The Rafu Shimpo - L.A. Japanese Daily News

Give Him the Ball
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
Rafu Sports Editor
Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006

Jullian Ota earned his position as Pasadena Marshall’s signal caller with good, old-fashioned hard work.

Ota
Photos by MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS/Rafu Shimpo
Marshall senior quarterback Jullian Ota said his job as quarterback and team captain is a tough one, but he’s more than ready for the challenge.
Ota
Ota runs passing drills at Wednesday afternoon’s team practice at Marshall.

PASADENA.–Asked how long he’s been playing football, Jullian Ota had the unequivocal answer ready: “Forever. All my life.”

But the 17-year-old at John Marshall in Pasadena knows that simply becoming a senior doesn’t entitle a player to any inroads to a position, especially to that of quarterback. Ota has come from playing linebacker and tight end at the junior varsity level and a shortened junior season to earn the job as the Eagles signal caller this season.

“It’s tough, but I like being the leader of the team,” Ota said during Wednesday’s practice, as the team prepares for their game at Pasadena Polytechnic, Saturday at 2 p.m. He added that the responsibility of guiding the younger players isn’t one he takes lightly.

“I take it very seriously. It’s really part of my job as quarterback and captain to be a team leader, but it’s still tough to do so.”

Ota said the Eagles have plenty of holdover talent from last season, but this team is more disciplined.

“We need to get it all in sync. Last year, we were a team totally out of sync,” he said.

Marshall hadn’t yet put it all together in their first game of the season, losing to Blair, 28-0.

There is little in the way of job security for Ota. Marshall head coach Johnny Lopez said his QB has the position for the time being, but there’s always competition.

“He’s earned the spot and he’s kept it so far. If someone beats him out next week, that’s it, but for now, the job is his,” Lopez said.

Lopez explained that because the Eagle offense currently revolves around their ground game, their quarterback has to be more like a running back. Ota’s ball carrier experience, combined with a strong arm, made him the right man for the job.

Just standing still, Ota is a picture of confidence. Well-spoken and cordial, he seems to have no trouble focusing on the task at hand, on the field or in the classroom. “School is easy for me, I like it,” he said, citing English and math as his subjects of choice. He is currently running better than a 3.30 grade point average and hopes to attend a University of California school next year.

As for any hobbies: “I like to eat. I’m fat,” he said with a grin. He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, but would appear to be a couple of inches taller. That size has also proven to be ideal in other sports. Playing basketball and running track for Marshall has made Ota a three-letter man.

Still, it’s football that would appear to have brought out the best in young Ota, despite his mother’s anxiety about injuries.

“She doesn’t like it, because of the physical part, but as far as it helping to get me somewhere, she’s definitely down for that,” he said.

“It makes me uneasy because of the injuries that occur, but I’m behind him all the way,” Diana Weaver said of her son. “He’s the kind of kid who accomplishes anything he wants.” She added that she long ago stopped worrying about his academic progress. “He has to do well, or he won’t be playing sports,” she emphasized.

Diana described Jullian as somewhat of a loner who has cultivated a small circle of loyal friends. “They’re all good kids. It’s great to have them around the house,” she said, adding that Jullian’s biggest cheerleaders may be his sisters–Jasmine and his twin, Brittany.

Jullian’s father, Keiichiro Ota, doesn’t get to attend many of his son’s athletic events, as his job as a sushi chef keeps him working long hours.

“I really enjoy that he plays sports, though I wish I could spend more time watching him,” the elder Ota said. A native of Japan, he said that he occasionally feels at a loss in discussing sports with his son, due to a language gap. Jullian doesn’t speak Japanese, but his mother–who is African American–is confident that he will eventually reach a point where he wants to know more about that part of his heritage.

“He’s always learning,” she said, “so that time will definitely come.”

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