Congratulations to July’s Alumni of the month, Barry Walsh!
When did you play?
2005-2009
What position did you play?
Wing/Centre
What was your favorite memory as a member of the club?
Winning the 2007 Midwest Championship game against St. John’s University of Minnesota, where my brother was the starting fullback. I played on the wing in that one, so we matched up a lot. Outside of helping our teams win, the only thing on either of our minds was making sure the other didn’t find the tryzone. I was surrounded by inspiring teammates that year, with a special shout-out to our captain Tex Texington (Aaron Dodd), who has done as much for the club over the years as anyone I can think of. I’d also like to mention guys like Matt Trenary, Karl Seibert, Matt Russell, and Dan Kuriluk who immediately brought me under their tutelage on the pitch, while Kevin Mulligan, Nick Harris, Nick Dyrda, and Ben Frey helped show me the way off the pitch.
Did you receive any special honors as part of the club
Inaugural Scrumpy Jack Award Winner
What are you doing now?
I’m a treasury options trader at Optiver, living just outside Chicago with my wife (Brigid) and two daughters (Laura and Lily).
Any Interesting Stories?
I have endless stories and memories from my days with the club, but most of them can only be shared over a pint at the tavern. For those who were there, Halloween in Columbus during the playoffs sticks out (just barely). Also, some of my finest memories with the club came on tour, so I can’t say enough for the young guys out there how important it is to go with the club on spring tour. I’ll never forget drawing the prankster “P” out of the hat in Mexico City my freshman year, and all the fun we had with that.
