[George] Showing Both Greatness And Fallibility - PatsFan.com
...What will bear watching is the development of third string quarterback Matt Cassel, who caught everyone’s attention in the season finale at home against Miami...

...Cassel riddled the “A” Dolphin defense for 168 yards on 11 of 20 passing, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 116.3...

...the former USC backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart showed on that one day that he may be worthy of the number two job in 2006 and not Flutie, or any other established veteran.

The starting job is Brady’s as long as he wants it, of course. But Cassel should draw a ton of attention in training camp this summer...

The Genius of Art Buchwald - Washington Post
As Art Buchwald keeps his fellow patients in stitches at a Washington hospice, it's time to remember how this national treasure of humor has kept us all laughing for more than 50 years...

...Art Buchwald grabbed onto life. During World War II, it took courage for the 17-year-old Buchwald to join the Marines. It took courage to go far away to the University of Southern California -- while neglecting to mention that he was a high school dropout. He used the G.I. Bill to go all the way to Paris, where his chutzpah got him a job on the New York Herald Tribune and fame with a column, "Paris After Dark."...

Everest joins Carroll's staff - LA Daily News
USC coach Pete Carroll hired former NFL assistant Al Everest to be the Trojans' special-teams coordinator.

Everest, 55, spent the past six seasons with the New Orleans Saints and also worked four years with the Arizona Cardinals. He already spent two days last week in meetings with USC's coaching staff going over special teams, an area of weakness for the Trojans last season...

...Technically, Everest will be classified as a graduate assistant because there are no full-time openings on USC's coaching staff...

...USC holds its annual coaching clinic next Friday and Saturday...

Injury sidelines St. Mary's Gemelos
...With 3:16 left in the second quarter and her team ahead, the greatest high school basketball player Stockton ever could hang its hat on took an in-bounds pass in midair and was bumped from the back. She crashed to the floor, and for a second, "I thought I could get up," Jacki Gemelos said...

...She's expected to miss her freshman season at the University of Southern California with a medical redshirt...

Nyeholt’s swim event benefits challenged athletes - Honolulu Star-Bulletin
..."Swim For Mike" became "Swim With Mike." In its 25 years, the event has raised $5.5 million and helped 55 athletes.

Two of the current 16 scholarship awardees are in Hawaii: Tusi Mailo, a former Kahuku High football player now attending Brigham Young-Hawaii and Keith Kitamura, a former Kapaa High multi-sport athlete who is a graduate student at the University of Hawaii.

The event has its second lap in Hawaii on April 22 at UH's Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Center. The goal this year is to raise $20,000 to support at least three scholarships for physically challenged athletes in Hawaii.

Nyeholt is in Hawaii this week to promote the event...

'Big money' backs might find they're a dime a dozen - CBS Sportsline
...The good news for teams wanting backs this year is that it's a good draft for that position. Leading into the combine, it was believed there would be four first-round backs: Southern California's Reggie Bush and LenDale White, DeAngelo Williams of Memphis and Laurence Maroney of Minnesota. But after the combine, there may be even more...

Spring Storylines ... Pac 10 - College Football News
...5. The best top-to-bottom league in America
The Pac 10 isn't the best conference in the country, but no league could be better from top to bottom...

...in the ten-team Pac 10, this should be the most competitive league in America...

Claridge's lasting legacy is impact he had on others - The Columbian
...In the weight room, Claridge set a tone. It rubbed off on Gruenberg, who went on to play college football at Western Washington.

"He reeked of motivation," Gruenberg said. "He loved lifting weights, loved getting big. His motivation got me going, got me lifting, and at one point, I was lifting 500 pounds."

Gruenberg said there was nothing mysterious about Claridge.

"He was an open book. All you had to do is turn his pages," Gruenberg said. "If you liked him, he liked you. If you didn't, he didn't care."...

Peabody's Candela awaits word on WBC - Salem News
..After leaving USC two years ago, Candela moved north to Vallejo, Calif., and ran into Matt Ceriani, one of his old Brewer minor league teammates who was playing pro ball in Italy. Ceriani called his agent on Candela's behalf, and he said he could get Candela hooked up with an Italian club...

...Had he been healthy, he would have been part of two national championship teams and played in three bowl games.

"It wasn't high school anymore. I'd return a punt in practice, and some 300-pound lineman would be running as fast as I was," he laughed...

The Methanol Economy - MIT Technology Review
The hydrogen economy -- with its vision of gas-guzzling engines replaced by hydrogen fuel cells that produce water instead of smog and greenhouse gases -- is a big mistake, according to George Olah, winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Olah, whose research in the chemistry of hydrocarbons has led to high-octane fuels and more easily degradable hydrocarbons, is now director of the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute at the University of Southern California. He argues that storing energy in the form of methanol, not hydrogen, could end our dependence on fossil fuels and transform carbon dioxide from a global-warming liability into an essential raw material for a methanol-based economy. Olah lays out his plan in a new book, Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy, published last week...

Pac-10 Football APR information - NCAA

Stanford        995
Cal             945
Wazzu           935
Washington      935
USC             929
UC, Los Angeles 915
OSU             910
Oregon          900

Arizona and ASU have not completed the process for determining its APR and/or contemporaneous penalty. If a team falls below 925 in the formula, penalties are assessed by the NCAA. Arizona is already appealing its penalty.

Shotgun QBs, Harrington and more - USA Today
...Team eye doctors apparently did a double-take when they examined Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart, who admitted he didn't always have great field vision. In fact, he was born cross-eyed...

Bush could follow path blazed by Barber, Dunn - USA Today
...Bush's humble, hands-in-pocket cool belies his edge. We're not talking about those razor-sharp cuts that earned him the nickname "The Cutback King" as a runner who first flashed skills in his San Diego Pop Warner league. Bush's fierce competitive edge drives him to disprove the doubters who say he can't handle an every-down load.

It's the same fuel that has lifted Barber and Dunn to greater heights than anyone predicted. Bush spent the last month bulking up, adding 7 pounds of muscle in preparation for the eyeball test at the scouting combine...

Ex-Fort football star Claridge dies at age 27 - The Columbian
..."I can't imagine what happened to a young, athletic physical specimen like Travis Claridge. Just a shock. It leaves a hole in my heart," said Gary Boggs, Claridge's football coach at Fort Vancouver...

...By the time Claridge finished his college career in 1999, he started 48 consecutive games, a USC record for a lineman. Yet, the playing streak never seemed to mean much to Claridge, because during that four-year period, the Trojans were 26-22.

"Tell me what I could feel good about?" Claridge said at the time. "I never thought in a million years I'd be sitting here with this many losses in my senior season (six), or in my SC career."...

...Claridge signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract with Carolina in 2004. Shortly after signing the contract, Claridge told The Columbian that he planned to donate some money toward a school where his mother teaches in Detroit, as well as to Fort Vancouver...

...Claridge couldn't claim most of the contract, though, as Carolina cut him during training camp...

[Chadiha] No sure thing - CNNSI
...At this stage, we know USC's Matt Leinart is the most ready to play of all the quarterback prospects. You can question his arm strength, but all I know is the guy made clutch throws in every game I saw him play...

Keeping an eye on the cut line - Sac Bee
...The NCAA is scheduled to release the latest Academic Progress Rate today in the boldest announcement yet for a plan that already was revolutionary: the results, for the first time, come with penalties.

Gone are the days when the substandard merely had to endure public ridicule, the way some 400 of 5,720 Division I teams did when scores initially were distributed last February. Flunking this time - falling below the cut line of 925 points out of 1,000 - could mean the loss of scholarships, and, therefore, conceivably lead to coaches being fired for so dramatically injuring their program...

Hamilton Tiger-Cats offensive lineman Claridge dead, CFL club says - Brooks Bulletin
..."Being cut was the most embarrassing things to happen to me because I've never not started," Claridge told The Canadian Press last September. "In Atlanta, I always played for the organization.

"I broke my wrist, I played with that. I bruised my spinal cord, I played the next week. I got a concussion, I played through that. I'll play through anything and did so thinking when it came time they'd say, 'This is a guy is a hard worker and is loyal to this organization,' but obviously it didn't work out that way.

"Do I feel I got a raw deal from the NFL? Yeah, but there's nothing I can do, it's out of my control. I don't care about the NFL now. I just want to show coach Marshall and his staff that they haven't made a mistake."...

Spring Preview 2006 - College Football News
...USC...The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. Don't just assume John David Booty is the next Heisman winner in the progression after Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. Mark Sanchez was one of the nation's top recruits last year and while he's the number two man going into spring ball, don't be shocked if he gives Booty a run for the starting gig...

Good news for USC in troubled times - Financial Times
The Marshall school at the University of Southern California may be in need of a permanent dean, but there is some good news at least for student and alumni services. It has just received $2.25m from Fred Keenan of the Keenan Investment Company, to expand and enhance services to the student and alumni population. The figure could eventually reach $5m...

Tiger-Cat lineman dies - Toronto Star
Offensive lineman Travis Claridge, who was looking to kick-start his pro football career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, died Tuesday, the CFL team announced.

Claridge, 27, died in hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, after being found unconscious at his home earlier in the day. The cause of death was not specified.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," Ticats general manager Rob Katz said in a statement. "This is a sad day for the Tiger-Cats family."

Added head coach Greg Marshall: "Travis was a wonderful human being. His enthusiasm for life touched so many of us. He loved his teammates and his teammates loved him. We will all miss Travis tremendously."

Former Carolina Panther dies at Saint Rose Hospital - KVBC-TV
A former football player for the Carolina Panthers has died at Saint Rose Hospital. 27 year old Travis Claridge was found unconscious at a home in the southwest part of the Valley Tuesday morning near Industrial and Southern Highlands Parkway.

Prior to playing for the Panthers, Claridge played for the Atlanta Falcons and went to USC. His younger brother, Ryan Claridge, plays for the New England Patriots and attended UNLV...

Cutler Has Joined Leinart and Young in Exclusive Draft Huddle - NY Times

[Harvey] First slip by Young happened before test - San Antonio News-Express
...Did Young really get a 6?

League execs could think of only one starting quarterback in history with a single-digit Wonderlic score (Vince Evans in the 1970s). Recently drafted quarterbacks include Michael Vick (20), David Carr (24) and Eli Manning (39). Matt Leinart had a 35 this year, and Marino somehow made do with a 15.

So Young's number was as crazy as his Rose Bowl numbers, and there were varying explanations. A prevalent one is that Young's test was incorrectly graded, and he retook the test. He scored a 16 then, which is passable.

But a source says the 6 really happened and that Young never took the test a second time. The league was so embarrassed by this leak that it invented a story...

Prospects Get Lesson In Finances - Tampa Tribune
...Huller, who says he originally retired at 27, works with NFL agents Roosevelt Barnes and Eugene Parker, who represent veterans such as Bucs LB Derrick Brooks and Pittsburgh WR Hines Ward, as well as Southern Cal RB LenDale White and Georgia G Max Jean-Gilles, two of the top prospects in the 2006 draft.

"Financial advice is very important for the rookies," Huller said. "You have to remember that 33 percent of the players who enter this league leave it in worse financial shape than when they went in. Our goal is to help them do what they want to do after their career is over, not what they have to do."

Huller puts Maximum's clients on a strict allowance. A player with a $10 million contract has to "get by" with $500,000 a year in spending money. The balance is invested to maximize net worth...

RB Bush commends USC at Walker event - Dallas Morning News
...Bush, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel on Monday night to receive the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back, said playing at Southern Cal helped prepare him for the next phase of his career.

"It's great so far, it's everything I dreamed of," Bush said. "I was used to the media attention and playing at USC prepared me for it because I was always in the spotlight. It's almost like second nature."...

Draft-day intrigue? - NY Newsday
...A person with knowledge of a potential draft-day deal said last night that the Texans might be interested in the Jets' No. 4 overall pick if the right package were presented. Such a trade almost certainly would include defensive end John Abraham. If it were made, the Jets would be interested in drafting quarterback Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner who led USC to back-to-back national titles.

"The Giants traded up from No. 4 to No. 1 to get Eli Manning," the person said. "So why not the Jets? This could be their chance to make the same kind of splash as the Giants. Leinart has that star quality that would play well in New York."...

NFL Combine Speculation At Full Throttle - Chicago Sports Review
...As the Thunder part of the Thunder and Lightning duo at USC, LenDale White was known for his bruising style.

Still, White says he can run, (he thinks mid 4.4's) and when he handled the ball against Texas in the Rose Bowl, the country saw why he holds the USC touchdown rushing record after only three years, over some chump named Charles White.

When questioned about his playing weight, White said that he hovers in the mid 230's, plenty enough weight to still be a bruising NFL back. Still, the baby-faced White instigated himself the fact that he played the Rose Bowl at 253...

Fight On!

USC Football
'Unusual Situation' at USC - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/usc/la-sp-carroll26feb26,1,7734682.story
USC Coach Pete Carroll knows the most loyal person on his staff is the guy coaching the tight ends. It's his son Brennan, 26. Brennan, who played tight end at Pittsburgh, joined the USC staff as a graduate assistant after his father's first season and is in his fourth year at the school, his second as a full-time assistant. "The thing that's fun about it for me is competing together," Pete Carroll said. Brennan called it "a blast." "I came here to get an opportunity to work with my father," he said. "I don't have aspirations to be the next head coach." Coaching is something of a family business at USC...

They Inherit the Wins - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/usc/la-sp-nepotism26feb26,1,7685312,full.story
..."I think it can be more dangerous in athletics than other areas — in part because the high-profile nature means you put a very special pressure on these relationships," said former Florida State president Talbot D'Alemberte, who allowed Bobby Bowden to hire his son Jeff as offensive coordinator, making Bowden one of the cadre of elite college football coaches who employ their offspring, including Penn State's Joe Paterno, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and USC's Pete Carroll...

Leinart Looks to Prove Himself During Workout - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/football/nfl/la-sp-leinart25feb25,1,5505330.story
He has a Heisman Trophy, a pair of national championships, and perhaps is as marketable as any player ever to emerge from college football. So what does USC quarterback Matt Leinart have to prove? Plenty, evidently...

Low Profile, Top Pro File - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/football/nfl/la-sp-bush24feb24,1,5523641.story
...to realize that colossal payday — more than $20 million guaranteed for the first player chosen — Bush knows he needs to concentrate on the now. That's why he has passed on more than a dozen marketing opportunities since the Rose Bowl, opting to focus his attention on securing a place with the Texans atop the draft...

Athletes Making the Grade - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/la-sp-hssondcol26feb26,1,3750853.story
...Some being honored are among the most well-known in the region, proving again that you can be a standout in the classroom and on the field. USC-bound quarterback Garrett Green of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Stanford-bound offensive lineman Sione Fua of Encino Crespi will each pick up scholar-athlete awards...

Revamped O-line on Cards' mind - East Valley Tribune
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=59847
...Many of the rookies-to-be also seem to understand the value in versatility. "I played my first year at right tackle and I started there on Matt Leinart's blind side," said USC guard and Mesa High School product Taitusi Lutui. "I was asked to move to left guard. . . . It's a job so you have to do it. (But) I adapted real quick."...

One dream but different realities for local backs - Rocky mountain News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_4499493,00.html
...He will be one of those rare runners who will carry the ball far more in his NFL rookie season than he did in his last one in college. "I still think I've got to convince people a little bit I can get in there and do it," White said. "Nothing is set in stone, you know. But I feel like I can take the ball and be the guy. I just didn't have that opportunity at USC with all of the other guys we had on offense. "I feel good about where I'm at."...

Bush's rush hour begins - Dallas Morning News
...Bush's stature goes beyond college dominance, including the Heisman Trophy and the Doak, which he will accept tonight at the Hilton Anatole. His ability to deliver excitement on demand has swayed the skeptical eyes of NFL scouts. The Houston Texans are considering taking Bush with the draft's first pick despite the presence of two potential franchise quarterbacks – Houston native Vince Young and Bush's USC teammate, Matt Leinart. Bush's talent so far has trumped red flags about his lack of size and durability...

Former Breck star Byrd has his eye on Vikings - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/510/story/271164.html
Former Breck High School star Dominique Byrd left the Twin Cities to play college football, but he'd love to come back as an NFL player. "That would be great," the USC tight end said Saturday at the NFL scouting combine. "One of my tattoos is 'Minneapolis' finest.' And I have the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome right here on my left arm. Minneapolis will always hold a great place in my heart." The interest definitely goes both ways. Although the Vikings won't discuss specific players that they are interested in, Byrd said he spoke to team officials at the Senior Bowl and at the combine. He said other teams showing interest are Denver, Miami and Tampa Bay...

White ready for draft day - Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060226/SPORTS0101/602260401/1126
..."I thought about it, but a lot of stuff weighed on me and my family," White said in an interview at the NFL combine. "And I thought this was the best situation. It was time to take care of my family."...

False score gives Young wrong kind of buzz - Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3687374.html
...Kubiak was impressed with Young, too. "We had a great interview with him," Kubiak said. "I wanted him to tell me why football's important to him. I wanted to talk to him about his leadership qualities. We talked a lot about offense. "I was very, very impressed with the kid. But I was impressed with Reggie Bush, too."

[McClain] Leinart would be good fit with Titans, Chow - Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/mcclain/3686140.html
...If he falls to third, Leinart will be reunited with his offensive coordinator at USC, Norm Chow, who has the same position with the Titans. "I missed him this past season, but he had a great opportunity to go to the NFL," Leinart said about Chow. "He did well, and he's going to continue to do well...

THROWING IT OUT THERE - New Orleans Times-Picayune
http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-22/1140853482163710.xml
... there's also the question of which quarterback is more ready for the NFL. "I think my overall preparation at USC is going to be an advantage," Leinart said. "First playing behind Carson Palmer, who's a Pro Bowl quarterback, and learning from him. Playing against an NFL style defense and Coach (Pete) Carroll for five years -- Troy Polamalu, Lofa Tatupu, guys that I've played against. "I think I've been prepared the best you can be prepared."...

Intuition's better than 40-yard drill - Ft Wayne News-Sentinel
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/13973392.htm
...Feel still carries NFL draft day. Feel explains why Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian picked Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf in the most famous example of intuitive drafting. Feel rules as the reason I'd have no problem picking USC quarterback Matt Leinart if he didn't throw a single football in Indy (as he chose not to) or at his "Pro Day" (where he will display his arm). "I'm just a winner," Leinart said, asked to describe his strengths...

Winston's stock on rise as Browns inspect draft beef - Canton repository
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=271688&Category=17
...Analysts have Justice rated around the middle of Round 1. Browns General Manager Phil Savage warned that while Justice might become a good left tackle in the NFL, he played right tackle at USC, protecting the blind side of lefty Matt Leinart. Savage is concerned about how long it would take Justice to re-learn footwork at left tackle, where he would have to play to justify a No. 12 overall pick...

No rest for the defense - Cincy Enquirer
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060226/SPT02/602260383/1066/SPT
...Safety is not one of the draft's strongest positions. Early-entry junior Donte Whitner of Ohio State is the top-rated safety and is expected to go before the Bengals pick. There are some intriguing prospects who could be available in the second round - especially Southern Cal's 220-pound Darnell Bing, a junior known as a big hitter and with good ball skills...

Leinart learning from Palmer - Cincy Enquirer
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060225/SPT03/602250363/1022
...As Palmer did, Leinart stayed at USC and completed his eligibility. He could have come out for last year's draft but decided to return for his senior year. "I can honestly say I had the best time of my life," said Leinart, who took one class last season. "I lived at college, had a great time, met tons of people, and all the football stuff speaks for itself...

Rumor: Jets seek Leinart - Newark Star-Ledger
...new Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, asked recently if he would have any qualms about trading up from the team's No. 4 spot, said, "We're going to consider all our options."...

Cutler Has Joined Leinart and Young in Exclusive Draft Huddle - NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/27/sports/ncaafootball/27nfl.html
...according to league personnel at the combine, Cutler has solidified his position as one of the top three quarterbacks, and could move ahead of Young, or perhaps even Leinart. The top three quarterback prospects are so different in their abilities, teams must carefully evaluate which one best suits their system...Cleveland Browns General Manager Phil Savage said: "If you were asking today, and took a poll, I think people would say Leinart...
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/02/26/sports/28nfl.chart.gif

Bush Starts Campaign to Carry a Full Load - NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/24/sports/football/24combine.html
...During his three seasons at Southern California, Bush played just three games in which he carried the ball from scrimmage at least 20 times. He was also U.S.C.'s primary return man for those three seasons. LenDale White, a more physical ball carrier at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, did much of the Trojans' inside running, leading some N.F.L. personnel people to believe that Bush must be used judiciously to be most effective. "At least in my opinion, with Reggie Bush, more may be less," Phil Savage, general manager of the Cleveland Browns, said Thursday. "At S.C., they had he and LenDale White together, and they complemented each other. Whichever team takes Reggie, if they utilize him the right way, he can still be the Heisman Trophy winner at the pro level, even if he's only touching the ball 10, 15 times a game. "At his size, 200 pounds or so, when you're carrying it 20, 25 times a game, for 16 games? I think that's almost an impossibility."...

Combine notes: McKay stays optimistic on CBA - USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/draft/2006-02-26-cba-combine-notes_x.htm
... When Southern Cal tight end Dominique Byrd was attending Breck High School in Minneapolis, he served as a summer intern for Minnesota Sen. Mark Dayton, a job that had him roaming the halls of the Senate Hart Building in Washington and the federal building in Minnesota. It also piqued his interest for a possible career after football. "I was helping to resolve the problems of everyday Minnesotans," Byrd said. "I feel it (politics) is something I could do. Maybe he (Dayton) can help me on my campaign when I run for the Senate in Minnesota."...

[Pompei] Bush gets ripped - Sporting News
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=66716
An interesting piece of information that won't show up in any of the Combine reports given to NFL teams: Southern California RB Reggie Bush, who weighed in at 201 pounds, was so lean and fit he had six-pack abs when he took off his shirt for scouts. His USC backfield mate LenDale White did not. White, who owned up to tipping the scales at 258 pounds at the end of the season but says he played as light as 233, weighed 238 at the Combine...

[Kirwan] Being where they want to be - NFL News
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/9266687
...As for the punters, Tom Malone, the man who decided to return to USC last year instead of leaving school early, was the most impressive performer in the dome. His high, towering punts reminded me of the year Todd Sauerbrun impressed every team looking for a guy who could change the field-position battle...




Pac-10 and 2006 Opponents
SPRING TRAINING - Ft Worth Star-Telegram
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/13972749.htm
...How do you like the Bill Callahan era? You can't make more of a 180-degree turn from what they were doing with the power I, option football to spreading the field with four wide receivers on first down. They're making a lot of progress, but sometimes when you don't see it, you lose patience...

QB contender steps right up - Portland Tribune
http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=34060
..."Sean can make all the throws," Oregon State coach Mike Riley says of Canfield, a Carlsbad, Calif., native who redshirted his freshman season in 2005. "He has all the physical stuff you need to be a quarterback. The next big step is to be able to handle all the things you have to handle to become a quarterback. I'm confident he'll do that in time."...

Cal Poly linebackers coach Hammerschmidt leaving Mustangs for Stanford job - SLO Tribune
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/sports/13961117.htm
...Hammerschmidt, who came to Cal Poly last year after spending the previous two seasons as defensive coordinator at Montana, said he accepted the Stanford position Wednesday and will coach special teams and outside linebackers for Walt Harris' Cardinal...

Stanford Stadium to open with Navy game - SF Chron
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2006/02/24/SPGTJHDP1J1.DTL
Stanford will debut the new Stanford Stadium on Sept. 16, with the football team's third game of the season against Navy. Construction continues on the $90 million project, which is now scheduled to be finished a little less than 10 months after groundbreaking, which began moments after the 2005 season finale against Notre Dame on Nov. 28. Crews have been working on the facility 16 hours a day...

First priority for Dixon: Fun in the sun and surf - Portland Tribune
http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=34057
It'll be an uncharted excursion for Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon when he goes on vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for spring break. He plans to let his hair down, so to speak. "I'm actually going to have some fun," says Dixon, who will be accompanied by teammates Garren Strong and Kyle Weatherspoon and other friends. "It's the first time actually doing something" during a break from school. Usually he goes home to San Leandro, Calif., or visits his uncles in Portland...

Leaf gears up to fight for QB job - Portland Tribune
http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=34059
Oregon quarterback Brady Leaf has watched videotape of the game-deciding interception he threw in the Holiday Bowl "about 20 times," and admits he still dwells on it. He also realizes the Oklahoma defender made a great play, and he has received many supportive calls, e-mails and comments, like "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been in it." The Sooners beat the Ducks 17-14...

Markey is marquee - LA Daily News
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_3548047
...The 5-foot-11, 211-pound Markey averaged 9.2 carries per game in 2005. He said he must prepare his body for the increased workload of the coming season. "It's better eating," Markey said. "I got with my nutritionist. I'm drinking more water. No In 'N-Out."...The Bruins have only three quarterbacks - Ben Olson, Patrick Cowan and Osaar Rasshan - on their roster, so they are looking to bring in a walk-on or two come August. One potential walk-on is K.C. Patterson, who signed with the University of San Diego out of Oakmont High, but is now at Fullerton College...

An intense beginning - LA Daily News
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_3544795
... Walker, a former NFL assistant, is charged with remaking one of the worst statistical defenses in the nation the last seasons. "The intensity is up there," UCLA safety Chris Horton said. "Guys are flying around, getting to the ball. Coaches are already demanding to get to the ball. The tempo is fast. Real fast. It's like we're practicing at game speed."...

Offensive Coordinator's Duties Are Nothing New for Svoboda - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-uclafb24feb24,1,6670801.story
..."Watching the whole staff work today was pretty impressive … the players seemed really excited about getting this opportunity to practice," Coach Karl Dorrell said. "The defense got in a lot of good work and the quarterbacks looked pretty good."...




NCAA Football
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Recruiting
Weis lands first recruit of 2007 - South Bend Tribune
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060225/NDSports02/602250433/-1/NDSPORTS
...Weis was watching a film of Neal at 5:30 a.m. Friday when he called Bunn coach David Howle and left a message that he was offering Neal a scholarship. Later Friday, Neal accepted the offer, despite having never visited South Bend. Nor did he have any inkling that an offer from the Irish was on its way...

Geathers still weighing commitment - The State
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/13970991.htm
...Not in attendance were quarterback Jimmy Clausen (6-3, 190) of Westlake Village, Calif., and some of his teammates who had talked about attending. Clausen is considering Notre Dame, Southern Cal and USC. The Gamecocks have offered at least two of Clausen's teammates, defensive back Marshall Jones (6-1, 190) and running back Marc Tyler (6-0, 220). Jones also has offers from Michigan, Mississippi, LSU, Arizona, Tennessee and Oregon State. Tyler, the son of former NFL running back Wendell Tyler, has 15 offers including USC, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UCLA and Michigan...

Junior league - The State
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/13948448.htm
Duane Wages expects to put some serious mileage on his new SUV this spring. Wages, an assistant football coach at Richland Northeast, is taking the Cavaliers' Gary Gray and Mark Barnes - two of the country's top juniors - on a college-football odyssey. Their itinerary reads like a fan's ultimate road trip, with stops in South Bend, Ind., Austin, Texas, and several ACC and SEC towns and cities...The spring process is particularly important for recruits — such as Gray and California quarterback Jimmy Clausen — who are graduating high school in December in order to enroll in college early...




Trojans in the Pros
Owner's focus is to win immediately - Ft Worth Star-Telegram
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/football/13972485.htm
...Jones said concerns at right tackle are behind his recent about-face on Jacob Rogers, the second pick from 2004 who has yet to play an offensive snap for the Cowboys. After not getting on the field as a rookie, Rogers was the favorite to win the right tackle job in training camp last year. But that was before he was dogged by shoulder and knee injuries, raising questions about his toughness...Jones is now looking at Rogers as a possible answer at right tackle, although Jones said doesn't know if Rogers will be ready to practice before training camp in August...

Holmgren undecided on future - Tacoma News-Tribune
http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story/5551954p-4997689c.html
...Three weeks after leading the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl, and after seven sometimes tumultuous seasons, Holmgren is worn out. This week he'll join his wife Kathy on a beach in Hawaii and figure out whether he wants to coach beyond 2006, the final year of his contract...




Misc.
Ex-USC Football Player Serving Life Sentence Found Dead in Cell - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mccowan25feb25,1,7414797.story
...McCowan, a standout player at Carson High School, was a starting safety for USC when he and teammate Marcel Brown robbed several pedestrians in Westwood in 1991...

Stem Cell Institute's Legality Goes to Trial - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-stemsuit27feb27,0,1589199,full.story
...Philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad donated $25 million last week to build a stem cell research center at USC. The Broad Institute for Integrative Biology and Stem Cell Research is expected to be the largest such center in the state when it opens in 2008, the university said. Klein wistfully called it "the highest-quality model of what Proposition 71 should be funding."...