Sept. 28, 2006
Yimin Bauman (name is pronounced YIE-mun BOW-mun) is a the Lobos’ back-up fullback, behind sophomore Matt Quillen. Bauman is playing in the backfield for the first time since his senior year of high school (2002). He moved over to offense midway through this 2006 spring practice season after spending his entire college career at linebacker. He made his Division I debut in the ’06 season-opener versus Portland State after leading the defensive scout team the past two years. His teammates named him Most Valuable Defensive Scout following the 2005 season.
Bauman has always been a physical player and really turned some heads late in the spring with his immediate impact as a blocker and receiver. He also has outstanding strength in the weight room, earning the team’s Beefmaster Award this past spring for players weighing between 225-249.
Bauman transferred from Mesa (Ariz.) Community College in January of 2004 and redshirted the ’04 season. His older cousin, Rashad, played at Oregon and is now a cornerback with the Cincinnati Bengals. Bauman is the nephew of Glenn Rogers, a running back at UNM from 1983-86.
Question: Before this year, when was the last time you’d played offense in a game?
Yimin Bauman: The last time I played offense was my senior year of high school. In high school we played with a one-back set, so I’d never really played fullback before. I’ve blocked before, but never to the extent of being a lead-blocker.
Q: You seemed to make the adjustment pretty quickly during spring practice, how’d you figure things out so fast?
YB: I think it just took a little extra time being in the film room with (running backs) coach (Cornell) Jackson, learning the offense, looking at the playbook and just trying to relate things back to defense to make it a little easier.
Q: How far have you come in your understanding of the position since the spring?
YB: I think I’ve come pretty far, but I think there’s always a lot more to learn for the simple fact that defenses change every week and I’ve only played against four defenses plus ours. So every week I think I have a lot more to learn.
Q: What’s the best thing about playing fullback?
YB: We get to hit all the time. It’s pretty much constantly hitting, which I like to do. We don’t have that many assignments. Our assignment is basically to go hit a person, which makes it a lot easier on us.
Q: What’s one thing you don’t miss about playing linebacker?
YB: All the assignments and having to think a lot on the field.
Q: When you first transferred here, could you imagine that you’d be playing fullback on Saturdays?
YB: Nope. I thought I was done with offense. I thought I would never see offense again.
Q: First time you took the field vs. Portland State – how’d it feel?
YB: Oh it felt great to be out there in front of all the fans and going out there with team that I’ve been working with for the past three years now. It just felt great.
Q: How do you get yourself ready for games in the locker room?
YB: I don’t have any special ways. It’s just like hitting – it’s natural to me. I just love football so I don’t have to be all pumped up and hyped before a game. It’s just something I love to do, so I’m going to go out there and do it regardless.
Q: Who are you named after?
YB: I’m not sure how I got my first name. My mom and my aunt, they switch off naming each other’s kids. When I type my name in on Google a lot of Chinese stuff comes up, so I think she got it from that. In Chinese it’s like YI-min not YIE-mun.
Q: Does everybody mispronounce your name the first time they see it?
TB: Oh all the time. That’s why when I first got here I just told everybody to call me Bo for my last name Bauman because I either get YI-min, yuh-MEEN, Diamond or something of that sort.
Q: What nickname do the guys call you now?
YB: Yao Ming.
Q: Who’d win in a 40-yard dash, you or Matt Quillen?
YB: (laughs) Me.
Q: Would it be that easy?
YB: Yeah. He’s definitely a good fullback, but I don’t think Matt could beat me in a race.
Q: Favorite movie?
YB: My favorite movie would have to be The Program.
Q: Worst movie you’ve ever seen?
YB: Nacho Libre. It was pretty bad.
Q: Who was your sports hero as a kid?
YB: I would have to say Bo Jackson.
Q: One thing about you nobody knows?
YB: That I grew up in a pretty bad neighborhood (in Phoenix), but went to a private school. I got a scholarship to play football and transferred from a school in my neighborhood my junior year.
Q: If you could see five music concerts, all-time, who would it be?
YB: Lil’ Wayne, 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, R. Kelly and Musiq Soulchild. That would be my top-6 actually.
Q: What’s next for you once your playing career is done?
YB: If I don’t get another chance to play football, I’ll probably try to stay in school and get my masters in Sports Administration or maybe try to get into mortgage and real estate.