Seeing Double
10/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
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You can always count on twins for one thing: competition.
And for seniors Laquan and Rashaun Gasaway, it’s no different.
“We’ve been getting after each other as long as we can remember,” said Laquan, who plays defensive back and special teams for the Mountain Hawks.
“If Laquan goes down on the kickoff unit and makes a mistake, I’m going to let him know about it, and he’d do the same for me,” added Rashaun, a starting linebacker in 2007.
However, while they’re competitive, they fully support one another on and off the field.
“Sometimes brothers, no less twins, don’t want to play at the same school,” said Mountain Hawks head coach Andy Coen. “I think, though, that it can good to have someone there to help you through a tough situation, and to rag on each other a little bit.”
Through seven games this season, Rashaun and Laquan have each played an important role for the Mountain Hawks.
Rashaun is tied for fourth on the team in total tackles with 34, two of them for a loss, while Laquan has made six tackles to go along with a fumble recovery.
The brothers both feel that having each other is important to their education, and that it may blossom into a business partnership after graduation.
“There’s a lot of benefits like always having a best friend,” said Rashaun. “And we take most of the same classes, so we can help each other out.”
They both envision a career in real estate.
“We both want to work in development and sales,” said Laquan. “And since we’re from
Both brothers were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll last year, Rashaun majoring in Marketing and Laquan in Economics.
“They had a super semester last spring,” said Coen. “I’m proud of them, and I know they take a lot of pride in their academics. It was great to see them excel at the level they did, and I’m sure that they’ll continue their success.”
Coen also believes that their personalities allow them to be great players and students at the same time.
“They’re both wired the same,” said Coen. “They’re intense, emotional kids, and that makes them good in both situations. They’ve both learned to work through the bumps and bruises and have matured a lot, especially in the past year and a half that I’ve been here.”
The brothers also feel they’ve grown throughout the past few seasons.
“I think we’ve actually gotten to show some leadership this season,” said Laquan. His brother agreed.
“We realized we had to grow up,” said Rashaun. “We now have every responsibility and to be an example for the underclassmen. It was really time for us to be leaders.”
However, the two former running backs from
“I think the big thing that we’ve learned here at Lehigh is time management,” said Rashaun. “Lehigh’s a tough school and to throw that together with what we’ve been involved in, it’s made it even more difficult, but we’re having a great time doing what we’re doing.”
While the Gasaway brothers exude a bubbly personality when you talk to them, they each exhibit a quieter demeanor in the locker room and on the field.
“I like to think I’m a pretty subtle person,” said Laquan. “I usually feed off of other guys’ vibes to get ready for the game but I like being quiet on the field as well.”
“I don’t like noise either,” Rashaun chimed in. “It’s great because when you make a big play, then you can make all the noise you want. It makes it all worthwhile. My favorite quote has to be ‘silent but violent,’ that’s how I play the game.”
Due to their increased playing time this year, the brothers feel that they’re adding to the Lehigh tradition.
“The team is really focused this year,” said Rashaun. “We’re trying to bring the program back to the tradition it had a few years ago, and that’s why we came here. We’re doing everything to bring Lehigh back to the top.”
Story by Matt Shelosky ’08, Lehigh Sports Media Relations
