Walk-On Brej Dishes It Out For Teammates
Monday, February 9, 2015 | Men's Tennis
By Madison Schultz
GatorZone Writing Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- During the fall semester, walk-on senior Richard Brej made a big impression on his Florida men's tennis teammates. Not with a powerful serve, or deft backhand volley skill at the net.
It was with a homemade key lime pie.
Coach Bryan Shelton was taken aback when he saw Brej arrive at a team gathering to watch a Gators football game toting the tasty treat.
“What college kid comes to a gathering with food? Especially with food they made themselves?” Shelton said.
An Illinois native, Brej transferred to UF in 2013 after one year at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta. He was admitted academically and sought to make impressions on the coaches to earn a spot on the tennis team.
It's safe to say that he did.
When he's not on the court, Brej can often be found working on his true passion: cooking. Brej's flair with food began at home, learning from both of his parents and his Polish grandmother.
“It was just me being brought into the kitchen and having a natural interest in it,” Brej said. “My mom always showed me how to make things when I was younger.”
He had to learn how to prepare food living on his own in college, applying the knowledge of a college athlete relative to nutrition to make the best, healthiest meals possible.
“I really like cooking Italian dishes, like the pastas, the flavors, and the cheeses I can work with,” Brej said, always keeping in mind the importance of carbs when it comes to sustaining energy level for practice and matches. “I like making my own pasta sauce.”
While perfecting these meals over the years, he discovered his love for baking, also.
Although they have only known Brej a year, redshirt freshmen Oliver Landert and Joshua Wardell are among those who can testify to their teammate's abilities off the court.
“We heard a lot of talk about it and he always had the cooking channel on,” Wardell said. “Then he started bringing in cookies and banana bread.”
But his personal favorite?
The crepes.
Born in Switzerland, Landert says food is an important part of culture for him and Brej has provided that occasional outlet from training table fodder. “Everything is good,” he said.
Shelton has one preference. “He can always bring a smile on my face with those chocolate chip cookies.”
That's just one example of the positivity that Brej radiates throughout the team. He has an energy and positivity that keep him calm on the court. On Jan. 10, he competed in his first dual match, winning in three sets against William & Mary's Aaron Chaffee. In his first three Florida seasons, Brej's match competition was relegated to doubles.
“I didn't put a lot of nervous tension on myself and give that match a specific title and make it a big deal,” Brej said. “For me, I try to think back to how I have made it here and all the stuff I've had to do to prepare myself for this and not make myself so nervous to where I can't play how I want to.”
Brej hopes to get a chance perhaps to play in a doubles match during his senior season. Beyond that, his career goals are focused on opportunities where he can apply his food and resource economics major. His hands-on background in nutrition would seem like an obvious path. Maybe working with athletic programs and not only planning meals, but assisting in their preparation as well.
Meanwhile, Brej is building a network of contacts in Gainesville, like any ambitious student.
“He loves talking about restaurants, he's like a food critic,” Shelton said. “Somewhere in the future, food will be a part of it.”
Currently, Brej is working with a local catering company.
“I got to get in there and see what the owner does with his business,” Brej said. “I worked in the kitchen and garnished some of their dishes and prepared some of their meals for events.”
This experience could be helpful with the idea of a team dinner prepared by Brej floating around.
“That's their deal,” Shelton said. “Those boys love to eat.”
