Julian Buck almost didn't come to Eckerd. He almost never became captain and president of the men's rugby team. Luckily for all those who have come into contact with him, he did. After this semester, Julian Buck will graduate from Eckerd College and his eligibility with the rugby team will come to an end.
Buck's contribution to Eckerd has been immeasurable, especially for the rugby program. He has over a decade of rugby experience and has brought his expertise to Eckerd, but he almost ended up somewhere else. Buck split time growing up between New York and Hong Kong. When it came time to choose a college to attend, he was looking for something in Florida. He came to the Tampa Bay area to take a campus tour and visit USF and on a fluke decided to tour Eckerd. Buck stated that during his tour there were several key reasons that he chose Eckerd as his college after a tour that was originally only an afterthought.
"At the time, the pub was open and they had really great burgers. It was really good food. And of course, it was a beautiful day and there were people all over campus on Kappa field and south beach. I knew right then I wanted to go to Eckerd," Buck explains of his decision.
Buck has also recruited several others to come to Eckerd, myself included. We exchanged several messages about joining the rugby team when I first applied to the school, and he was the first person I met in person when I arrived on campus.
Buck was instrumental in bringing new rugby coach David Hedges to the team, and also played a large role in convincing freshman Rob Mabry, a very promising rugby recruit, to attend. Buck spoke with Mabry and his family and in the end, Mabry decided to come to Eckerd. He says of the process, "During September of my Senior year in school I came to visit Eckerd. Buck was generous enough to let me practice with the team and get to know some of the guys. After this practice I made Eckerd my first choice in schools. All in all, if it weren't for Buck and the Rugby program, I would be headed to a state school in a tiny Texas town."
Buck's role as captain and president of the team has been passed on to Leslie Claridge but Buck continues to play an important role in motivating and helping the team to get better with every practice. His leadership on and off the field will be greatly missed in the spring, when the heart of Eckerd's conference play will occur. After graduating, Buck intends to return to Hong Kong and start work.
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