University of Massachusets Athletics
Q&A With UMass Lacrosse Player Jake Deane
March 20, 2006 | Men's Lacrosse
March 20, 2006
UMass senior captain Jake Deane is off to a great season at UMass. He is winning face-offs at a record rate and has been scooping groundballs at a furious pace. Alli Miller from UMass Media Relations had a chance to catch up with Jake, check out her interview.
Alli Miller: What made you decide to play lacrosse?
Jake Deane: Well, I was playing baseball back when I was in kindergarten, and I wasn't really good at hitting the ball. I didn't really like it, it was kind of a boring sport, no offense to baseball or anything, but they put me at catcher. I started playing catcher because I didn't like any other position on the field. Finally one day, being from Maryland, so the next year (at age six) I picked up a lacrosse stick and started playing lacrosse. I played goalie because in the first grade you weren't allowed to make contact with anyone. I liked contact so they decided to put me in goal. And I decided to keep playing.
Miller: What, if any, other schools did you look at? What made you choose UMass?
Deane: I looked at a couple other schools. I looked at Denver and Loyola a little bit. But I knew when I came here that Coach Cannella was the right coach for me and the right person for me--more as a person for me than a coach. He was someone who I could come and talk to about anything, not just about lacrosse, but also about life, what's going on with myself. I knew the style of play here was what I wanted to play, run and gun and fun is what I wanted.
Miller: How did you get the nickname, "The Terminator?"
Deane: I don't really know. I guess the coaches gave it to me. I just go out and try to play everyday. I just go out and work hard like everyone else and I guess they just gave it to me.
Miller: What has been your biggest win at UMass? Why?
Deane: My most memorable win was freshman year. It was the first time we beat Syracuse in 24 years. I didn't even play; didn't even see the field. But, just beating them and the emotion throughout the whole game. What I felt, I had never felt anything like that before because I was just coming out of high school and I had never experienced that type of win before. That was definitely my most memorable win.
Miller: What is your favorite lacrosse moment outside UMass?
Deane: Outside UMass? That's a tough one. I went to a small high school where we weren't really recognized and we went down to play Severn, my brother's high school team. I wanted to play him throughout my four years of high school, so my senior year I got to go down there and play him over spring break. We went down to Florida and scrimmaged them. I wanted to show Maryland that they (Severn) were not the only place where lacrosse is being played. Severn is a top-five program in the high school circuit. So we went down there and for the first face-off, my brother came out and faced off against me. He actually beat me, and we got beaten very badly. But I just wanted to go down there and play the best, and I got the chance to play against my brother, so it was one of my most memorable moments.
Miller: What has been your main goal as team captain this year?
Deane: My main goal as the team captain is to try to set an example and try to get the guys ready to play, not only in the games but also in practice. We try to do that everyday, all of the captains and the seniors on this team try to get them ready to play. I just come out and try to lead these guys and try to talk to the younger guys, try to get them going. We are trying our best as seniors (and some junior leaders too) to set a good example.
Miller: If you could play a second sport at UMass, what would it be?
Deane: I would probably want to play football because I think football is a great team sport, with a lot of camaraderie. I love defense on football, so I would probably try to play football.
Miller: When you are not playing lacrosse or studying, you are...
Deane: I like to sleep. I'm a sleeper. But that's kind of boring. I like to go play pool, I play it a lot. I like to watch TV. I just like to relax because lacrosse takes up a lot of my time here. I hang around with my friends and talk about random stuff, not even lacrosse, just crack jokes on people and relax.
Miller: What is your plan for next year?
Deane: Right now I haven't had a lot of time, but I would like have a job by this time next year. I want to open up my own lacrosse bar/restaurant. That won't happen next year, so maybe next year I will go someplace warm. It's a little too cold up here for me, I'm not sure I want to stay up here for the rest of my life. But hopefully next year, I find a job with a hotel or restaurant.
Miller: What would the restaurant be like?
Deane: It is going to have TVs everywhere, playing old game films of Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, and UMass. Old highlights. Lacrosse everywhere. It's going to be in a lacrosse town too, a place where lacrosse is well-known. It's going to be a relaxed place where everyone can come. Kids can come in and I'm going to have a fastest shot contest where people can test how fast their shot is. Little kids can bring in their sticks. I have some good ideas, but we'll see.
Miller: What are you going to miss most about college?
Deane: I'm going to miss my teammates the most. I've grown into some great friendships here and I'm going to miss the guys. I love the guys. I love this team. They are great people, including the coaches. The college atmosphere, I'll miss that too, but it's basically my friends, the guys on the team that I'll probably miss the most.
Miller: What is playing on your iPod right now?
Deane: Everyone has different ways to get ready for the game. For me, I listen to one song for two hours before every game. You might think it's weird, or just different, but it just gets me going. The song is Eminem "Til I Collapse" and I will just put that on repeat nonstop for two hours and I won't talk to anyone. That's my song. I also like Dave Matthews, but I don't listen to that before games.
Miller: What are your favorite movies?
Deane: One of my favorite movies, you've probably never heard of it, its called "Youngblood." It's a really old movie about a hockey player. I like "Wedding Crashers." That just came out but its pretty funny. I just got done watching "Cocktail" the other night, with Tom Cruise. I thought that was a pretty good movie too. So I have a bunch of favorite movies.
Miller: Your hometown is Annapolis, Maryland, but you went to high school in Connecticut. Can you explain this?
Deane: I went to a boarding school, a prep school in Connecticut called Salisbury School. I've been away from home since I was 15. I decided to go up there because I just needed a change of scenery and a little bit more independence. I probably wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't done that, so it was the right decision for me in the long run. It was tough, going away from home at age 15, but I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't done it, so I'm glad I did it.
Miller: What weather do you like better?
Deane: You know, I don't mind the snow, but I'd rather it snow a lot up here or be very, very warm so I actually like the Maryland weather better.
Miller: What's one thing you wish you had known as a freshman?
Deane: Lacrosse wise, the first practice I ever had was the toughest thing I have ever done in my entire life. I didn't think I was going to make it through here. That practice was so hard, and still to this day, it was the hardest practice I've ever had. Socially, you come into UMass from high school, and it's like the real world. People are doing different things and you're not "the man" like you were in high school. There were so many different people and I got to know a lot of different people. So it was a good experience for me.
