Q&A WITH ERIN LECHLER By Rusty Burson

Editor’s Note: Texas A&M senior outside hitter Erin Lechler (formerly Gibson) sat down with 12th Man Magazine’s Rusty Burson to discuss this season, her marriage to former A&M All-American and current Oakland Raiders punter Shane Lechler and various other topics.

Q: Tell me how difficult the end of last season was for you. After getting engaged to Shane, I understand you really wrestled with whether or not you were going to come back for your final season. How difficult was that?

A: It was horrible. I didn’t want it to ruin last season, and I didn’t want to think about it at all during the season because it would just mess up my last year, if that was going to be my last year. And then, I had so many people talk to me and say, ‘Just do what you want, your heart will tell you.’ I didn’t know what I was going to do until the very last game. The last home game I saw all the people that I came in with, I saw them have their senior night and I was like, ‘I’m not done, this is my junior year, it’s not over.’ I just called Shane and I was like, ‘Honey, I have to play.’ He didn’t like it at first, but he’s totally supportive now. It’s really neat to have the support he gives me.

All-American candidate Erin Lechler

Q: With him being a top athlete and a fierce competitor like you, I assume he is a little more understanding about that decision than some one who does not have an athletic background. Is that true?

A: Definitely. If he wasn’t an athlete, if he wasn’t playing professional football, I don’t think he would understand why it was so important for me to come back for my senior season. Besides, I get to sit there and watch him play the game he loves for hopefully 10 more years, at least. I’m asking for three months. It was difficult for him to see that side at first, but then he really did. He’s totally excited for me.

Q: Long distance relationships are hard enough. How tough is a long-distance marriage?

A: It’s real hard, especially when he comes off a bad day and I come off a bad day. We decided – at least we’re trying – to never hang up on each other and to just get through this part of our lives together. But being on the phone, it’s hard. It’s especially hard if we’re in an argument over the phone. But overall, we’re doing very well. Fortunately, we both like short conversations. We’ll talk a couple times a day vs. one long conversation.

Q: Did you two meet each other here at A&M?

A: Yes, we met here, although he claims we met a long time before I knew we met. My freshmen year in volleyball I was hurt and I was just sitting around Cain Hall and he said he came over and introduced himself, but I don’t remember that part at all. We ended up starting to date my second semester here. And we were married on July 7 this past summer. We obviously have a lot in common, and we actually are pretty competitive on a good-natured basis. He was able to come to our volleyball banquet this past season. I won MVP and best offensive player, and his senior season he won special teams captain and special teams MVP or something so right now its two to two, so I have to beat him. Of course, he actually won some kind of award every year he was here, so I probably have some ground to make up. But actually, I’m very, very proud of him and all his accomplishments.

Q: Are there kids in your future?

A: Oh yeah, and they better be athletes. It’s funny because when we first started dating, when I met his dad, his father said, ‘You better keep her around, she’s good breeding material.’ It was just a joke, but I think our children have a chance to be very athletic.

Q: Looking back at last year, you kind of came out of nowhere, going from former walk-on to MVP. Did you surprise yourself with how well you played?

A: Definitely. I don’t want to be cocky or anything, but I’m definitely proud. After spending the first three years sitting on the bench, quitting passes through your mind all the time. I’m just really glad that I was patient and waited until my time. I’m glad that I stepped up when it was my turn. I feared that I wasn’t going to be able to. Our first game last year was against Hawaii, and they’re No. 1 almost every year. I had a horrible game, and I was subbed out almost immediately, I was like, ‘This is not going to happen, this is not going to happen. I just relaxed. (Assistant coach) John (Corbelli) works with me on my mental game all the time. That’s my biggest let down – my mental game.

Q: What are some of your goals for this year?

A: Team-wise, we want to go to the Final Four. I think it’s pretty realistic. We’re going to have so much competition in the Big 12 because the Big 12 is stacked. We’re going to be ready, we’re going to be ready for the NCAAs. I think we just have to take control. And we’ve looked good in practice so far. Our freshmen are awesome, and that’s just making our seniors and upperclassmen work harder. It’s really neat to be on court and it’s neat to be chased because I was the chaser for three years, and I’m feeling people right behind me.

Q: Being in the same conference with defending national champion Nebraska makes things difficult, doesn’t it?

A: They are tough. But we’re looking at baby steps right now. We have them first at home. Our goal is to split with them, and if we do it at home, it takes the pressure off. It’s really not that hard to play in Nebraska. Nebraska fans love volleyball, so it’s exciting to play there. But we just want to take advantage of them here with the 12th Man behind us. If we don’t then that’s fine. They’re going to prepare us even more for the NCAAs.

Q: You arrived at A&M as a walk-on, earned a scholarship and you are now technically a walk-on again. Can you talk about that process?

A: First of all, being a walk-on I remember the first day I sat and talked to Laurie and I was like, ‘OK, when do the tryouts start? She said, ‘Oh you’re already on the roster.’ I thought I was going to have to do total walk-on tryout, but I was an invited walk-on. Then I earned my scholarship after three years, but I was still going to be a junior because of my redshirt year. That was last season.

She asked me in August (2000) if I was going to return (in 2001) because I had just gotten engaged. She needed to know for recruiting purposes. I didn’t know. Well, honestly I thought I wasn’t going to come back. I didn’t think I was going to have a great junior year, and I didn’t think I was going to love it like I did. But I didn’t want to tell her right then. I just told her that I wasn’t sure and I couldn’t live with the guilt of wasting a whole year for her on recruiting so I just said to take (my scholarship). It is weird being a walk-on again. No matter what people tell you, it makes a little bit of a difference to know that you’re worthy of a scholarship. I know I’m still worthy of one, but it was the right thing to do at the time.

Q: You are one of five seniors on the roster this year, and Laurie is very excited about the veteran leadership. Do you see any similarities between this team and the team two years ago that made the Elite Eight with such great senior leaders?

A: I think it’s very similar, and it’s fun to be one of the veterans. I feel like I’m older than (the other seniors), and I am because of the redshirt season. But Jenna (Moscovic) and Michelle (Cole) have way more court experience than I do. I’m like the mean one on the court, and Jenna is starting to turn to a mean one. Well, not mean, but more demanding. It’s good to see. It’s neat to see the five seniors come together. Jenna, Michelle, Beth (Weynand), Brandi (Mount) and I had some meetings with just us together and said, ‘This is where we want to go and everyone is going to follow us and if they don’t, they can stay behind.’ We’re on a mission.