SirQuarius Ball is happy he switched schools to Olivet College, both for the sake of playing football and for preparing for his career in sports management.
He feels fulfilled but he still will consider finishing with an extra fifth year, similar to our recent report on Moira Joiner with MSU basketball.
The Bridgeport High School standout completed his senior season in 2023 with 38 pass catches for 694 yards and five touchdowns, by far the best totals of his college career. He reached a peak when he was named MIAA (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Athlete of the Week.
New NCAA rules allow student-athletes to stay for a fifth year beyond the traditional four, as long as they continue coursework as graduate students. This would be no barrier for Ball, who gets so many ‘A’ grades in the classroom that he still recalls (and disagrees with) his only ‘B’ this year.
“I’m strongly considering the chance to stay,” Ball says. “In addition to another year of football, this would be a chance to take master’s degree classes while looking into some coaching internships.”
At 6-foot-5, the young man known as “Q-Ball,” or simply “Q” to family and friends, led the Bridgeport Bearcats to school-history success in both football and basketball, a sport in which he still strives as a recreational player. He was recruited to Grand Valley State, where the situation did not work out, and so he took advantage of an offer from Olivet College, a small private school southwest of Lansing that is name-changing to University of Olivet.
“Everything happens for a reason,” says Ball, looking ahead rather than dwelling on the past. His scholarship support is not a full ride, and so he works as a groundskeeper on the Olivet campus.
On Linked In, he writes:
“I am currently a college student, studying Sport Recreation and Management with aspirations on becoming a coach. I have strong technical and communication skills therefore I am someone who can be very dependable for a company.
“My passion lies in coaching the youth of our society. I am driven by knowing that there are so many different ways to help the youth through sport and guide them in the right direction to help send them on a positive path in life.
“In my current studies, I’ve taken on various leadership roles, including coaching a youth football team, coordinating game plans as well as workout scripts, and leading various study groups.
“I’m graduating in May of 2024 and I’m interested in a full-time coaching or athletic training position. Please feel free to get in touch with me via email at qball2581@gmail.com.”
