1st & 10 with Germaine Race

Germaine Race is one of the most decorated players in the 100-year history of the Pitt State football program.

A native of Warrensburg, MO, Germaine was a talented and punishing running back for the Gorillas from 2003-2006.  As a four-year starter for the Gorillas, Race scored 658 career points – the most points in the history of college football at the time (currently No. 2 all-time).  Germaine also rushed for 6,985 career rushing yards – the all-time NCAA Division II record at the time (currently No. 2 all-time).

Upon the conclusion of his career, Race’s name appeared in the NCAA all-time record book 22 times.

A three-time All-American, Race twice was a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the NCAA Division II Player of the Year, finishing fourth in national balloting in 2005 and third overall in 2006.

Following his collegiate career, Race signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League.  A foot injury suffered in the 2007 NFL Preseason cut short his professional career.

He has since returned to campus to continue pursuing his bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State.  This February, he will travel to Austria to play in the European Football League for the St. Pölten Invaders.

Germaine is engaged to be married in October to Frontenac native Whitney Brunetti.

1. What does being a Pitt State Gorilla mean to you?

“I think being a Gorilla is having a sense of pride and prestige.  You feel this entitlement to being great and expecting nothing but the greatest from yourself and from others.  You don’t lay down when things get hard; you step up to the plate and encourage challenges.”

2. What makes Pittsburg State such a special place for a student-athlete?

“I think the one thing that truly makes this place so great for a student-athlete is the fact that there is so much support from the community.  People love their Gorillas through the good and the bad.  There’s a sense of being a family with all of Pittsburg.”

3. What is your favorite thing about Pittsburg, outside of football?

“I love the community involvement and all of the support that we’re given as players for one, but I also really enjoy the small town feel of Pittsburg.  Everyone here is nice to you and when you walk into a place in town, people will almost always recognize you and want to talk to you about Pitt State football.  Also, there are plenty of things to do here and plenty of time to hang out with your friends.  You can do anything from going out with your friends to going fishing or hunting with them.”

4. What is the one attribute of PSU that was most influential in making the decision to attend PSU over all of the other schools that recruited you?

“I came from a town where people weren’t really adamant about their sports in town.  I remember driving into Pittsburg with my mother and I saw all of the split-face Gorilla flags hanging on people’s houses.  I was truly in shock at how much pride people had for Pitt State football and for the school.  At that moment I knew that I wanted to go to Pitt State.”

5. Tell us about the transition from playing high school football while living at home in Warrensburg, to moving into the dorms at PSU and playing in the MIAA, the most competitive football conference in Division II football.  Was this a challenge for you?

“The transition moving from home wasn’t really that hard.  I looked at it as an adventure, and an opportunity to meet new people.  As for as the game, it stayed the same, but the speed, size and knowledge of the game grows.  I remember the first run play I ran…I saw this big hole open up and the next thing I knew it was closed.  At that point, I realized that the level of football had gone up another notch.  But it was just like anything else; once you’re       around it and you’re integrated into the system, it’s still the same football that you’ve been playing since you were a kid.”

6. What was the best part of living in the dorms as a freshman? Or what was your favorite thing to do while living in the dorms?

“I think the best part about living in the dorms was that you were always around your buddies.  They were never too far away and there was always someone to play Madden with or go to the dining hall with.  I loved it.  It was like having a sleep over with your buddies and they never leave.”

7. How exciting was your first experience in the NFL?  Was it a difficult transition as a D-II athlete?  Were you treated differently or did you feel disadvantaged in any way?

“I loved playing in the NFL.  The transition from D-II wasn’t hard physically because physically I knew I was talented enough to play at that level.  The hardest part for me was going from a simple play book to a huge play book.  One thing that I really liked about the NFL was that I was treated just like every other rookie there.  It doesn’t matter what school you come from, all that matters is that when given a shot, you either perform or you don’t, and that is what decides your future the majority of the time.”

8. We’ve seen the YouTube video of you scoring your first touchdown for the San Diego Chargers, and it seems that you had some real support from some of your friends or guys that you played with!  Do you still keep up with your former teammates?

“Yes, I do.  That’s one of the greatest things about playing here.  I’ve continued a relationship with the majority, if not all, of the guys that I played with.  I think the majority, if not all, of the guys in my wedding are teammates, so yes I have kept and continue to keep those friendships going.”

9. Tell us about your experience playing for Coach Tim Beck.  What was that relationship like?  How did he treat you as a player?  What quality does he have as a coach that you enjoyed the most?

“To me, Coach Beck is one of the best coaches I have been around in my entire football career.  I love the way he coaches.  You can tell he loves the game and has a true passion, which is important.  Coach Beck and I had a great relationship.  He’s what I like to call a real “players coach.”  He’s easy to talk to and he understands his players, and over my four years here, we established a friendship that still continues today.  I still go up to coaches’ office and chat from time to time.  That’s the great thing about Coach Beck, he’s just one of those coaches that you know you will never forget.  He played such a huge role in me growing as a player and as a man.”

10. Lastly, if you can think of just one, what was your single favorite moment while playing at PSU?

“I don’t think I have a single favorite moment because there were so many, but I would have to say that aside from the games, I think the best part was the friendships that I built and how much fun we had traveling and playing together, which has made for a great story I

can one day tell my kids.”

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