Football 8/17/2020 8:00:00 AM Morgan State Bear Makers: Lamar West Courtesy of Morgan State Athletic Communications The Morgan State Athletics Department will begin a new feature on morganstatebears.com that will highlight former student-athletes and their accomplishments in their professional careers and the impact they have made on their communities in their personal lives. At Morgan State Athletics, we strive to arm our student-athletes with the skills to excel far beyond athletics. The Bear Makers series will provide Morgan State Athletics with the support and resources needed to position our student-athletes to succeed on a broader playing field of success. --- Lamar West contributed a valuable four years on defense as a Bear. The Irvington, N.J., native appeared in 36 contests and totaled 132 tackles. He captained a Bears team during his senior year that ranked No.1 in the MEAC in total defense (267.0/g), against the run (130.9), against the pass (136.1), and in sacks (36). West recorded 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks from his middle linebacker position. He also had seven QB hurries, along with an interception and a forced fumble. After his time at Morgan State, West moved to Baltimore County and currently is a healthcare worker at Jumoke Inc. and is the founder of BackersBang™?. He is married to his wife, Shieedah, and they have four children: Sahir (14), Lamar (12), Sanaa (11) and Lilliana (7). Lamar recently spoke to MorganStateBears.com about his time as a student-athlete at Morgan State and his present life living in Baltimore County. Q+A with Lamar: Q: What years did you attend Morgan State and what sport(s) did you play? West: I attended the Morgan State University from 2004 to 2009. I played football. Q: Why did you choose to attend MSU? West: Honestly, when I walked on the campus I felt at home. I visited and was recruited by a lot of other schools, but I made the best decision that felt right for me at the time. My family lineage comes through Morgan as well -- my mother and my father met there. They both attended Morgan in the late 80's. A running joke in my family is that I'm a Morgan baby, since my mom was pregnant with me during her senior year. Q: What was your major at MSU and what year did you graduate? West: I was a Psychology major and I graduated in 2009. Q: Have you obtained a higher level of education since graduating from MSU? West: No. Q: Where do you currently live and work? West: I live in Baltimore County. I'm currently a healthcare worker at Jumoke Inc. and the founder of my own linebacker/fitness brand named BackersBang™? Q: Did you always know or predict that your career would be in your current profession? West: I think I always knew that I would be in a field geared towards helping people. I've always assumed leadership positions and positions of influence. I know that's due to my upbringing and those I looked to as wise counsel in my family. I always knew that I wanted to be someone who gave back to his community. Q: How did your time as a student and student-athlete at MSU prepare you for your career and life after college? West: My time as a student-athlete at Morgan gave me an opportunity to live out some of the teachings that I thought I already took a course in. Little did I know the many challenges you'll face, whether good or bad, are true character development moments. A combination of things come to mind, like doing things with true integrity, consistently earning the label of being hard-working, time management and just completely understanding that you can only ask for help when you're helping yourself. Q: What personal or professional accomplishment(s) are you most proud of since you graduated from MSU? West: I know that I am most proud of the collective unit that my family has become. Im very proud of my wife and my children and their many accomplishments, we truly give God glory for them all. I relish the opportunity to continue to work with athletes in my business. I do not take it for granted to be able to have an influence on an athletes overall development. Q: What is your best advice for current MSU student-athletes? West: I could say a lot of things right here, but what I will say is enjoy the time that you have here in school and playing your prospective sport. I know you hear it all the time, but it does "go by fast". Take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Do everything academically and athletically you can to set yourself up for future opportunities. Lastly, no one owes you anything - "go out and do the work!!" Q: What is your favorite memory from your time as a Bear? West: I have so many great memories but I think one of my favorites is going toe to toe with Hampton in '07 (they were top dog during the early 2000s). They beat us like a drum the three previous years. We lost in OT that season, but they know we smacked them in the mouth...they were like No. 9 in the FCS that year too. They got away with one and they know it!! Best team effort I've ever been apart of. Q: Have the relationships you built among your team lasted beyond college? West: Most definitely. The relationships that I've built are key and a testimony to the HBCU experience!! I mean people that I've met there are truly family. Friends that I've met there and teammates that I've played with are godparents to my children. I speak to a lot of my teammates regularly, some of us even still work out together and are business partners. Q: When was the last time you had been to campus? How has the campus changed? West: I'm a board member of the Morgan State University Football Alumni Chapter, so I'm on campus for events and every homecoming. I live in the Baltimore area so I'll pass by the school at least once a month. During football and basketball season I'm sure to be in attendance at a few games. My sons attend the summer programs on campus as well. The new buildings on the campus are beautiful. I'm very proud of the campus and how it has grown to service the Morgan community. Q: What are some things you enjoy doing in your free time? West: Reading and working out. Q: Are you still involved in athletics in some capacity? West: Yes, I'm very much still involved in sports. I'm the founder of BackersBang™?, which is a fitness-based brand geared towards training linebackers from all levels. Q: What motivates you to give back (volunteer, mentor, donate) to MSU Athletics? West: One of my biggest motivations is just being a bridge between different classes. I also enjoy engaging with the younger student-athletes, especially football players, to just help give them a grasp of the tradition and the rich heritage that they are a part of.