Linfield football players find a home at Lowe's during the off-season

(Eric Hedin, Scotty Ray, Aaron Heston, C.J. White, and Paul Nishizaki are ready to help when you come into the McMinnville Lowe's)

For players at the Division III level there is no such as a free ride and I’m not just talking about athletic scholarships either. For many players the off season just doesn’t mean spending time in the classroom and weight room but many players find part time jobs to help offset the cost of living or school.

For a number of your Linfield Wildcats the local McMinnville Lowe's has been a location where skills developed on the football field have lead the Mac Lowe’s to become a huge fan of Linfield football. “Last year there were only a couple student athletes, but this year we have 6 football players.” Says store manager Eric Baughman. Those five players are Eric Hedin (defensive end), Paul Nishizaki (Defensive Tackle), Scotty Ray (Defensive Tackle), Tom Leavitt (Defensive End), C.J. White (Defensive End), and Aaron Heston (Offensive Tackle).

Being a strong team is vital for success on the football field but as most of us know that teamwork in business is key for long term success. The McMinnville Lowe's store manager Eric Baughman feels the same way: “The team oriented environment at Lowe’s is ideal for the student athlete. It creates strong relationships among the associates, so they enjoy coming to work to help customers and each other. It's been my experience that student athletes possess a strong work ethic, integrity, and solid multitasking abilities (plus they typically enjoy physical work). It's very important to staff the store with people with these attributes; it really helps to drive our level of customer service.”

When you hit the McMinnville Lowe’s you’ll see these ‘Cats all throughout the building and most likely in the Outside Garden area and the Lumber/Building Material area. There is a good reason why the ‘Cats are working on the outside edges of the store as that’s where you’ll find the most physically demanding work especially during the busy summer months. And with the size and work ethic of the group above I’m sure they move lumber and gravel with as much ease as if they are facing off against a PLU lineman.

“There are 3 main aspects I have enjoyed most in working with the Linfield crew - always bringing an outgoing, positive attitude, a strong work ethic and they make a contribution every day they work.” States Mr. Baughman. I believe that is exactly what Coach Smith would say too about his players and is at the base of why Linfield football has been so successful over the past 5 decades. Positive attitude, Hard Word, and Execution.

(This is the only time these 'Cats will ever be sitting down on the job)

Aaron Heston will be headed into his Senior Year at Linfield as the ‘Cats starting left offensive tackle and has been busy this off-season at Lowe's. Aaron and I had a little Q&A about his time working at Lowe's and why it’s been a positive experience.

What are you studying at Linfeild?

I am a double major in Political Science and Economics with a Mathematics minor as well.

Why did you apply for a job at Lowe's?

I applied simply because I needed employment and heard that Lowe's was hiring. After the first batch of us got hired several more applied and then we had a whole crew of us going.

How do you like working for the McMinnville Lowe's?

I enjoy the work. My position involves a lot of direct customer interaction and salesmanship which is something that I hadn’t had a lot of experience with in the past, so it has been a good learning experience for me.

What is it about the Linfield football players that the Lowe's managers like so much?

I think that our football background has helped us to become hard workers who follow orders well and take pride in our work. The environment at Lowe's is not dissimilar to a football environment, where you are given direct tasks to perform, but you must also do supplemental tasks to prepare for them. So while a football player is asked to perform well in games, in order to do so he must work hard in the weight room and at practice to be successful. Similarly, at Lowe's the ultimate goal is to sell product to the customer. That involves directly selling to them but also making sure that shelves are stocked, the store is clean and appealing and that everything is ready to make that sale.

What are your responsibilities at Lowe's and in what department do you work in?

I work in the Outdoor Power Equipment section, which includes all sorts of products ranging from riding lawnmowers to weed wackers to chainsaws and the parts to service them. My responsibilities include engaging customers and answering their questions as well as keeping the shelves fully stocked for customers.

Do folks ask you if you're a football player and do your run into Linfield fans on the job?

I've found that wearing a Linfield football shirt under my vest is a good conversation starter for many people. Most people respond positively when they realize you are a college student and even more so when they find out that you are an athlete, especially in a small town like McMinnville where there are many Linfield supporters and alumni. I have run into many fans and they have all been very kind and supportive.