North Carolina State University Athletics
Senior Spotlight: OT Andy Jomantas
10/15/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. - Offensive lineman Andy Jomantas did not come all the way down to Raleigh from Dayton, Ohio, just to play football. Jomantas committed to NC State to get the most out of his college experience – both on and off the field.
Jomantas as seen action in 39 of the 43 games over the last four seasons for the Wolfpack, but it might be his work off the field that he takes the most pride in.
Since 2012, he has served as the NC State Chapter President of Uplifting Athletes. The Wolfpack Chapter continues its mission of raising awareness and research dollars for Leukemia, the chosen rare disease of the NC State Chapter.
“I got involved because of the guys that came before me, Wayne Crawford, Mike Glennon and Russell Wilson who were all involved,” Jomantas. “Wayne reached out to me about it, and got me involved and it took off from there.”
Jomantas had a special connection for raising money for Leukemia, as then-offensive coordinator Dana Bible was diagnosed while he was an assistant coach with the Wolfpack.
“I was recruited down here by the former coaching staff, including Coach Bible,” said Jomantas. “They had a lot of Ohio ties on that staff, particularly Cincinnati, so I got to know Coach Bible before I even stepped onto NC State’s campus.”
For the past four years, the Pack football team has hosted a ‘Lift For Life’ event right before the start of preseason camp. The Pack hits the practice field for a workout that is open to the fans, seeking donations each summer.
“That is my favorite event,” said Jomantas. “The whole team is involved and each year it is a fun event that raises money for a good cause.”
While committing time to Uplifting Athletes, Jomantas is also very involved with the Wolfpack’s community service efforts. During the most recent spring semester, Jomantas took an internship that worked closely with many organizations.
“For my internship last spring I was in charge of setting up all the community service hours for the team,” said Jomantas. “Coach Doeren requires each player to get a certain amount of community service hours, so for me to be the one scheduling those, it kept me busy and got me involved on the other side.
“Me personally, I really like going to the schools and hospitals, because I like the events that deal with the kids and my ability to make an impact on them.”
While serving as the President of Uplifting Athletes, volunteering for different community service projects himself, and working with NC State’s SAAC program, Jomantas got a feel for how important time management is for a student-athlete.
“The little bit of free time I get, I have to manage my time even more to try to incorporate doing that kind of stuff,” said Jomantas. “I set up meetings, and of course our big event is ‘Lift for Life’ which takes some preparation.
“It is another challenge because there isn’t a lot of free time to begin with, but I know it is going to be good for me in the future to add more experience. That is another reason I like to do it, because it gives me more experience when I can’t normally have a job because of the time commitment to playing football and going to school.”
One area that Jomantas did not let suffer was his work in the classroom, especially since he came to Raleigh knowing that he would get a good degree if he worked hard for it.
“I really felt like NC State would be a great school to get my education from,” said Jomantas. “Looking at other schools, this was the best fit for me.”
Jomantas is currently one of eight players on the 2014 squad that has already earned an undergraduate degree from NC State. He graduated this past December with a degree in sport management, while carrying a 3.0 GPA, and is currently enrolled in a graduate certificate program.
“Academics has always been a big part of everything that I have been doing here,” said Jomantas. “One of the reasons I came here was the quality education that I knew I would be getting.
“I’ve always known that I wanted to get my degree first, take care of my academics. Football is a very close second for me, but it has always been very important for me to take care of my school work.”
While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Jomantas was named to both the ACC All-Academic Football Team and was on the ACC Academic Honor Roll for his work during the 2013 school year.
“Both of those awards made me really proud, felt like my hard work paid off,” Jomantas said.
While working on helping the Pack get closer to bowl eligibility during his final season, it is hard not for Jomantas to wonder what his future holds for him.
“Part of me would like to stay here and keep working on my graduate certificate,” said Jomantas. “But I have also been starting to apply for jobs looking for stuff in business or marketing fields.”
One thing that he already knows is that he will miss strapping on the Red & White and playing in front of the home crowd.
“The atmosphere here was definitely one of the biggest reasons I felt at home at NC State,” said Jomantas. “A Saturday in Raleigh is truly a special experience, especially with the loyal fan base that comes out to see us play.
“My favorite experience during the day would probably be when we get to the stadium before the game and do the Walk of Champions. It’s truly an honor to see all the support we have before the game and it is also a good chance for us as players to give a few high fives, say thank you for the support, and possibly even make someone’s day.”
Wherever Jomantas ends up once the Pack’s season comes to an end, he is sure to look back at the many positives that came from his journey from Ohio to NC State.
