Jan Engels is a business administration senior from Andernach, Germany. He is a defender for the UTRGV Men’s Soccer Team in the United States and has played in 37 games.
Q: What do you like to do in your downtime?
A: “In my downtime, I like to meet my friends and just prepare for soccer practices and doing schoolwork. We’re really busy and we’re traveling a lot, so we have to prepare our body.”
Q: What made you decide to play sports in the United States?
A: “My injury. I had a big injury. And, yeah, I didn’t feel that I’m ready to play soccer on [a] high level. So I went to college and it worked out.”
Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration or role model in soccer?
A: “I really like Mario Götze. He scored the World Cup winning goal for Germany and I looked up to him since [I was] young.”
Q: What are your career plans after you graduate?
A: “I want to play professional soccer after, so I hope I get good stats next season. And I’m going to go into [the Major League Soccer] draft.”
Q: Are there any specific teams that you want to play for after you graduate?
A: “No. I’m open because I’m in college right now, so I want to focus on the next season. Because if I’m not good in the next season, I won’t get a good team.”
Q: How would you describe yourself?
A: “I would never give up, even if I think I don’t have a possibility to make it.”
Q:What has been your biggest motivator in academics?
A: “I didn’t make it professional, so I felt like I never made it. … And I struggled. … That was my motivation to be good at school, because you need a second stuff to do if it doesn’t work out. So, yeah, that’s why I have my 4.0 [GPA] and my bachelor’s. And now, I’m trying to do the same as my master’s. That’s my biggest motivation, to be as good as possible everyday.”
–Compiled by Matthew Gonzalez
