November 22, 2002 Athletics
Story
Jesse
Busta: A Career Not Soon To Be Forgotten
For the past three years the Aggie defense has been held together
by one simple formula: Jesse Busta
 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
utah
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