Wingspan: Why do you play football?
Pothukanuri: “I joined football because I had friends on the team and thought it would be fun to try. Plus hockey was becoming a little stagnant.”
Wingspan: What is your biggest takeaway from high school football?
Pothukanuri: “The family you make. Even when going through the hardest moments, you know you’re not alone.”
Wingspan: What are you most excited about this season?
Pothukanuri: “Week to week, you look forward to each game. You spend a week game planning and hope it’s apparent in the game.”
Wingspan: What does your practice routine look like?
Pothukanuri: “Depending on the day and your position, it’s different. As a team, we warm up together then split into specific groups. Get special team work done and go from there. As a rover, I work with both the linebackers/Dline and the DBs.”
Wingspan: Who is your biggest supporter?
Pothukanuri: “Plenty of people support me daily. My family is up there, but specifically, the two people who support me the most: my mom and my girlfriend.”
Wingspan: How do you stay in a positive mindset after not playing a great game?
Pothukanuri: “I can’t lie, immediately following a game we lost, I am almost never positive. It takes me a night to reflect and recoup. By then, I’m looking at game tape and enjoying the weekend.”
Wingspan: Do you plan to continue your football career after high school?
Pothukanuri: “Nah, football is my side sport. I plan to play college hockey at Texas A&M.”
Wingspan: What impact has football had on your life?
Pothukanuri: “A lot of the life lessons you learn from hockey carry over to football, but with so much work load, I’ve learned to manage my life better. Additionally, I learned to fight the uphill battles.”
