While Cameron Sandquist took a lunch break on Tuesday afternoon from his financial job in Stamford, Conn., he couldn’t help but relate his football career to his profession.

Sandquist starred on the gridiron at Redmond High School, where he bonded with his teammates on and off the field. On long summer days, the Mustangs worked out in the weight room and ran their tails off to prepare for their time under the Friday night lights.

They gained a work ethic “by choice, not by force,” he said. They wanted to be there and they wanted to succeed.

Sandquist ran that same route at Yale University for the last four years and now he’s giving it his all on the financial scene.

“It’s a lot of work,” Sandquist said. “They’re letting me dive in and I’m enjoying it.”

Sandquist graduated from Yale in May and now lives in New York City. The 22-year-old is in the big city — a far cry from smaller Redmond — and his success at Yale helped lead him to this point in his life.

He connected with people from different backgrounds and enjoyed hearing their stories. It was a transformational experience, he said.

“We had a common bond in that we all had goals beyond football. I was inspired by people I worked with every day,” Sandquist added.

Sandquist — who’s 5-foot-9, 170 pounds — was a four-year varsity letterman at Yale and during his senior year received the Norman S. Hall Memorial Trophy for outstanding service to Bulldog football.

During his junior year, the wide receiver took part in a 98-yard scoring play — the longest in school history — when he caught a pass from quarterback Eric Williams and scored against Georgetown. He began his Yale career in 2010 with stellar results when his first two catches for 10 and 15 yards resulted in touchdowns against Columbia. He was the only Bulldog freshman with a touchdown.

Sandquist is a freshman in his new job, and from the confidence in his voice over the phone, it sounds like he’s ready to make an impact all over again.