ORONO – Joan Quezada has always admired the tremendous work ethic demonstrated by his parents, Julio Quezada and Santa Rivera.

From them, who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic, he learned to take great pride in everything he attempted, whether it be his studies or his efforts on the football field.

Spurred on by his parents and following in the footsteps of his older siblings, Joan (pronounced joe-AHN) Quezada has excelled during his four years at the University of Maine.

Saturday afternoon, the senior strong safety will try to help the Black Bears end a two-game losing streak when they take on Atlantic 10 power Massachusetts in the Homecoming game at Alfond Stadium.

“[He’s] very prideful and very appreciative of being on scholarship and being able to have the opportunity to play football, a game he loves, and get an education and earn a degree along the way,” said UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove.

Quezada has been a key member of the Bears since late in his freshman season (2002) when he helped them earn a share of their second straight A-10 championship and earn a spot in the NCAA national quarterfinals.

The 6-foot-2, 222-pounder has been versatile as both a run-stopper and pass defender in the Bears’ scheme.

“If they come out with two running backs, I’m going to be down in the box, and if we play teams like Hofstra that like to pass a lot, I’m going to go back and play two-high safety,” Quezada said.

This season, he ranks fifth on the team with 30 tackles.

“He’s a multitalented kid and multidimensional in terms of his abilities and what he can do,” Cosgrove said. “You can blitz him; he can cover [receivers]. He’s a big kid that you can put man-to-man on people.”

Despite growing up in the urban environment of Union City, N.J., Quezada didn’t find it difficult to focus on what was important.

“It’s real rough down there, so you’ve got to make a lot of decisions,” Quezada said. “It’s up to you and your character.”

Along with his parents, Quezada was blessed to have some shining examples of achievement in his family.

Jajira, the eldest of his two siblings, was the first to earn a college degree, in sociology. Joan called her “the smarts of the family.”

Older brother Julio, himself a good high school football player, went on to graduate college with a business degree.

“They were always telling me to do the right stuff,” Joan recalled. “They basically motivated me to get the job done and try to get a scholarship.”

Quezada had an outstanding career at Emerson High School, leading the team to a conference title in 2001 as a quarterback and defensive back. Head coach Ed Marinez and his staff also steered Quezada in the right direction.

“They basically told me to stay away from all the negative people that do drugs on the streets and just play football,” Quezada said. “I consider myself blessed to be able to [have earned a college scholarship].”

He chose UMaine over the likes of Hofstra and Richmond and paved the way to Orono for Emerson High graduates Manauris Arias and Nabil Salim to join the Bears.

Attending UMaine has provided Quezada with a break from the hustle and bustle of city life and Orono has proven a supportive community.

“It’s good up here,” Quezada said. “Everybody treats you good. There have been a lot of great people and coaches that I got to know.”

As Quezada heads into his final five games at UMaine, he is looking ahead toward completing his degree in business and trying to earn an opportunity to play pro football.

In the meantime, he hopes to impart what he has learned to his teammates.

“Being a senior is important because you have to set an example for all the young fellas on the team to do the right things,” he said. “I just lead by example on the field and do the right things like going to class. That’s the main goal.”