Sept. 21, 2006

Throughout the season, USCsports.com will feature question and answer sessions with Gamecock men’s soccer players, giving Carolina fans a chance to learn about about their favorite players off the field. Today’s subject is Ryan Leeton, a senior defender from Midland, Texas. Leeton is a two-year team captain who earned all-Conference USA honors in 2005. This season, he has started all eight matches on the back line and helped the Gamecocks secure four shutouts. Leeton has also scored a pair of goals. To find out which professional soccer team Ryan Leeton roots for, his plans for after college and his goals for the season, read on…

1. The best thing about playing soccer at South Carolina is… being able to compete with the best teams and players in the nation

2. I came to South Carolina because… the great tradition of the program

3. What is your most memorable sports moment? Traveling to Brazil with the Region III ODP team

4. What’s the TV show you never miss if you can help it? Sportscenter

5. If I weren’t playing soccer in college, I would… be attending the University of Texas

6. Favorite moment of a soccer match: The opening whistle to start the game

7. My first summer job was: working construction

8. My favorite professional soccer team is: Arsenal

9. The most interesting thing I did over the summer was: Study for the LSAT and taking the LSAT

10. Most people don’t know this about me, but: I made my varsity tennis team when I was a freshman in High School

11. My main goal for this season is: Win the regular season conference title, conference tournament, and make it to the Final Four

12. If you could have dinner with three people (living or dead), who would it be? Theodore Roosevelt, Emmitt Smith, Mark Cuban

13. What is your favorite thing about Columbia? It’s far away from home and it’s very different from home.

14. What are you plans for after college? Hopefully playing professional soccer, and if that does not work out, attending law school.