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Pete thrives as two-sport athlete
By A.J. Speier
On March 25, 2012
Being a college freshman can be overwhelming. Adjusting to a heavy workload and the daily stresses of school are just some of the challenges that underclassmen face after high school.
Ask anyone on the Buffalo State football team or track team, though, and they'll tell you they know one
person who can handle it -multi-sport standout Rich Pete.
Pete is a Thomas R. Proctor High School graduate who was regarded as a big-time track prospect and
highly-touted running back. He was a Class AA all-state running back, but decided to enroll at Buffalo
State to play a role in rebuilding the football program and join an up-and-coming track team.
"I decided to come to Buffalo State because on my visit, I really felt a connection with the players and
I felt that they had the same goal that I had," Pete said. "We all had the similar mentality of what we
wanted to do and where we wanted to take the program.
"For track, I really liked the coaches," he continued. "On the boys' team, they had just come off a
SUNYAC championship, so I thought it was a great program to be at for me."
Pete thrived in his first season with the Bengals' football team, rushing for 753 yards and nine
touchdowns on just 100 carries. He also caught 13 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. He
finished up with four NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Week Awards and was given an All-NJAC team
Honorable Mention.
Pete began the season as a backup to Ismail Brooks, but after Brooks went down with an injury, Pete
had to step up in the Bengals' first home game against Western Connecticut. He didn't disappoint,
rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Pete would continue his success at home, rushing for 436 yards and four touchdowns on 46 carries in
Buffalo State's final four home games.
Pete credited Brooks for making his transition to Buffalo State so easy.
"All I told him was that college was going to be quite the experience, but it's what you put into it as
far as your books and your football career and the profession that you're going to eventually pursue,"
Brooks said. "Basically, I told him if you're not here for yourself, you're here for your future family and I
introduced him to a couple guys around campus who he was able to rally around."
In indoor track, Pete had similar success as he finished his season with the Bengals' best long jump of
6.89 meters and had the third-best distance in triple jump with 13.4 meters.
"He's a very solid jumper," said track and field head coach Eugene Lewis. "My expectation is that he is
going to continue to get better with the jumps and he's going to be a very serious threat conference-
wise. He's on the brink of becoming a national-caliber athlete on a consistent basis."
Heading into the outdoor season, Lewis said the plan is to get Pete involved in the 100-meter.
"So far in his freshman year, he's done very well," Lewis said. "There were some things that we felt like
could've done a lot better, but the adjustment of doing two sports in high school and college is a little
more difficult and I think he's on the brink of getting a feel for that. As we transition into outdoor, we
expect him to do a lot better.
"Right now, we're just going to focus on the 100-meter," Lewis continued. "He has the ability to go up to
the 200-meters, but right now we're going to really work on the 100."
A.J. Speier can be reached by email at speier.record@live.com.
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