The Florida Atlantic football team has struggled in their second year of existence. They suffered eight straight losses before their 34-13 win on Saturday, Nov. 9 versus Morris Brown College.

Defensive lineman and Miami native Ramon Rickards has been able to keep a positive frame of mind though he knows that it will take some time for the Owls to develop as a football team.

“It hasn’t been that hard to keep motivated because we’ve played well,” Rickards said. “We’re not just going out there and getting killed. We feel like we’re putting up a fight.”

They’ve only been blown out twice, and six of the eight losses were by 16 points or less. They’ve put up a fight.

Every game FAU plays gives them experience that will help them in the future. That’s when the hard work they do now will matter.

“If you look at the bigger picture, in the long run it’s going to pay off,” Rickards said.

The defensive star saw a recent example of how his team’s hard work is paying off in their win versus Morris Brown.

“We played well enough to win,” he said. There’s still room for improvement though. Rickards said there were a few mental mistakes on the part of the defense.

Speaking of improvement, Rickards has seen improvement in the defense since last year.

“I feel the defense has stepped up. We’re making a lot of plays,” the defensive lineman said. “There’s a lot more leadership out there. Everybody’s not afraid to step up and do something.”

Rickards himself has been a leader. He leads the team in sacks with 4. He has also recorded 14 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles and looks forward to playing Florida International and against some friends from back home.