Q: Which players did you admire or emulate growing up? How about now?

DAOUDA: My favorite player has always been Paul Pogba.

Q: Why? 

DAOUDA: I feel like he’s just somebody that, since I’m a midfielder, he’s nice to look at. When he’s playing, he’s entertaining. And also the fact that he’s so successful and he was a bit flashy, he wasn’t a normal player.

Q: Why did you choose Penn State?

DAOUDA: A lot of reasons. I had a really good connection with the coaches during the recruiting process. I had a friend that was here on the team last year (Mohamed Cisset). He was saying so many good things about Penn State. It wasn’t really a hard decision for me. I said, “I’m in.”

Q: What goals do you have for both the team and yourself this coming season?

DAOUDA: For the team, Big Ten champion, national champion. For myself, I want to have the best season possible. I don’t know how to put that into a clear objective… I feel like as long as the team’s doing good, I know I’ll be doing good, too. I put the team objectives first.

Q: What do you miss about Montreal, your hometown?

DAOUDA: My friends. Honestly, I feel good here. I don’t really miss Montreal at all.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do with teammates off the field?

DAOUDA: There are a lot of things that we do. Recently, we started playing pickleball. They won’t tell you that, but I’m the best on the team. We go eat. We go to the HUB a lot, go downtown. We play basketball. We basically do everything together.

Q: What is your favorite way to score a goal?

DAOUDA: My favorite way to score a goal would be, I’ve got to get on free kick duties. But right now Caden (Grabfelder) is on it and he’s been doing good. I would say a half volley outside the box.

Q: What are you studying right now?

DAOUDA: Coming in here, I wanted to do sports management, so I’m doing RPTM with a sports business minor.

Q: What do you hope to do with that after Penn State?

DAOUDA: I want to stay in the soccer world. I think that I want to do agent work.

Q: What is something about you that might surprise people?

DAOUDA: Hmm. People say “You’re nice. I didn’t think you were that nice.”

Q: Favorite class?

DAOUDA: I really like my criminology class (CRIM 012). I took it just to add another gen ed, but I’ve really appreciated it and I’m learning a lot in it.

Q: Favorite spot on campus?

DAOUDA: Jeffrey Field.

Q: Favorite movie?

DAOUDA: Straight Outta Compton.

Q: Favorite food?

DAOUDA: It’s a Haitian food. It’s called griot – it’s pork, fried, with rice.

Q: Do you have any pet peeves?

DAOUDA: People that put black socks with white shoes. I can’t.