BFS High School Athlete of the Year

BFS HS. By Greg Shepard Ross McQuivey of Salt Lake City, Utah is the 1989 the tenth recipient of this most award. Selections are based on athletic achievement in sports, the ability to overcome obstacles, scholarship, leadership, general character and the ability to put things into their proper perspective. Ross has proven his worth in all of the above areas and is most deserving of this honor.

Ross was an All-State lineman twice (2nd Team as a sophomore, and Ist team as a junior) and was selected to the following high school pre-season All-America & Ross a 6-4 230 pound lineman was selected to many pre-season All-America teams including Street & Smiths, and USA Today teams: Scholastic Coach, USA Today, Street & Smith’s Magazine, and Magazine. Highland High School is most proud of Ross and his football Coach Tom Kingsford said, “The first thing you have to know about Ross is that he’s very dedicated and unselfish. He is very giving of himself and a good motivator. At one point, we found that Ross wasn’t gaining any weight because he spent so many hours in the weightroom.

So, we had to watch him and kick him out of the weight room on occasion.” It seemed like Ross was set to have an extraordinary senior year. After all, he had 19 sacks as a junior but then it happened. On the last play of practice early in the season, Ross incurred a second degree tear of the medial collateral ligament of his right knee. “I felt it pop, ” remembered Ross. “It scared me. I’ve always dreaded a knee injury. | didn’t know what would happen or how long I'd be out.” The doctor decided against surgery and to isolate his leg in a walking apparatus. Therapy started the following day with leg raises. extensions were done.

After two weeks, Ross was fitted with a state-of-the-art playing brace which you see in the photos of this story. Within five weeks, Ross was ready to play. The doctor knew how precious a young man’s senior year is especially with the amount of work put in by Ross. As long as he did not take another hit on the side of the knee, Ross could play without further damaging his knee. It will take six moriths to fully heal. Ross comes from a real football family. His brother Shayne plays center at the University of Utah.

His dad, Wayne McQuivey, who coaches the running backs at the same institution jokingly said to his son, “Ross, it’s your decision on where you want to go to school, but if you don’t come to Utah, Ill lose my job.” Ross believes having a dad coach at a major college has been a big advantage. “I’ve seen what it’s like,” he Ross has a top Bench Press of 325 pounds. 14 said, “to see the intensity and workouts - other kids can ATHLETE OF THE YEAR only dream about it. My dad has given me gentle pushes of encouragement at times. He'll ask me if I’ve watched films or not.” Last Spring Ross worked out with his buddy Tony Wilde.

They would finish their sets and i in the BES log, book and thei iock the Weigiil POU. and do extra sets and run,” related Ross, “but then my coaches and dad found out that I was overworking. My dad got up and fixed me breakfast. | ate sandwiches between classes. weight shot up from 215 to 230 in a month. My maxes also shot way up.” “I was accused of being on steroids. I] never want to take them. I’ve seen what they do to people. I did a 15 page research paper on steroids and learned the bad effects outweigh any good effects. You can do it naturally but it does take hard work.” Ross gives it everything he’s got during workouts.

Sometimes, he can’t raise his arms and drags out of the weight room. “But I’ve learned to like that feeling,” confided Ross, “when I get up in the morning and feel strong, I like it. It’s good. The first thing I do in the weight room is look at rep records and set records in my BFS Log Book. | plan on breaking records. I say to myself that I’m going to break this record by five pounds or that I can smash this one. Boy, I'll tell you, it feels so great to break them. | love the feeling after breaking those records. It carries you through the whole day. I feel better about myself and even sleep better.” In Ross’ junior year he got a “B”

in college algebra and it pulled his overall GPA down to a 3.97. From then on, he was committed to getting A’s. “It’s not that hard,” maintains Ross. homework.” When asked about skipping class, Ross offered, “I had some friends that invited me to skip. I decided not to. | don’t like being behind or being unprepared. | believe in doing extra. If extra points are available, | always do it. I believe in doing the maximum not the minimum.”

Ross has grown up with the idea of going into premed at college. College recruiters really get excited when they look at Ross’ transcripts. Ross stated, “People tell me that I can go anywhere because of my work ethic and grades. I'll stay up all night for finals. Sometimes my friends go out but I'll stay and get things done. It all pays off in the end.” Ross is just as committed on his stance against drug and alcohol abuse and revealed, “I’ve never had a sip of alcohol and I’m proud to say it. Before the season, we told the team, as captains, that if you drink we'll kick you off the team.

Ross’ best lift is his 295 pound Power Clean. 15 that’s what you want to do but now, for this football team, we’re not going to do it.

“At a New Year’s Eve party, everybody was drunk.

It’s not my atmosphere. Everyone knows I don’t drink now so they leave me alone or they'll buy me some soft drinks. I’m still accepted. No one has ever offered mea drug but I know you could find it if you wanted.”

Ross has attended a religion class for one hour a day since the ninth grade and gives this testimony, “The most important aspect of life is my belief in the Lord and what he has given us. This belief has helped me get through things and given me the right perspective of life.

| love my family and want to have a great family like mom and dad have provided for me. They’ve given me a lot of love and so I want to help my future family be happy and successful. I just want to be the best I can be with my family, in the classroom and with my athletic and career goals.” To complete this article, 1 had to take some action photos of Ross playing football. during the fourth quarter. The Highland Rams were behind in a crucial league game. The other team just took over on offense. I told Ross as he prepared to go in on defense that it was nitty-gritty time.

I started to line up my camera on Ross from his defensive tackle position but before I could get it focused, the play started. Ross knifed through, swatted the ball loose and pounced on the fumble. My finger went click and you see Ross with the ball and his knee brace in the top Ross looking forward to the future. photo, on page 15. The offense took over and went 25 His dedication in all areas makes for a bright one. yards for the winning touchdown. I suspect that Ross McQuivey’s Upper Limit life will always go like this. He deserves success because he’s earned it.

Beautiful Record Board at Highland High.

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From BFS Magazine — November/December 1989. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).