Feb. 27, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - Senior attackman Rob "G-Berts" Gannon from Port Washington, N.Y., took some time to get Red Storm lacrosse fans geared up for this weekend's conference-opener against No. 9/11 Georgetown.

Gannon has been a consistent point-scorer for St. John's (0-2, 0-0) in his past three years with the team.

"Rob is an excellent right-handed, off-ball threat, but he has really worked at being as much as a menace with the ball as his is off the ball," said head coach Jason Miller. "Gannon sets a great example with his effort."

RedStormSports.com: Last week, Felix named you as the player on the team that most inspires him. How do you feel about being a role model on the squad and would you say the same about him or any of the other seniors?
Rob Gannon: It felt great to be named as a role model on the squad. It especially meant a lot to me coming from someone on the same level as myself. I have nothing but the best to say about Felix along with the other eight seniors on the squad. We've been through a lot together the last couple years and we all share a special bond being the first recruiting class of the program's reinstatement.

RSS: Who gave you the nickname `G-berts' and why?
Gannon: I got that nickname when I was younger from my buddy, Jon Oliva. The "G" stands for the first letter in my last name and the "Berts" comes from the second part of my first.

RSS: What's your favorite quote from coach Miller?
Gannon: "Everything is positive on game day, the next play is always coming." Coach always says this to us before a game. It's reassuring and helps calm the nerves a little bit. It reminds us that no matter what happens, there's always another opportunity coming our way.

RSS: You named fishing as one of your hobbies. What's your favorite type of fishing and why?
Gannon: I started fishing at a young age with my dad. My favorite type of fishing is definitely going for big striped bass. The North Shore of Long Island is a great area for bass fishing, something the South Shore kids on the team (DeMarco) claim they know a thing or two about.

RSS: What is your favorite thing to order from Qdoba?
Gannon: The chicken and cheese quesadilla, you can never go wrong with a quesadilla!

RSS: What are you thoughts going down to Georgetown this weekend with them ranked No.9/11? Is there anything specific you personally want to accomplish?
Gannon: It doesn't really matter what Georgetown is ranked, the number doesn't change what we know. We know they're a top-notch team and in order to have success against them our level of team play this week in practice and in the game is going to have to be at the top. The Quinnipiac game is already behind us and all we can do is learn and grow from it. Like coach says, "the Super Bowl Champs started their season 0-2"

RSS: In the ECAC, who is the best player you've ever played against and why?
Gannon: Defensemen Brodie Merrill from Georgetown, he was just a beast on the field with some serious athletic talent.

RSS: What is the best advice you have ever gotten, why and from whom?
Gannon: The best advice I've ever been given actually comes from a bus driver we had while on trip down in Kentucky for a game. His name was Beanie. He was something like a three-time national Bus Driver of the Year and he kept telling us during the trip, "anything worth doing, is worth over doing." It was just a strong statement because you could tell how his professionalism, love, and level of dedication towards his job had really led him to a happy lifestyle. I am pretty sure that a bunch of the guys on the team were impacted by him. He still comes up in conversations almost every away trip we have.

RSS: What are your expectations for the '08 lacrosse season?
Gannon: I expect that we'll be a team that has the heart and desire to fight through every obstacle thrown our way. At this point in the season being 0-2 we have to stand together and fight to overcome our tough conference schedule ahead.

RSS: What is your favorite St. John's lacrosse memory?
Gannon: My greatest memory is probably the first time we played Georgetown at home our freshman year. It was a huge turning point in a bunch of our lacrosse careers along with an eye-opener to what level of lacrosse we would be facing the next four years of our lives.

Check back with RedStormSports.com next week to meet senior midfielder Graeme Gillespie!

To receive updated information on St. John's men's lacrosse or submit questions for the Red Storm Seniors please send an email to Kristin Duffy at stjcommunications@stjohns.edu with the subject Men's Lacrosse E-mail.