GO Getter: Jason Mudge

The new Springfield WolfPack cornerback vomits and talks about his new teammates.

Walk into the Jordan Valley Ice Park’s east ice rink (that’s the one closest to the actual Jordan Valley Park) and you’ll see a peculiar sight. Instead of the customary ice, a flat green carpet covers the floor. Two goalposts hang from the rafters at either end. There’s not a Zamboni to be found. Pro football (of a sort) has come to Springfield in the form of the WolfPack, and Jason Mudge is the team’s starting cornerback and backup quarterback. Jason is also a Drury University physics student, Kappa Alpha frat guy and Steak-Out delivery man—and hasn’t played contact football since high school. He’s living proof that sometimes you do get a second chance. (Cue sappy Disney music…now.)

How did you become a part of the team?
One of my friends, he’s actually in my fraternity, told me that I should try out, so I went to the tryouts [in February] and made the team.

What was that like?
Not too bad. [Pause] I puked, actually.

What caused that?
Just running. I hadn’t played in a while, and I hadn’t run like that.

When did you last play real football?
High school. I graduated in 2001 from Lebanon High School.

Are any other local guys on the team?
I didn’t know anybody [at first.] There was one guy who tried out with me. He actually made the team, too, but he’s an accountant. And the season is all during tax season so he didn’t play.

You hadn’t played football with full contact in six years. What’s it like to get nailed after six years off?
[Laughing] I just got back from the chiropractor.

Ouch.
It’s taken some adjusting, obviously. But I’m back in the swing of it.

You guys lost your first two games. How is team morale?
We’ve been like a family as long as we’ve known each other. It’s kinda cool. We’re getting better. The first game we lost 57-0, last game we were home and lost 33-32. We’re making strides.

What do you think of the name “WolfPack?”
I like it. It kind of reminds me of my favorite movie, The Program. They were the WolfPack. At our last game the audience actually started “Oooooohhhhhh-ing.” Kind of like in the movie.

What’s more fun, high school or this?
I think this is more fun. This is more of a family than in high school. We travel, we’re always together and we’re adults, so it’s not like we’re being supervised.

What would be a successful season for the WolfPack?
The most important thing team-wise is to keep all the fans involved and keep them wanting to come watch. Basically if the fans aren’t into it the team’s going to fold. This is the first year the team has had a “home town.” These guys love the game and just want to play and this is their first chance at being a legit [franchise]. It’d be nice to get to at least .500, but the most important thing is keeping all the fans happy.