Ferocity with Pigskin and Paper

“I chose to attend the University of Cincinnati not only because it has been excelling in its athletics but also since it has the top academic programs in the Big East year in and year out,” reflects Austen Bujnoch, offensive lineman of UC’s Bearcat football team and UC’s Scholar Athlete of the Month for December. The McMicken College of Arts and Sciences history major adds, “I’m proud to be all UC. After all, I’m just a hometown guy.”

Bujnoch not only aspires to be All Big East on the 50 yard line but also in the classroom. His continual goal is to maintain above a 3.5 accumulative GPA and to remain on the Dean’s List each semester. With an impressive 3.45 GPA, Bujnoch is holding his own high academic standards.

As a senior, Bujnoch is no stranger to the challenges student athletes face from day to day. “You need to plan your day. Too many students go through their days not having a plan. When you go to bed each night, you should know what you have lined up for tomorrow,” he advises his fellow students.

Bujnoch is the son of Glenn Bujnoch, who played in the NFL from 1976 to 1984 with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Austen’s top-notch performance on the field reflects that of his respected pedigree. As a freshman, he was red shirted and by 2011, Bujnoch was starting in all 13 games of the season.  

“To date, I consider my personal athletic best to be the fact that I’m on my 23rd consecutive start. My best memory on the field would definitely have to be the Virginia Tech game this season, when we came back and won in the last seconds,” Bujnoch says.

The Cincinnati native attended Elder High School, where Bujnoch first started turning heads for his exceptional performance on the field. He was named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com. Bujnoch was a member of the state runner-up team in 2008 and was honored as the top lineman in the Greater Catholic League (GCL) South as a senior. He also earned first-team all-State, first-team all-District, and first-team all-GCL accolades. In addition to his numerous athletic achievements, Bujnoch was a proud member of National Honor Society for his outstanding academics.

Currently, Bujnoch is enjoying his senior year as a history major. He explains, “I’ve always found history to be intriguing. I value how history repeats itself and how we truly learn from our history to provide a better future for ourselves. History has never ceased to fascinate me as I’m continually learning all the different angles and perspectives of different historical events.”

Bujnoch plans to continue on to graduate school upon his spring graduation to earn his master’s degree in educational leadership. He wishes to pursue a career as a principal, teacher, superintendent or something related to the educational field. Bujnoch would also like to see what opportunities present themselves with regards to his football career.

Bujnoch adds, “My time at UC has been nothing short of memorable. Nothing beats just hanging out with your friends after a long day of class and football practice. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have met so many people and to make memories with those who I believe I’ll be friends with for the rest of my life.”