Today I sat down with Garrett Wymore '13, the inspirational middle linebacker for the Big Green football team, recipient of the Earl P. Hamilton Award for freshman MVP and one-time preseason All-Ivy. Wymore, who has started at middle linebacker since walking onto the team as a freshman, provides a powerful inside presence. The 6' 2", 215 lbs. product of the Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, Calif., has racked up 90 tackles so far in his career and looks forward to delivering more bone-crunching hits this fall. In addition to being a potent athlete, Wymore packs a punch in the classroom, pursuing dual degrees in neuroscience and economics and earning a place in the Second Honors Group.
What movie best represents your life?I've been described as a worse-looking Taylor Lautner from Twilight, so I try and go with that.
Some have described you as "not the biggest, but the nicest." What do you say to that?I'd say that's a motto that I try to live by. I'm a little undersized on the field, but I make up for it with my quick wits and general athleticism.
What is your shoe size?I like my shoe the way I like my class year 13.
Do you like playing football?I love it. I live for it. Every day I wake up and say how lucky I am to see the field one more time.
What's your favorite part of football?The camaraderie and the locker room atmosphere after a big win.
How has the team been preparing for this season?The entire '13 class has been on this summer busting it every day with our new strength trainer, trying to be in the best shape in the Ivy League.
What are your personal goals for this season?I want to be a part of an Ivy League championship team and whatever it takes to achieve that I will do.
So you feel like the Big Green men are contenders, not pretenders, this year?Absolutely. The players expect it, the coaches expect it, the alumni expect it. But we have to earn it.
How do you feel about the upcoming night game against Penn?I think it's going to be a big opportunity for us to beat the two-time defending Ivy League champs, and I hope we get a big crowd out because its going to be a key moment in our season.
I've heard you've become fond of miniature donkeys lately. Can you elaborate on that?They do everything a dog can. Miniature donkeys possess the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland, the resignation of a cow, the durability of a mule, the courage of a tiger, and the intellectual capability only slightly inferior to man's.
Why neuroscience and economics? What are you trying to prove?Part of it is that I have a family originally from the Midwest who didn't understand the liberal arts model, so pursuing more practical disciplines makes more sense. And neuroscience is just for fun and personal interest.
You think you're something special, don't you?Not at all. We're all special in our own way.
What else do you do on campus?I am a brother at the Boom Boom Lodge, Theta Delta Chi, and enjoy going on Bait and Bullet trips, especially skeet shooting. I love long days on the river and floating on the Connecticut. That's when I feel so lucky to go to Dartmouth.
Why should we care about football?Football has been a founding part of the Ivy League, and Dartmouth football has the strongest legacy in the League. Going to football games at college is a huge part of American culture.
What are your hopes for this season as sophomore Summer winds down and you get back on your grind?I can only hope that we will put in enough work and will have a bit of good fortune so that in late November we'll be holding up that Ivy League trophy.
