Photo by Ethan Magoc: Mercyhurst College football player junior Travis Rearick is man behind the signs for the Laker offense.In every sport, players and coaches are forced to find a way to communicate with one another, without the other team knowing what is happening.

After careful consideration, many coaches chose to use signs as the primary way to communicate throughout the course of a game.

Mercyhurst College football is no different. Looking on the sidelines during a Lakers offensive series, fans can see number 14 giving obscure signs to the offense.

Is there a rhyme or reason to these signs, or are they just there to confuse the other team, and who is this number 14?

This number 14 is redshirt junior Travis Rearick. Rearick has served his team as the back-up quarterback the last three seasons.

He also aids his team as the play caller, giving signs during every offensive series.

After sitting down with Rearick, one can see exactly why and how these signs come about.

“The signs I give in the game are useful because they are quick and meaningful,” Rearick said.

This allows senior quarterback Garrett Kinsey to give the play to the offense in a quick manner in order to avoid a penalty.

Although most of the signs are efficient, Rearick still finds some time to have some fun with them.

“We love having fun with the signs, so sometimes we take what is convenient like making an L with my hand for left, or sometimes it’ll be funnier like giving myself wolf ears and lifting up my leg as if to pee for our sign for wolf formation,” said Rearick. ”I personally think that some things have to be funny in order to commit them to memory faster.”

If anyone has seen a Mercyhurst football game in the last three years, funny is an understatement.

Just look at the sidelines during an offensive series the next time you are at a game and you can see number 14 giving signs and having fun.

Rearick’s not limited to play calling, he also helps out the team in any facet he can. After each series, he has a one-on-one with Kinsey to help him make better reads or to point out something that he may have noticed.

“After a series, Garrett will usually come off and talk to Coach (Marty Schaetzle) and then to me to try and see if he missed any open routes, or maybe what the backside of a play looked like,” Rearick said.

Perseverance and dedication to his teammates convinced Rearick to stick around the last four years, always being the backup.

“I felt a loyalty to my friends and teammates here at the ‘Hurst. Transferring wouldn’t have solved anything,” Rearick said.

Saturday, the Lakers suffered their first loss of the season to Kutztown University 35-14.

Rearick continues his act on Homecoming Weekend, Saturday, Sept. 25, against Lock Haven University.

Be sure to check out the sidelines for number 14 when Mercyhurst has the ball.