Oregon redshirt sophomore linebacker Boseko Lokombo has been the team’s top reserve at outside linebacker this season, racking up 19 tackles, a sack and a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown against Nevada. Lokombo sat down with the Emerald to talk about Canadian high school football, video games and his year spent at South Eugene High School.
ODE: You’ve had a pretty effective season so far: a sack, a couple tackles for a loss. How do you feel like you’ve improved from your freshman year to now?
BL: I feel like my intensity has improved. Obviously my knowledge of the defense has improved, too. I just feel more comfortable, and I feel like I can contribute more because I’m comfortable, and I’m really just playing the game.
You played in Canada during high school. What’s the Canadian football scene like? It’s not a country that’s well-known for football.
Yeah. British Columbia, the province, they play American rules, so I just kind of grew up playing American rules. I know other provinces, they play Canadian rules, so that was the biggest difference, and that was the good thing that allowed me to learn the game better and faster. Just being able to play in British Columbia and transitioning from British Columbia to Eugene has really helped me a lot just to learn the defense and the game.
You played at South Eugene High School during your junior season, too. What was that like? Did that impact your decision at all to come here to the University?
Eugene is completely different in comparison to Vancouver, but it’s beautiful. The one thing I did like about Eugene is how friendly the environment is. People are friendly here, and they accept everyone. And in terms of football, I felt like I was able to transition easier coming from British Columbia to Eugene. I made a lot of friends, and I got a lot of help and a solid background — a lot of people who were able to help me and transition from high school to college.
I’ve never been to Vancouver. What’s your view of that city?
Vancouver’s beautiful. I think it’s a little bit bigger than Seattle. It rains a lot, obviously. Where I’m from, where I grew up, it’s in Abbotsford@@CE@@. It’s about 45 minutes away from Vancouver. And actually, Abbotsford is a lot like Eugene, but Vancouver is beautiful. It’s a beautiful city.
What do you like to do there when you go back home and visit?
I like to hang out with my family. I’ve got a big family; they’re always happy to see me. I have a few friends that I like to keep in touch with. You know, hang out with them, just sit back and reminisce about the good days.
What are your interests outside of football? What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to play video games a lot. Just sit back, put a video game in, put a movie in. You know, just do what typical college kids do: just relax and enjoy.
What video games are you playing right now?
I’m about to get the new game “Battlefield 3@@CE@@.” I think I’m gonna get it just to check it out, but I like to play everything. I got the “NCAA 11,” obviously I got “Madden”, I got some “Call of Duty@@CE all@@.” I’ve got a little bit of everything. Some RPG (role-playing games) too.
Who’s your team in “Madden”?
The Baltimore Ravens.
Nice. I know you played basketball and did some track in high school, too. What position do you usually play in basketball?
I played a lot of power forward, and I also started playing some shooting guard, too, and a little bit of point guard.
Do you still play basketball at all?
Yeah. I try to play basketball after the season, especially at the rec. And I’m actually on an intramural team, too, so right when the season’s over, I’m going to play some basketball.
I always ask people about music. What kind of music are you into?
I like to listen to everything. I go from listening to hip hop to, like, French music. There’s a guy named Soprano who’s really popular. But yeah, everything really.@@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soprano_%28rapper%29@@
Anything getting a lot of play on the iPod lately?
I’ve been playing a lot of Dom Kennedy, this guy from L.A. That’s been number one in my iPod.
Catching up with Boseko Lokombo
Daily Emerald
October 27, 2011
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