Spring Break
Chris Mohl: From DAC Pack to stardom
Brett Fischer
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Sports
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One of those members on the DAC Pack had a dream of playing Division I basketball for the school he cared about most, but it may have seemed like an unrealistic goal.
But Chris Mohl had a vision - and he wasn't going to let anyone prevent his dream from becoming a reality.
The first men's basketball game Mohl attended as a student was when Drexel hosted Sam Houston State in the second round of the Preseason NIT Tip-Off Nov. 17, 2005. He knew the DAC Pack existed, but he was a commuter so it was difficult for him to attend many games. He heard that there were going to be a lot of people at the NIT game, so he made the trip to the Daskalakis Athletic Center, where he got his first DAC Pack shirt.
That's where it all started.
The following year, Mohl moved on campus and was able to attend almost every home game. He became very close with DAC Packers such as Rob Falcone (DAC Pack president), "Big Ed" Ostapowicz, Japkeerat 'HappyJappy' Singh Bindra, Mark Uva, Tino Cerimele, Marshall Fleming, Bill Torr, Bill Ling, Liz Yanak and Dave Malcolm.
"They were my friends outside of school," Mohl said. "They were die-hard DAC Packers. I got more involved as they got involved. I would give out T-shirts and go to Richmond."
Mohl attended Bishop McDevitt for high school in Wyncote, Pa. As a freshman, he tried out for the team, but didn't make the cut. Because he had such a love for basketball, he didn't want to give up basketball entirely and played in neighborhood recreational league, Fox Chase Rec League and the CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) League for Saint Cecilia's Parish.
"I didn't try out for my high school team after freshman year," Mohl said. "I just stuck with it throughout high school because it was more fun. I did it because I love to play basketball and I was more into doing science fairs and keeping up with academics and grades."
Mohl, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, elected Drexel as his top choice due to the strong reputation it had with its engineering program.
"It was always pick the school for the major and Drexel was the best engineering school around. I chose Drexel for the co-op and for the engineering."
His sophomore and junior year, he played with the Beasts from the East intramural basketball team with Falcone, Ostapowicz and Malcolm. Between having classes with these students and playing on the same basketball team, Mohl developed a strong bond with people on the DAC Pack. It was through them that he first had the idea of trying out for the men's basketball team.
"People had always told me that I should try out," Mohl said. "I would briefly entertain the thought, but I never really thought it would be possible because I didn't think I was good enough and my major was too hectic with my curriculum. So I never did anything about it. I would just take it as a compliment."
Mohl had one thing on his side - Mike Radio, a walk-on for the team, was an engineer.
There was one event that triggered the notion of him playing basketball. Once again, it happened because of the DAC Pack.
At the end of last season, Drexel coach Bruiser Flint invited the DAC Pack out to World Café Live and treated them as an appreciation for their dedication during the season. Just one night earlier was the intramural all-star night, which entailed the all-star game, the free throw contest and dunk contest.
"Rob [Falcone] brought it up to Bruiser that I had done pretty well the night before. To my surprise, Bruiser seemed pretty impressed and said, 'We're always looking for walk-ons. You should try out in September.'"
Mohl said he was happy getting the opportunity to talk to Flint and the encouragement he provided, but he wasn't certain he was ready to do anything with the team.
Ultimately, due to the inspiration Flint provided Mohl, he made the decision to train and prepare himself enough to potentially walk on during the fall.
He joined an LA Fitness Club when he was on co-op; he wasn't on a set schedule, but he was there at least three times a week and worked with a personal trainer three times a month.
"I was mostly working on building stamina," Mohl said. "I would run, do biometrics and weight training. One of my major concerns was putting on muscle mass because I knew that I would be playing D-I."
By the end of summer, Mohl put on 15 pounds and brought his mile down to under six minutes. He said he felt confident going into the tryouts and was playing pickup games with the team a few nights a week.
"One night in July, I was up in the gym and I saw Bash [Bashir Mason]," Mohl said. "I told him my situation and he said if I was serious about joining the team, I should run with the guys because they're there a couple nights a week."
He approached Tramayne Hawthorne that he was interested in trying out for the team and wanted to get into their pickup games. For the rest of summer, he would play a couple games a night for about three nights a week.
"It was so cool just to be up there and be included in their games," Mohl said. "Who else can say that? I was awestruck that they would even let me play with them."
Among the workouts, training sessions and pickup games Mohl endured, he was confident he could keep up with them for preseason conditioning.
There weren't any official tryouts, but he had to survive conditioning. If the coaches liked him enough, they would keep him around for the upcoming season.
Conditioning lasted four weeks from middle of September to middle of October. Drills included running suicides, lifting weights, doing biometrics, having scrimmages and working on defensive and offensive plays for four weeks.
On Oct. 8, 2007, Mohl found out that his hard work and perseverance was worth the effort - he was the newest member of the Drexel men's basketball team.
"My reaction was relief," Mohl said. "The whole four weeks, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. I was so worn out from everything we had to do. I was blown away that I actually made it. It was really cool because the rest of the guys clapped for us and were so accepting from the beginning."
Mohl was waiting for this day since he was just a little kid.
"It's been a dream come true," he said. "I would dream of this stuff, playing in my backyard. I'd dream about playing D-I ball. It's been everything I've dreamed of and more."
The most difficult part for Mohl was balancing basketball and his engineering curriculum. Flint told him that basketball was an unbelievable time commitment. With help from his family, Mohl learned to sacrifice his social life, among other things, because he knew that between his education and Division I basketball, he couldn't give up the two things he loved most about Drexel.
"My family and friends have been very supportive," he said. "I am very thankful for them. My parents have made almost every home game and even traveled to a couple of away games such as UVA [Virginia], Delaware and to Richmond. Without their support it would have made playing with the team pretty difficult."
Today, there are hundreds of fans on the Chris Mohl bandwagon. He will never forget what it was like to be a part of that passionate fan group.
"When I was on the DAC Pack, I was forming a new huge group of friends that love basketball as much as I do," Mohl said. "It made the games even more fun to cheer and go crazy. Without the DAC Pack, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to talk to Bruiser about the team. Since being on the team, the DAC Pack has been more supportive cheering for me and the other walk-ons at the games. They're just as excited as we are, seeing their friends on the team."
More than anything else, Mohl appreciates the relationships that he has built with the DAC Pack.
"The DAC Pack is great," Mohl said. "I always look forward to seeing them. I'm very thankful for their continuing support and all of the friendships I've made."
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