TUCSON — Football has been part of Que Baker-McCaulay's life since elementary school.
"I've been playing football, baseball, and wrestling probably since elementary school, I think. So to even still be playing it definitely is a blessing," Baker-McCaulay said.
The Mesa native grew up with four brothers and learned toughness early. But his road to professional football was anything but easy.
"I didn't get no offers out of high school. I ended up going to a Division III for wrestling and let them know like, hey, I can ball," Baker-McCaulay said.
After four years at Central College in Iowa, where he played football, baseball and wrestled, Baker-McCaulay earned a transfer opportunity to Northern Arizona University.
His first Division I football game came in Tucson at the University of Arizona, against quarterback Noah Fifita, who was recently an honorary captain for the Sugar Skulls.
"Everything is like almost full circle… It's crazy to share the field with somebody you don't even know, don't recognize, and then to have them here in your realm now," Baker-McCaulay said.
Now the center is back in Tucson leading the Sugar Skulls into another showdown with his former team, the Arizona Rattlers. It will be the third time this season the two rivals have met.
Baker-McCaulay was moved to Tucson midway through last season with the Rattlers, and his time here has not disappointed.
Baker-McCaulay never asked to be a captain.
His teammates chose him thanks to his energy and leadership he naturally brought to the locker room.
Football is only part of who he is.
Off the field, Baker-McCaulay is EMT certified and hopes to become a firefighter. He studied psychology, worked in behavioral health and works as a tattoo artist, including tattooing many of his teammates.
"The cool thing about tattooing with me is that I get to leave a part of myself with these people… it's like giving people art that they can take with them," Baker-McCaulay said.
After a winding road through football and life, Baker-McCaulay says the Sugar Skulls have become a place where he can simply be himself.
"They don't need me to be anything other than me," Baker-McCaulay said.
The Sugar Skulls travel to Glendale Saturday to play the Arizona Rattlers at 6pm.
