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MU Notebook: Redbirds' center St-Pierre a player with options
Nothing like owning options when staring at the rest of your life.
Jonathan St-Pierre has earned that luxury, absorbing every positive morsel of the student-athlete experience. Illinois State's senior center has already strolled across the stage twice to accept undergraduate degrees and is on course for a master's within nine months.
So, St-Pierre is all set to pursue a career beyond football, correct? Actually, the resume continues.
The Longueuil, Quebec, Canada native (try saying that five times fast; actually try saying it just once) was selected in the Canadian Football League draft's second round this year by defending champion Saskatchewan. Quite a volume of work for a young man who also transferred midstream of his college career from Miami (Fla.).
"I never wanted to fall short of the accomplishments I had set and my dreams," St-Pierre said. "School has always been very important to me."
So important that between semesters at Illinois State, located near Bloomington in Normal, Ill., to Miami to complete his bachelor's in business administration. St-Pierre also has earned a bachelor's in economics from ISU. By May 2009, a master's in economics is scheduled to join his decorated wall.
No longer on scholarship with the Hurricanes, St-Pierre had to pay for his final course at a price of $1,250 per credit hour -- plus the cost of flights.
"It was quite expensive," St-Pierre said with a laugh.
St-Pierre can add another considerable accomplishment this weekend by leading his team past Marshall University. Both teams' season opener kicks off at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium and the game will be televised by WOWK (Huntington-Charleston), WVNS (Beckley-Bluefield) and WBOY (Clarksburg).
St-Pierre and a cousin are the lone members of his family to attend college. He's obviously taken full advantage of opportunities provided to student-athletes instead of treating academics as an afterthought, a drive born from a desire to do his parents proud. Neither his parents nor his grandparents attended college.
"That was one of the great motivators for me to keep grinding and taking as many classes as I could," he said.
Interestingly, classwork mettle doesn't tell the rest of St-Pierre's story. During his playing days at Miami, his roommate was a promising young special teams speedster named Devin Hester, now the NFL's most dangerous kick returner who will serve double duty as wide receiver this season with the Chicago Bears.
"He's amazing out there," St-Pierre said. "He's so quick. It doesn't make sense. He's just a playmaker.
"He didn't play a lot of offense or defense, but when he'd return he'd bring the Orange Bowl down. It was a great motivation to see how he played, and he was a humble, quiet person.
"He was great to look up to."
Professional football also could loom for St-Pierre, either in Saskatchewan or in the NFL. Regardless, this versatile, self-motivated student-athlete has options.
"I have an opportunity to go there (the CFL) or I could work for any firm that would like to hire an economist," he said with a laugh. "I'm not sure, but I wanted to put all of the (work) in I could to give myself more leverage in making a decision in life."
Anthony Hanshew covers Marshall football for The Herald-Dispatch. He can be reached at 526-2766. His e-mail address is hanshew@herald-dispatch.com.
H-D radio begins today
HUNTINGTON -- H-D Radio is on the air today.
The premier of H-D Radio, a weekly show hosted by sports columnist Chuck Landon of The Herald-Dispatch, is 6 p.m. on WRVC 930-AM. The program airs live from Gino's Pub, leading into Marshall University football head coach Mark Snyder's call-in show beginning at 7 p.m.
Landon's guests today are Marshall football beat writer Anthony Hanshew and sports editor Rick McCann.
The show will be replayed in the hour prior to the tailgate show on Marshall football broadcasts.
