San Antonio – Brett Collier has experienced nearly all the highs and lows a student-athlete can experience in his four years as a Rattler. As a freshman he earned All-Heartland Conference honors, then had to sit out the majority of his sophomore season with an injury. He helped the Rattlers to contention for the Heartland Conference Championship and saw his team struggle last season.

The senior from Schertz will finish his career as a St. Mary’s University men’s soccer player as one of the top goalkeepers in school history. In his four years as a Rattler he has 11 shutouts, the second most for a player in school history and is the program’s all-time leader in saves with 239. Sunday he will set a new school record for games played in a career with 72.

Collier and the Rattlers will wrap up the 2009 season on Sunday when they host St. Edward’s University at 1 p.m. at St. Mary’s University Soccer Field. Recently Collier talked about a wide range of subjects, including his time at St. Mary’s, his heroes and his future plans.

Q: When do you graduate?
A:
Dec. 2010

Q: What is your major?
A:
Psychology

Q: What do you plan on doing after graduation?
A:
Maybe play soccer, definitely go to graduate school.

Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment as a member of the Rattler team?
A:
Sophomore year, beating Incarnate Word at home. It was pretty cool.

Q: What has been the most difficult thing you have had to overcome?
A:
I broke my left arm sophomore year.

Q: What will you miss most about St. Mary’s University after you graduate?
A:
The atmosphere, I think it’s a really cool, laid back place.

Q: What motivates you to succeed?
A:
Trying to prove people wrong, especially those who have doubted me.

Q: If you could change anything about the past four years, what would it be and why?
A:
I don’t know if I’d change anything. I have had a lot of learning experiences in the four years I’ve been here.

Q: What do you do in your spare time outside of school and soccer?
A:
I hang out a lot; I like to just take it easy. Sit at the house, hang out with my roommates. I’m a big movie buff.

Q: Does your family come down to see your games?
A:
All the time, they only live like 30 minutes away, so it’s cool that they can do that. Even when I didn’t play they’d come to the games.

Q: Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?
A:
Not really. I like to take a nap before games. I like to lay there and listen to music.

Q: How long have you been playing soccer?
A:
Since I was six years old.

Q: Who are your role models in soccer?
A:
Oliver Kahn and probably Pelé.

Q: Who are your role models outside of soccer?
A:
My dad is a role model, and Denzel Washington; I like to try to live up to Denzel. Tom Brady’s definitely a role model too. If I can do anything Tom Brady’s done in my life I’ll be happy.

Q: Do you play any other sports?
A:
I used to, but I stopped in high school to play soccer. I played baseball and basketball; I still like to dabble a little every now and then.

Q: What was the best advice you were ever given?
A:
When I became captain of the team and one of the former captains told me “you can’t change anybody” so I try to take that and use it in practice and games

Q: What can you take from your soccer life and incorporate into your everyday life?
A:
Dedication, don’t quit, stick things out and be passionate about what you’re doing.

Q: What are your favorite sports and teams to watch?
A:
Favorite soccer team is Manchester United; my favorite country is, of course, USA. And that’s probably the thing I’m most passionate about, U.S. soccer. I’m a Spurs fan, I like the Red Sox, and I like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I’m a big sports fan (in general). If it’s not on ESPN it’s not news. You can watch Sportscenter like three different times back-to-back-to-back and still find out new stuff. First thing I do when I wake up is watch Sportcenter.

Q: What advice would you give to an incoming freshman on the soccer team?
A:
Stick it out and make the most of your time. It’s going to be hard and it’s going to go by fast, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Q: What has been the most embarrassing thing you have had happen to you in college?
A:
I really don’t have any shame so not a lot of stuff embarrasses me. I was at a party my freshman year with some of the older soccer guys who are gone, I fell asleep on the couch, and I woke up with some stuff written all over my face and I didn’t realize it until I got back to the dorms the next morning when the RA saw it and told me about it. That was pretty funny.

Q: What challenge of your sport do you not find in any other sport?
A:
The conditioning! There is so much running in soccer. That’s one thing I won’t miss: two a days.

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