BASEBALL: WSU storms
past Gaels in walk-off fashion
Cougars
scored three runs in seventh inning, won on errant throw by Gaels in bottom of
eleventh
WSU
redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Collin Maier pitches to a Saint Mary’s
batter Thursday at Bailey-Brayton Field. Maier pitched two and a third innings
and allowed three earned runs in the game.
By COLIN
CONNOLLY, Evergreen March 8, 2018
WSU
baseball defeated Saint Mary’s College of California 7-6 in the bottom of the
11th inning on an errant throw by the Gaels on Thursday in the Cougars’ home
opener.
Cougars
(3-6) senior outfielder Blake Clanton crossed the plate with the winning run to
end a game that lasted nearly five hours.
Sophomore
infielder Dillon Plew was on first base when he attempted to take off to steal
second, and Saint Mary’s (7-4) sophomore left-hander Nick Sparks aimed to throw
Plew out.
Sparks’
toss to second base slipped past the infielder and found its way to centerfield,
allowing Clanton to score the walk-off winning run from third base.
“It went
exactly as planned,” Plew said. “Just how we wrote it up.”
The game
found its way to extra innings due to clutch defensive plays and hitting by
both teams.
The Cougars
struck first in the bottom of the second inning when freshman infielder Jack
Smith hit a single to score junior first baseman Wyatt Segle. The single
extended Smith’s hitting streak to six games.
In the
bottom of the third inning, WSU added to its lead with a bases-loaded walk by
sophomore catcher Cal Waterman. Head Coach Marty Lees said Waterman has
consistently had quality at-bats that don’t show up in the box score.
“Cal puts
a lot of time into his swing,” Lees said. “He has had very good plate appearances
and is just finding a way to get on base.”
Junior
right-handed pitcher Nick Strange came in the fourth inning to relieve senior
right-hander Collin Maier. Maier faced five hitters in his relief appearance
with the first two getting on base from a walk and hit-by-pitch. The next
batter laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit, followed by a sacrifice fly by
Saint Mary’s freshman outfielder Jack Murphy.
With the
Cougars’ one run lead, Strange faced Saint Mary’s junior third baseman Dylan
Robertson. Robertson hit a three-run homer to give the Gaels a 4-2 lead.
WSU had
several opportunities to put more runs on the board, leaving a total of 17
runners on base in the game. Saint Mary’s brought a 6-3 lead into the bottom of
the seventh inning, when the Cougars threatened again.
Saint
Mary’s freshman right-handed pitcher Michael Hobbs entered the game to face the
top of the Cougars’ order with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of
the seventh. Hobbs got junior shortstop Andres Alvarez to pop out, and with one
out and the bases-loaded Plew stepped into the batter’s box.
Plew came
off the bench earlier in the game in the exact same situation and grounded into
a double play.
“It’s
tough coming off the bench because it’s cold, windy and raining,” Plew said,
“but you just have to keep yourself in the game.”
Plew did
just that as he hit a bases-clearing three-run double to right field to tie the
game at six runs apiece. Senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Walker came in for
the Cougars and threw two and two-thirds innings and had three strikeouts.
WSU was
unable to string anything together after the Plew double in the bottom of the
eighth, and continued to rely on their pitching.
This took
the game into the 11th inning, when Cougar senior left-hander Cody Anderson
came in. Anderson retired all three batters he faced and earned the win for
WSU.
“It was a
complete team effort,” Lees said. “I think we can get better.”
WSU will
host Saint Mary’s for the second game of the series 2 p.m. Friday at
Bailey-Brayton Field. The game can also be seen on the WSU Live Stream.
///////////////////
ASWSU
Senate supports multicultural plaza plan
Senators
vote unanimously in favor of resolution after debate over plaza’s purpose
Ricky
Luna, president of Omega Delta Phi, advocates to rename the library plaza to
"Multicultural Greek Plaza" because they do not have a space on
campus.
By DAN
DOUCET, Evergreen
March 8,
2018
ASWSU
senators passed a resolution in support of naming the plaza on top of Terrell
Library the “Multicultural Greek Plaza” at its weekly meeting.
The
resolution urges WSU administration to dedicate the plaza to the multicultural
Greek community at WSU to help bring attention to those organizations and the
students of color in them.
The
resolution cites the WSU Strategic Plan’s references to a diverse university
community, including students, staff and faculty from underrepresented groups.
It also cites the multicultural Greek community’s goal of recruiting and
retaining students of color by providing safe and inclusive spaces, as well as
problems they face with visibility and historical exclusion from the Greek
community.
Several
students from the multicultural Greek community gave public testimony in favor
of the resolution.
Ricky
Luna, president of Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc., said multicultural Greeks
do a lot of work around the community, but they are not visible.
“We truly
want to be able to showcase this with this new space that we would obtain,” he
said.
Diana Soria,
the United Greek Council vice president of recruitment, said they currently do
not have a space on campus, but deserve one. She said the plaza would make
incoming students aware of the community.
“Having
this … would show students at Alive! that we’re visible,” Soria said.
Leslie
Monje, a United Greek Association delegate from Sigma Lambda Gamma, said the
naming is not separatist rhetoric or special treatment, but inclusiveness.
“We’re
asking that the brown and black students in our organizations are not erased,”
she said.
Carson
College of College Senator Jesus Hernandez, one of the resolution’s authors,
said naming the plaza would help multicultural Greek recruitment, which would
help with retention of students of color.
“Essentially,”
he said, “there is a large community of students that feel they are being left
out.”
All Campus
Senator James Dalton said he has struggled with the resolution since he first
heard about it. He said multicultural students already have the newly built
Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center to bring attention to their community.
“Part of
what I struggled with,” he said, “is we already have something on campus that
celebrates this.”
Dalton
said he does not believe they should designate a spot in the middle of campus
for multicultural Greeks.
“I just
haven’t been sold on this is something that has to be done,” he said.
Hernandez
said the Cultural Center is dedicated to diversity on campus, but the plaza
would be named for the multicultural Greeks and the work they do to serve marginalized
people.
“The
difference between the two is immense,” he said.
All Campus
Senator A’Jenae Hardwell said she thinks Dalton’s view is close-minded, and
calling the space the Multicultural Greek Plaza does not restrict white people
from using it.
“What I
got from it was that, ‘Oh, you already have something, why do you need
something else?’ ” Hardwell said.
Arts and
Sciences Senator Jacob Lizarraga said multicultural students are marginalized
and deserve to be recognized.
“To say
they don’t deserve to be put in the center goes against what I believe WSU
stands for,” he said.
Dalton
said he felt personally attacked by other senators, adding that he did not want
them to think his points meant he was against any underrepresented group on
campus.
“If you
have that in your mind,” he said, “then take that out right now.”
Dalton and
the rest of the Senate approved the resolution on its final vote.
Also at
the meeting, senators voted to raise the student transit fee by 5 percent. In
spring 2017, WSU students voted to raise the transit fee by $5 per semester and
give ASWSU and GPSA the ability to approve future increases of up to 5 percent.
Transportation
Services Director John Shaheen said that without the increase, they would end
up running a deficit because of increasing costs, such as driver contracts that
require a wage increase every year.
“Unless
they get that 5 percent, they’re going to run a deficit,” Shaheen said. “We can
do that for a while, but it’s not sustainable.”
The
increase would raise student fees by $1.63 per semester and $3.26 per year. The
increase passed through the Senate with a unanimous vote, but is still pending
in the GPSA Senate before it is finalized.
/////////
Former WSU
player files suit against Leach
Webb’s
civil suit claims he was unfairly denied due process and his scholarship when
he was cut in October
By Josh Babcock, Lewiston Trib
A former
Washington State football player has filed a civil lawsuit in Whitman County
Superior Court against coach Mike Leach and the Student-Athlete Appeals
Committee.
According
to court documents, former WSU defensive back Zaire Webb, 18, from
Jacksonville, Fla., claims he was denied due process and his four-year,
$125,000 athletic scholarship was wrongfully revoked.
Webb was
cut from the team Oct. 5 — one day after he was arrested for allegedly stealing
from Walmart in Pullman.
The
third-degree theft charge Webb faced from the alleged incident was later
dropped due to lack of evidence.
The civil
suit alleges the WSU athletic department violated its own code of conduct and
discipline policy by releasing Webb.
According
to that policy, “In the case of behavioral problems which involve formal
criminal charges by a law enforcement agency, the involved student-athlete will
be placed on suspension by the department of athletics until the facts of the
incident are reviewed.”
A written
statement from Leach to the university’s Student-Athlete Appeals Committee
states, “(Webb’s) removal from the team was a culmination of events, which
ended with his arrest on the suspicion of stealing from Walmart along with a
teammate.”
WSU
athletics spokesperson Bill Stevens said he is unable to comment on pending
litigation.
Leach has
said in the past that theft is one of the three violations that will
automatically get a player dismissed from his team. Using an illegal drug and
assaulting a woman are the other two; also known as Leach’s “three deadly
sins.”
“There is
no uncertainty where we stand in upholding them,” Leach wrote in the letter to
the appeals committee.
The
committee upheld Leach’s decision to release Webb, along with Leach’s
recommendation to deny Webb from contacting any Pac-12 institutions, or any
school on the WSU football schedule through the 2020 season.
“Every
player is held to the same standards here and we have demonstrated that talent,
athletic ability, age, or classification have no bearing on whether we keep or
remove a player that violates any of our team policies,” Leach wrote in the
letter to the appeals committee.
The suit
alleges that is false and outlines several other players who were able to
remain on the football team after they violated one of Leach’s “sins.”
According
to the suit, in September of 2016, Logan Tago, who spent one month in jail
after he pled guilty to a felony for mugging a man for a six-pack of beer, was
allowed to remain on the team. Tago is expected to be senior on the football
team next year.
The suit
also cites defensive back Grant Porter, who remains on the roster although he
is accused of assaulting his girlfriend in Moscow and threatening to “put
bullet holes in her door” last fall, and former player Daquawn Brown who pled
guilty to punching a woman in the face in 2014 and was not removed from the
team. Brown led the Cougars in tackles that year.
In all,
the suit claims those on the appeals committee breached their duty by accepting
Leach’s unsworn statement, which contained multiple misrepresentations, the
university failed to follow procedures, refused to provide due process, “and engineered
a ‘kangaroo court’ hearing with the predetermined purpose of upholding Mr.
Leach’s decisions.”
Webb is
seeking an unspecified amount of damages, an award of his attorney’s fees and
costs, and any further relief found by the court.
///////////////
FOOTBALL
WSU’s
biggest NFL prospects take it easy
By Stephan Wiebe, Moscow Pullman Daily News
Like
fellow top Cougar NFL hopefuls Hercules Mata’afa and Cole Madison, Luke Falk
opted not to partake in most of the Washington State football Pro Day
activities on Thursday, just days after they, and former Cougar wideout Tavares
Martin Jr., participated in the NFL scouting combine.
But that
didn’t stop Falk from giving his teammates a helping hand.
The former
Cougar quarterback tossed crisp passes to running backs, a receiver and several
defensive linemen in front of a couple dozen NFL scouts at the Cougar Football
Complex.
“I was
just filling in for guys, trying to help them out,” Falk said. “I tried to give
them catchable balls, not as much velocity on it and stuff. They did a great
job.”
Falk said
he plans to do his pro day at Utah State on March 28 in his native Logan, Utah,
so his workout isn’t so close to the combine and because he’ll have more
receivers available to throw to down there.
Mata’afa,
a defensive lineman who could play linebacker at the next level, and Madison,
an offensive tackle turned guard, both decided to let their combine results
stand, so they only participated in the position drills after the timed and
measured workouts were over. Martin did not participate.
In total,
15 Cougars attended Pro Day, including D-lineman Daniel Ekuale, linebacker
Dylan Hanser, wide receiver Robert Lewis, linebacker Frankie Luvu, D-lineman
Garrett McBroom, running back Jamal Morrow, O-lineman Cody O’Connell,
nickelbacker Kirkland Parker, corner Marcellus Pippins, kicker Erik Powell,
defensive back Robert Taylor and running back Gerard Wicks.
The large
number of participants meant the scouts moved things along quickly and kept
most of the results pretty hush-hush, especially on the speed events like the
40-yard dash and three-cone drill.
Among the
highlights were O’Connell’s 28 reps in the bench press — a mark that would’ve
been sixth best at the combine among offensive lineman. Not too shabby for the
long-armed, 6-foot-9 O’Connell.
Taylor
nabbed the best broad jump with 10-3 leap, which would’ve been just outside the
Top 10 among DBs at the combine, and he was rumored to run in the low 4.40s in
the 40.
Scouts for
the Lions, Vikings, Jaguars, Browns, Falcons, Giants, Patriots, Cowboys and
Seahawks were all among the NFL teams represented at Pro Day.
“I was
excited to see everybody come out and do work today,” Mata’afa said. “I think
we have the potential to have five, six guys get drafted.
“With this
many teams showing up today, I think they have a pretty good idea that we have
some athletes on the team.”
Falk
confident moving forward
Even
though it wasn’t an official workout for Falk, it was his first time back
throwing passes in front of an audience in Pullman since Washington State
defeated Stanford 24-21 Nov. 4 at Martin Stadium. He wore a small brace on the
left wrist he broke and played through during season.
Falk
didn’t blow anybody away in the physical skills department at the combine and
some of his throws were off target, but he said he was confident in the
interview portions and what he’s shown on game tape.
“There’s a
lot of stuff that goes into it, a lot of stuff behind the scenes,” Falk said.
“The filmed workouts is really only 2 percent of what goes on there. For the
most part (it was good).”
Players
are often asked unusual questions during the interviews and Falk said one of
the weirder questions was whether he is more of a cat or a dog. Even though his
college mascot is a Cougar, he went with ‘dog,’ in the interview.
“I think
you’re getting evaluated every second,” Falk said. “How you eat, when you draw
on the whiteboard, what color of marker are you using — there’s a lot of
stuff.”
Switching
positions
Mata’afa
and Madison also said they were pleased with how they performed at the combine.
Both will
be switching positions if they get a chance at the next level.
A
defensive lineman for Washington State, teams want the 6-2, 252-pound Mata’afa
to be a linebacker or “edge defender” in the NFL.
For
Madison, the big factor was showing that he’ll be strong enough to move from
tackle to guard or center in the NFL. With 26 reps in the bench press, he
finished in the upper half of lineman.
“The big
thing about being there was the bench press and I thought I nailed the bench
press,” Madison said. “It’s business now, it’s a business world … But it’s a
good time, good process and just take it day by day.”
Mata’afa
also had 26 bench reps at the combine, near the top for his group, but finished
near the bottom in many other drills. Still, he’s expected by many to go in the
middle to late rounds in the draft.
“I’d
dreamed about it ever since I was a kid,” Mata’afa said of the combine. “It was
a good atmosphere out there and it was good to meet the other athletes out
there.
“We had
four Cougars out there so that was great to represent. I thought we showed up
and showed people we can play.”
////////////////////
Washington
State’s Robert Franks says decision regarding next season will come ‘down the
line’
UPDATED:
Thu., March 8, 2018, 5:54 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
Robert
Franks reconstructed his body last offseason and took his game to new heights,
collecting Pac-12 Conference Most Improved Player honors after nearly tripling
his scoring average and doubling his rebounding totals from his sophomore
season.
Franks’
development was no doubt a boon for the Cougars, but it also created a scenario
that WSU fans probably hadn’t contemplated before the 2017-18 season began. The
junior forward must now decide if he wants to return for a senior season in
Pullman or pursue a career in professional basketball.
That’s a
decision Franks hadn’t made as of Wednesday night and one he expects will come
later this month.
“The
season’s over, that’s not something I’m thinking about right now at the
moment,” Franks said after WSU’s 66-64 overtime loss to Oregon in the Pac-12
Tournament. “It’ll come down the line in a couple weeks.”
Franks, a
6-foot-7 forward with good shooting range and a strong post-up game, is an
interesting pro prospect, but by no means a guaranteed NBA Draft pick if he
should decide to leave. Nbadraft.net had listed him as a potential second-round
Draft choice and in February, the website ranked him as the 40th-best pro
prospect.
The NBA
allows underclassmen to declare for the draft, partake in the draft combine and
receive professional evaluations. Players are then able to withdraw from the
draft as long as they do so within 10 days after the conclusion of the combine.
“If he has
the opportunity to do that, he should,” Kent said. “And we’ll know more on that
in the next few weeks, because I think the NBA does an excellent job of rating
players now. They go through the league, they ask every team in the league to
rate players and they come back and give you a great assessment as to whether
or not they feel you should do this, just by the numbers game.”
Franks
averaged 17.4 points per game as a junior – seventh in the Pac-12 – and shot
40.5 percent from the three-point line. He was the Cougars’ second-leading
rebounder with 6.7 boards per game and converted 85 percent of his free throws.
It comes after a sophomore season that saw Franks score 6.3 ppg, shoot 31.1
percenf from beyond the arc, grab 3.3 rpg and shoot 73 percent from the foul
line.
“If he’s
in the ballpark where they say come to the combine, do those things, he needs
to go through those things and do those things,” Kent said.
“Whether
he goes or not, that’s going to be up to him and his family and everything. But
he first has to get the opportunity.”
////////////
WSU Cougar Men’s Basketball
Thanks,
Drick
Drink
Bernstine’s goodbye to WSU is a good reminder of what it’s about.
By Jeff
Nusser Coug Center Mar 8, 2018, 3:00pm
PST
The
Washington State Cougars ended their season last night with an overtime loss to
the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Tournament, a result that was not unexpected. As
such, WSU fans collectively shrugged and closed the book on another
disappointing season under Ernie Kent.
Sometimes,
it’s easy to forget about the players, since we don’t actually know them.
Sometimes,
it’s good to be reminded what this means to them.
Bernstine
was a grad transfer from North Dakota who played just this one season at WSU. I
don’t know who else offered him a scholarship, but it’s certain he could have
chosen to go elsewhere, and he chose to spend his final season of eligibility
in Pullman.
Regardless
of any other feelings any of us have for the coach and the state of the program
in general, Drick picked us, and I think that’s pretty cool.
So thanks,
Drick, for this season, even though I’m sure it didn’t go as you envisioned.
Best of luck to you in whatever you choose to do next. Hopefully it involves
finishing your graduate degree here and getting to truly enjoy campus life as a
student.
Go Cougs!
/////////////
THE FOLLOWING
IS FROM FEB 23, 2018
AD Pat
Chun gives basketball team a vote of confidence
Can Ernie
Kent survive a fourth straight losing season?
By Chet
Broberg Coug Center Feb 23, 2018, 5:00am PST
Cougar
basketball has had its struggles this year, but new Athletic Director Pat Chun
still has high hopes for the squad. The AD said in a recent interview that he
backs the players 100 percent, and it is just a matter of time before they turn
the corner.
Chun
joined KXLY’s Derek Deis on this week’s Cougs in 60 podcast, touching on a wide
range of topics (the basketball conversation starts at 6:30). The AD began by
saying how impressed he was after having lunch with a few players last week. He
remarked on how the team is composed of “quality young men” and that they are
inching closer to more on court success.
“In at
least the games I’ve watched, we’ve gone toe to toe with other teams,” Chun
said. “We just need to get that knockout blow toward the second half of the
game.”
While the
Cougs are currently on a two game winning streak, many of their recent losses
have been far from competitive. On their recent 8 game skid half the defeats
came by more than 18 points.
Chun
mentioned that he has had a few “brief” conversations with Head Coach Ernie
Kent to get a better feel for the roster and the future. He was optimistic
about the team going forward and said that indicators of success are there.
Over his
four year tenure, Kent has often implored that he just needs more time to get
the program back on track. While Chun is confident that the team will improve
in the future, perhaps a change in leadership will expedite that process.
//////////
Feedback
sought on WSU Alert test
March 8,
2018 WSU Insider
The spring
semester test of the WSU Alert System on the Pullman campus Tuesday, March 6,
reached 16,280 students, faculty and staff within five minutes via text, phone
and email, the Office of Emergency Management announced.
The
campus-wide electronic door locking test also was considered a success.
WSU tested
its electronic locks on doors associated with the Cougar Card and Veterinarian
Medicine system, locking roughly 3300 electronic door locks.
Manual
door locks were not included as part of this test. An all clear message was
sent at noon indicating the test was over and normal operations were to resume
on the Pullman campus.
During an
actual emergency like a hostile intruder, you should assess your situation:
Run to a
safe place (get away if it is safe to do so)
Find a
space with a lockable door (classrooms and offices)
Lock the
door
Cover the
windows as well as possible
Silence
all audio devices (phones)
Turn off
lights
Quietly
form a plan to attack if an intruder enters your space with hostile intent
WSU
encourages students, faculty and staff to be personally aware of developing
incidents, assessing each emergency individually and taking actions to ensure
the safety of all.
WSU Police
regularly conduct Hostile Intruder trainings. For more information on receiving
this training, please call 335-8548. If you would like additional offsite
training, Vivid Learning Systems has a free, online hostile intruder training
available at
https://vividlearningsystems.com/active-shooter-preparedness.
If you
feel as though you should have received an emergency notification today, please
check to make sure your contact information is correct in the Emergency Contact
link found at myWSU. If you would like to receive emergency notifications,
please visit myWSU and access that link to complete your registration. To view
current alerts, please visit
https://alert.wsu.edu/
and see oem.wsu.edu for emergency preparedness tips.
////////////////
Jed
Collins: The true value of a WSU scholarship
My
perspective has changed 10 years after graduating
By Jed
Collins - Mar 7, 3:15 PM
Cougfan.com
TEN YEARS
AFTER graduating from Washington State, my perspective on the value and impact
of an athletic scholarship has changed. The reality is that only HALF of a
scholarship’s value is derived from opportunity and education on campus.
This
year’s “A Night with Cougar Football” saw a record-setting $335,000 raised to
fund athletic scholarships, topping the 2017 total by more than $100,000. That
amount signifies another four yours of a scholarship funded, all in a night’s
work. Kudos to all at WSU who made it happen. And it got me thinking about the true value of what
so generously is given to our student athletes.
The
ultimate value of a scholarship must be seen in the success of the
student-athlete beyond their time on campus. This is the responsibility of not
only the individual but the university as well.
My View of
the value of a scholarship today:
- 25
percent Opportunity
- 25
percent Education
- 25
percent Platform
- 25
percent Team
Opportunity:
On Field
When
you’ve earned the privilege of an athletic scholarship, you’ve displayed the
conduct and talent to compete at the next level. There’s no questioning the
work and discipline it took to get you where you are today. This moment is the
chance to compete on a collegiate stage and the stepping stone toward living
out your childhood dream of becoming a professional athlete. This value can
prove to be priceless, but for most it is merely a motivator.
Education:
Off Field
A
scholarship is anything but free. Student-athletes put in enough hours during
the week to be considered full-time workers, and that’s on top of their school
work. In an ideal scenario, student athletes receive their diploma and reap the
financial impact of the education. A college degree can double your income over
your working career, and this financial impact is compounded when the student
athlete is not weighed down by the student loans that handcuff many graduating
seniors.
Opportunity
and education have been front and center in the conversation around collegiate
sports. Now, a decade after graduating, I have a new perspective and believe it
to be only HALF of a scholarship’s value. To take full advantage of a
scholarship, you must grasp the other half of the value proposition: platform
and team.
Platform:
After Campus
The chance
to play professionally is every athlete’s dream, but few will live that dream.
Reality says everyone will become professionals, of course, just not on a
playing field. Being a student-athlete
gives you a platform to begin that journey because of the mental fortitude
developed.
And
translating the attributes developed over your career as a student-athlete will
lead to success no matter the field or direction. The discipline, focus and
resiliency common to collegiate athletes are desirable qualities. This is where
the scholarship will begin to take on an entirely new value proposition.
What’s
more, connecting with those who’ve seen you in action is paramount—lean on your
network and those who have admired you from afar. It can be difficult to appreciate the “It’s
who you know” lesson when you’re busy getting tested on “What you know.” But
personal connections go a long way in professional life. As a goal-oriented and
coachable individual, you exemplify the character every business owner wants in
a new employee. The time you put in now to get out, get social and collect
cards while you’re still playing will be priceless when the time comes to hang
up your cleats.
Team:
Throughout Life
You lose a
lot upon graduation between your identity as an athlete and the game that has
driven you. It can be easy to feel alone. The day you walk away from campus
doesn’t also need to be the day you walk away from the family you have formed.
Perhaps the
greatest asset we all receive from college is the people. The ones we studied
with, ate with and celebrated with. These people will each find their own way
in life and will always remember who was there at the beginning and throughout
the college years.
Also,
begin to engage with others who have walked your path. There are new “former
athletes” every year and yet the transition doesn’t change. It’s on the
university and its athletic alumni to welcome these new additions and foster
the same level of support they felt while performing. Just because you graduate
does not mean you stop being a member of a team. With a new team and a new
goal, you will find yourself right back at home.
I LOVED
SEEING Shalom Luani and Frankie Luvu engaging in this very belief during
Saturday's Night With Cougar Football event. And I couldn’t help but appreciate
my own scholarship as I looked across the dinner table and saw the greatest
value in my life, my wife. My scholarship lead me to Pullman and to my
beautiful bride, Kira Collins. For many a scholarship offer is life changing,
but the true value and impact of what that offer means will not be realized
until years after.
On
Saturday night, the Cougar Nation raised funds in support of changing the lives
of its student-athletes. Now it is on both Washington State and its
student-athletes to ensure the full value of that support is realized.
Go Cougs!
And see you Thursday at Cougs First!
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR: From 2004-07, Jed Collins was an all-everything standout at Washington
State, where he played linebacker, fullback and tight end. “Jedzilla,” as
Cougar fans affectionately dubbed him, earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors as
a senior in 2007 after catching 52 Alex Brink passes for 512 yards. He went on
to play seven seasons in the NFL. Today he is an associate with the
Seattle-based wealth management firm Brighton Jones.
