Not only does USC boast word-class athletes, but world-class student-athletes as well. Each month we will profile one of these outstanding Trojans who has chosen to pursue coursework in either the science, technology, engineering or math field (STEM).
Name: Reggie Southall
Sport: Baseball
Year: RS Sophomore
Major: Human Biology
Sarah Bergstrom (SB): Why did you decide to come to USC?
Reggie Southall (RS): I decided to come to USC because I think it was the best academic opportunity I had and also the best athletic opportunity with the history of Trojan baseball. I just wanted to be a part of that.
SB: Did you know what you wanted to study when you first arrived here?
RS: Yes. I think my sophomore year of high school I knew I wanted to do a kinesiology-type major. I wanted to learn about the human body because I figured that knowing how my body works would help me perform on the field better. That was something I decided very early. A lot of people told me that doing a science major was going to be hard but I think I've done alright.
SB: How have you been able to balance baseball and your major? Baseball has more games than almost any other sport, is it tough to find time to get everything done?
RS: Balancing is key. When we travel I'm doing homework on the plane and if I'm in the hotel room I'm usually working on stuff too. You've got to prioritize and know what's important and what's not. I remember when we played at Stanford I was in the lobby until probably 1 a.m. working on a lab report for biology. When something's due you have to just bear down and do it. Being a science major is very homework-intensive.
SB: Have you always liked science?
RS: Yeah, I've always loved math and science. My mom was a teacher so since I was young school always came first. When I started school, my mom always instilled in me that without academics I would never be able to play sports, especially the older I get. I've always seen that having that academic side will open more doors for you.
SB: Do you know what you want to do down the road with your human biology major?
RS: I think I might want to go to physical therapy school or physician's assistant school.
SB: You said you wanted to study human biology because it could help you as a baseball player. What do you see translate from what you learn in class to what you do on the field?
RS: Some of the biggest things I've learned more about is nutrition and hydration. Just how important it is to keep your body hydrated and keeping certain amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. You need a lot of energy to play baseball and it's important to understand how your body metabolizes all of that.
SB: Transferring to baseball now, how do you feel like you and your team have developed in the past couple years?
RS: There were 17 of us when we came in freshman year. It was a young group. I've definitely personally seen myself grow a lot physically, I've gotten a lot bigger, I've definitely matured a lot mentally, just understanding the game better. I think as a team, that's the reason we've been more successful because we are all maturing as a group. If we can get everybody on that track then we will be very good.
SB: What does it mean to you to be a USC athlete?
RS: It means a lot to me to wear that SC on my sleeve. Just walking around and seeing people wearing USC shirts gives me a certain amount of happiness knowing that I go there and that I get to be a part of that legacy. I'm living a life that a lot of people want to live and I'm very blessed for that.
