I wanted to see what it’s like to be an LSU Football player, and it just so happens, linebacker Keylan Moses, wanted to try out the studio. So, we did a role swap.

For anyone who has ever watched college football and never played the sport, it’s much harder than you think.

Tackling is not easy. Running the ball being chased down the field is not easy. Pushing through an offensive line to get a sack? Definitely not easy. However, Moses showed me that through hard work and dedication to the craft, it becomes seamless.

Since Moses is a linebacker, we focused on tackling drills. We started with the popsicle drill. Moving a tall, narrow, stand-up tackling dummy wasn’t the hard park, it was the form and aggression.

Moses explained that you put your dominant foot forward, stay low, and explode through your hips.

Next, we moved onto the shock drills. Driving the weighted man sled looked so easy… until I tried it. The second I got low and attempted to push the man up, I realized just how much power it takes to move anything.

Moses said he does that almost everyday, but me versus an SEC lineman sounds nearly impossible. He emphasized how important inside hand placement, leverage, and balance through contact are.

Playing basketball throughout high school made the footwork easy for me. Moses was even surprised that I could do the Ickey shuffle, two feet in, one foot out, on the first try. Also being a safety in flag football made catching the ball and having shifty hips feel almost effortless.

When it was time to go into the studio, I showed Moses the script and he immediately paused and said, “I have to memorize this whole thing right now?”. I laughed and explained that we have teleprompters, so it’s easier than it looks.

On his first attempt, he forgot to look at the camera that was solely on him. The second attempt was better, but he didn’t realize how much he was reading.

The third attempt was nearly perfect, and since Moses has had previous podcast experience, his run-through was pretty strong.

With Moses also being a mass communication major, his talents will make room for him in the broadcast journalism world, and there’s no doubt this won’t be the last time he’s seen in a studio.

Although I’m not a five star athlete just yet, Moses said with practice I may be able to become one. I enjoyed our on-air segment, and he has a natural presence that makes the camera feel easy.

Watching him step into the studio with confidence, and my attempt at being a linebacker, gave us both a new appreciation for what the other does.