March Alumnus of the Month: Sequoyah Burke Combs

March’s Alumnus of the month is perhaps the youngest Alumnus to be featured. In his time with the team,

Sequoyah was a leader on the field who inspired those around him with his performance. He continues to play

rugby out in Seattle with the Saracens and was recently named Captain for their match against UBC last

month. Read what he has to say about his time with Michigan Rugby below.

When did you play?

2012-2015

What position?

I played outcenter, wing and flanker. I didn’t start playing flanker until my Junior year when coach Trenary

asked me to make the switch, at first I was very skeptical about being a forward but after finding out that

flankers were some of the more physical and involved players in the game I never wanted to play wing at the

wing again where the majority of time was spent standing, staying out of contact, and getting three or four

passes a game.

Any special honors? (i.e. captain, chair positions, midwest finals etc)

Second team all big ten 2012-2013

First team all big ten 2013-2014

Big Ten champions 2014

All American (7s) honorable mention 2015

Co-Captain 2014-2015

CRC 2014

CRC 2015

Favorite memories or teammates?

The rugby house, or black house as we called it, was home to many many memories and stories that are best

told in person. The greatest part about the rugby house was that it was a place for bonding and getting to know

other players off the field separate from just rugby players. Plenty of shenanigans went on in that house but it

was that weirdness that made us closer as a family and more willing to fight for one another on the field.

Another one of my favorite memories was at the CRC in 2014 when we went up against Ohio State in the last

game of pool play, not only did I already hate ohio state but they had previously beat us in 15s and 7s that

year, so we were in it to prove our worth and show how much hard work we’d put in. We went on to beat the

Buckeyes in that game and it was all the better because the whole country got to see it on national TV.

Favorite teammates? I love all the boys I played with, but the CRC teams were the ones I got closest with. Joel

Conzelman was always an inspiration to me for his calm demeanor, excessive work rate, and his ability to

always be working to make the team better.

What are you doing now?

Playing rugby for the Seattle Saracens and working for a moving company that Brandon Sparks, Michigan

Rugby’s current coach, had worked for and gotten me a job at while in Seattle. While out here in Seattle i’ve not

only had an opportunity to show the heart that Michigan Rugby but I was also selected as captain for the team

which was a very large accomplishment for me.

Any other interesting stories or info that you can provide?

One story of mine that was a nightmare come true when my alarm didn’t go off and I missed the bus for a game

against Purdue, luckily we won that game. One of my most impactful stories was our first year at the CRC,

coach Trenary always had us doing fun games for warmups while other teams were yelled at and completely

serious throughout the tournament. All the other teams mocked and resented us for our free spirits, but that

freedom let us play our games and to the surprise of all the haters, we won all of our pool games the first day.

Lastly, I cannot fully show my appreciation and love for this team. Before going to Michigan I had played

football and rugby at Grand Valley State University and when I arrived at Michigan I knew I might have the

difficult decision of choosing football or rugby. However, after my first practice with Michigan Rugby and seeing

the dedication the team put in while still having fun I knew the decision was easy, I was going to play rugby. As

time went on I learned that this was more than just another team, we were all a family and no matter the

outcome of the games we would always be there for one another our whole lives. We were a brotherhood.

All of these memories, stories, and accomplishments can be described with three words which will be imprinted

in my heart and soul all my life… Soiled Meat & Sand.