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Week 2
Ben
ROTHRAUFF

2002-2003

Where are living now?
Pittsburgh

Did you play collegiately?
Northwestern University

What are you doing now?
Orthopedic Surgery Residency

Married?  Children?
Not married. No children

What is the fondest memory from your playing career at DeSales?
In general, the camaraderie of the team and the friendships formed is what I continue to carry with me. I was fortunate to play collegiately, even on a decently large stage in the Big Ten, but the most fun I ever had playing football was under the Friday night lights of the old Alumni Stadium. If I had to choose single fondest memory, it would be the win over Cleveland St. Ignatius as the final regular season game of my senior season (2003).

What made playing for DeSales so special?
It is tough to put into words how special Stallion football was for me. My sister (Rachael) graduated in 1998 and was a cheerleader for the 1997 team that won States. That was an incredible season, culminating in an incredible championship game. My family moved to California for my seventh and eighth grades years in school and some of the consideration in moving back to Ohio was the opportunity to attend DeSales and play football under Coach Jacoby. While we fell short in winning a State Championship during my years, football was central to my high school experience, and certainly provided some of my fondest memories. Perhaps more importantly, the lessons learned on and off the field were some of the most important in my maturation into a man.

What was it like playing for Coach Jacoby?
I was fortunate to play for Coach Wiggins my freshman year, as he was in just his second year as the freshman coach. Obviously, he's now a staple of DeSales Football. Having played for Coach Jacoby on the varsity level was even more special, given what he did to build the program over the decades, including all those years of consecutive playoffs and Championships. Bob Jacoby was DeSales Football, and he had an incredible gift to get his players to buy into a shared mission of excellence.

What was your best game?
Statistically, the Watterson playoff game my senior season. That said, we lost in overtime and that ended my high school career, so it was simultaneously the saddest game of my high school career.

Do you still follow DeSales, if yes, how closely?
Not closely enough. I used to make it a point to visit Coach Jacoby, and then Coach Wiggins during my summer breaks, but have since fallen out of this habit. I always wanted to return to run the scout team during the playoffs (as alumni had done for playoff games when I was a player), but being out of Columbus with a busy work schedule has prevented this to date. That said, I ain't getting any younger! On the other hand, I'm close friends with high school teammate Austin Addington-Strapp, who does keep better tabs on Stallion Football, so he keeps me in the loop.