Jesse Busta: A Career Not Soon To Be Forgotten

The sun glints off the mountains and 30,000 Aggie fans wave their arms to the Scotsman, which to the untrained eye may look like a convention of dairy farmers warming up their arms for the morning milk. Stepping out of the locker room Jesse Busta wipes the sweat off his brow as he scans Romney Stadium. Scenes of Aggie football quickly flash across his mind, as it occurs to him that this will be the last time he will be playing in the stadium that has been the setting for so many memories.

"This last home game has really crept up on me," said Busta. "I've tried to put it in the back of my mind, but it occurred to me the other day that this is it, there will never be another opportunity to experience Aggie football where it's at its best - in Romney Stadium."

Busta, who compares his Aggie football career to that of Sylvester Stallone's character in the movie "Rocky," began as the underdog and has risen to legendary status.

"I've never been the biggest guy on the field, but I've worked hard and used my instincts to gain the advantage on the opponent," he said.

Anyone who's watched Busta's instincts on the field wouldn't argue when he compares himself to a tiger hunting its prey.

"Jesse is one of those guys that has a knack, or natural feeling for what's going on, where the ball's going and what the blocking schemes are going to be," said assistant head coach David Reeves. "He wasn't blessed with a lot of speed, but he was blessed with a great mind and a big heart."

Busta, who will feel a void as he steps off the field tonight, will leave an even bigger void in the Aggie defense. For the past three years the Aggie defense has been held together by one simple formula: Jesse Busta.

"There will definitely be a void in our defense when Busta steps off the field for the final time," said coach Reeves. "It's impossible to replace experience with new or young guys. We'll eventually need to have guys step up and fill the void."

To understand the importance of Busta to the Aggie defense, you only need to look as far as the middle of the 1999 football year, Busta's freshman season. That year, Busta was somewhat unexpectedly thrown into action when starting linebacker Tony Newson was injured before the Kansas State game. Busta not only filled the position, but also excelled at the opportunity offered to him as he made 12 tackles in the game.

"The Kansas State game may go down as the most memorable of my career," said Busta. "They were ranked ninth in the country, and it was my first start. It's an experience I'll never forget."

From that first start to now, Busta has been wreaking havoc on opponents' offenses. For example: During his sophomore season Busta earned first-team all-Big West honors despite coming off the bench and starting just four games on the year. Last year, Busta started all 11 games and led the team with 100 tackles. Busta's success has continued this season as he has already recorded 98 tackles, putting him fifth in career tackles with 355. Busta is also the only current player who has started at least one game in the past four seasons, and is just one of three players in USU history to have three 100-tackle seasons.

Busta admits that at times it hasn't always been easy to put on the pads for the past four years.

"I'll be honest, its been tough at times to go to practice everyday, but if I had one word to describe my experience at USU it would be 'enjoyable,'" said Busta. "All the practices and pain are worth it when you get to strap on the pads for game day."

With the season winding down, Busta will be moving on to endeavors outside of Aggie football, but you can be sure that his pads and cleats won't be collecting any dust. Busta would like to try his odds as a professional.

"It would be a dream come true to play at the next level," said Busta. "I'm planning on taking a short break then training hard this spring. Who knows what will happen next."

Even if the next level doesn't work out, Busta has set himself up to win through meticulous attention to academia. As a business major, Busta was named to the academic all-district team in 2001 and is once again up for the honor in 2002.

A key to Busta's successes both on and off the field has been the support of his parents.

"Over the last two years my mom and dad have been to all my games except two. The only game they missed this season was the Iowa game," said Busta. "Its been a huge help to know that I'll always have that support system no matter where we are playing."

If Busta has his druthers, he'll be moving back to California when he's through with everything in Logan.

"If I had my choice I'd like to move to California and open a sports bar or a gym by the beach," said Busta. "I really like Logan, but deep in my heart I'm a big-city boy."

By Todd P. Johnson - Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant