Football Columns
Michigan State’s Cousins sets standard for integrity
The speech started like most speeches begin at these luncheons. Those in attendance gulped down their food, carried on small talk at their tables while feigning attention to the speaker. That was exactly the situation this summer during the Big Ten’s Kickoff Luncheon when Michigan State senior quarterback Kirk Cousins stepped to the podium. The crowd of 1,800 soon discovered, however, that the speech delivered by Cousins, one of about two dozen speakers that day, would be different. Vastly… Continue Reading
Interns, leaders, academic standouts - Football candidates are prepared for graduation
Candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in football have made names for themselves not only on the gridiron but also in the classroom and the community. Here are just a few of the ways they are standing out as senior leaders: Northern Illinois’s Chandler Harnish has served an internship in the Huskies’ athletics marketing office. Washington State’s Jared Karstetter served a microbiology lab internship and was a traumatic brain injury research assistant. He will enter dental school… Continue Reading
Dobbs believes in always “giving it back”
Navy’s senior quarterback Ricky Dobbs is one of the most prolific rushing quarterbacks in college football history. But mastering Navy’s option offense is just a footnote to Dobbs’ off-the-field contributions to school and community. In winning the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the Football Bowl Subdivision, Dobbs, who started 25 games for Navy during his career, performed admirably in the community and classroom and displayed excellent character. As an acronym for Celebrating… Continue Reading
Lots of smarts and a tough work ethic fuel these successful centers
Auburn’s Ryan Pugh and Georgia Tech’s Sean Bedford have never met on a football field, or otherwise, but perhaps they should. The conversation between the two Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalists would start with their love of playing center, the intelligence it takes to recognize defenses and make the blocking calls for the rest of the offensive line. Pugh, who’s from Hoover, Ala., could tell Bedford, who’s from Gainesville, Fla., that as the son of a 25-year high school head… Continue Reading
Ponder represents the past, present and future of Florida State football
Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder has a different definition of a comeback. In 2009’s ninth game, he threw his fourth interception of the game to Clemson’s DeAndre McDaniel. Frustrated, Ponder chased down McDaniel, met him at the sideline, lowered his shoulder and, well, that was the end of his season. Ponder separated said shoulder. After his own comeback—surgery and months of rehab—Ponder became the 2010 poster boy for Florida State’s comeback. He’s got his own website… Continue Reading
Dobbs continues to bring a smile to the faces of fans and coaches alike
A day after probably the worst football game of his life, Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs still managed a smile on his face. Come to think of it, Dobbs is always smiling. “It is hard today,” Dobbs said the day after Navy’s 17-14 season opening loss to Maryland. “But I keep it on and try not to let stuff get me down. I’ve been practicing that since high school. Even when I have bad days, then I still try to keep a smile on my face. “Me smiling all the time, especially at a time… Continue Reading
Tebow’s biggest thrills have come from making a difference in the lives of those around him
We all get caught up in who wins and who loses every week in college football. There’s controversial officiating, questionable coaching decisions and off-the-field problems that sometimes overshadow the sport. Then, someone comes along like University of Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow, who reminds us what athletics in general is supposed to be about. It’s about competing as hard as possible, but at the end of the day, it’s the profound impact that a marquee athlete can have on a… Continue Reading
Kansas safety Darrell Stuckey gets the most out of every day
Kansas senior Darrell Stuckey laughs when he remembers what he was thinking when he first arrived on the Lawrence, Kan., campus five years ago. “When I first got here, I wasn’t going to do anything but football and school,” Stuckey said. Stuckey said he had friends who went off to college and flunked out after one semester. He wasn’t going to make that same mistake. “I was not going to get involved in anything until I figured out how to do things academically,” he said. … Continue Reading
Gregory’s work ethic and community service habits were built on the farm
When Kurtis Gregory was notified he had been nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, the first thing that came to mind was, well, Lowe’s. “Do you know if a $1,000 gift card comes with that?” Missouri’s right guard asked. “I need to buy some tools.” That’s Gregory, a son of the soil, country boy all the way and future baron of the family’s 1,500 acres near Blackburn, Mo. “I just want to farm,” he said. One day he will. For now, the Missouri senior might be… Continue Reading
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy has designs on the perfect senior season and a national title
Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy grew up dreaming about playing college football at Abilene Christian where his father, Brad, once was a safety. That seemed like an appropriate goal for a skinny kid who was an all-sports star in the small West Texas town of Tuscola. But after attending University of Texas summer football camps while he was in high school, McCoy re-focused on the Longhorns. He had watched Ricky Williams and Chris Simms develop and finally Vince Young play in Austin. He was… Continue Reading
