami Valley Centre Mall. I remember all the guys on the team seemed real excited. Also, the little kids and even the few adults that were requesting autographs seemed pumped as well. I think it was just a great moment for everyone involved.
PiquaFootball.com: What did you learn both on and off the field from the Piqua program?
Dolph: I had a lot of great experiences and learned many valuable lessons from playing sports in general at Piqua. Besides my family, the coaches at Piqua; Nees, Finfrock, Colahan, Krejci, Gold, Apple, and right down the line helped shape me into the person I am today.
PiquaFootball.com: How frustrating is it dealing with all of the injuries that you‚ve had to deal with over the years?
Dolph: Injuries are just annoying. In high school when I broke my collarbone, it was obviously no fun, but I knew six to eight weeks was all it was going to take to be fine again. With this hamstring injury it is nagging and the doctors keep telling me it may never feel the same again. It only makes me want to work that much harder in the off-season to prepare for next year.
PiquaFootball.com would like to wish Jon Dolph luck next season as he attempts to help Mount Union continue their strong tradition on the gridiron.
