WSU Ex-Players.. Where are they now?

WSU Players in the NFL
WSU has created a page for those of you who like to check up on WSU players in the NFL.  Click here to see it.  You will need to pay the yearly fee they charge, but its not much if you're a big fan of one of the players, or of WSU football in general.  Once you get there you can click on a name - Jason David for instance -  and you will be taken to the team page for that player if he is in the NFL, like this.  It would be neat if they had a similar page showing the stats of former NFL players, instead of dropping them from the list once their career ends, but maybe that is in the pipeline somewhere.  Because they are way better than anyone else at keeping up with WSU players I recommend you look there for that information.  I will continue to list the information that I find on this page along with comments, but it might not be complete.  

WSU players in the 2006 NFL draft.
Of course all of last years seniors are eligible for this years NFL draft (April 29th and 30th), but after a  mediocre year which WSU players are worth drafting?  One of the first print publications to weigh in is the ESPN NFL DRAFT MAGAZINE. 

Predictably, the only WSU player getting any real attention is Jerome Harrison.  Jerome is listed in their " " Draft day moves that separate winners from the losers because they believe his unique style is a plus "...having the burst, balance and vision to get through holes and elude tacklers".  They believe running backs with the typical size and speed take too many hits and don’t stay in the league long.

While Jerome can take (and give) hits when he needs to, at WSU he certainly was an expert at being elusive and changing direction.  

More disappointing for Cougars and Jerome is the prediction that he will be going in the third (THIRD!!!) round, after 8 other running backs.  He is listed as the 86^th best player in the draft.  

That just doesn’t seem right, does it?  If he was a stock I would certainly rate him in the “Out perform” category.  His stock would have been higher if he had been more active in the special teams area, since that is probably where he will see most of his action this first year.  Because of the Peter Principle (A WSU original, in case you were not aware) if he can’t run back kicks he’ll never get the chance to really show what he can do lined up behind the quarterback.  Other comments on Jerome include a claim that he runs “Adequate” routes – we'll give them that – and that he “lacks size” – OK we have to give them that too.  But we’ve all seen how he cuts back, his incredible vision, along with his ability to find a whole and hit it.  I think the biggest unspoken knock on him is “If he’s so great, why didn’t WSU win more games?”  There were several games where one more great play by him and we would have won. In particular his role in the cougars inability to run out the clock with a lead in the 4th quarter - sorry, didn't mean to bring back any nightmares -   There are only excuses and no real answer to that question.  It just hurts that maybe the best WSU running back ever might last until the third round because of a lack of a good supporting cast

Other WSU players in the first 7 rounds include WSU OLB Will Derting in the 6^th round (227) because he is seen as injury prone (with good reason). 

Troy Bienemann comes in ranked number 231, only a few spots behind Will, and is compared to Christian Fauria.  He would be happy if he had Christian’s football career.  Because there are fewer good tight ends Troy might actually end up getting picked ahead of Derting. Center Kevin Mihlhauser in the 7^th round.  You might want to go work out that day, do yard work, etc., because there is very little for a WSU fan (Or a Seahawks fan, for that matter) to pay attention to.

The highest ranked Husky in this roundup is OT Joe Toledo at 135.  I just loved their jab at the Huskies DT Manase Hopoi (known as hoppy to his friends).  ESPN  declared him “Too slow, too stiff, and too small”  What’s left – too hopeful? 

The magazine has some great features, probably the best is a comprehensive run down by position.
Kevin McKenzie:
Colorado Crush wide receiver and linebacker Kevin McKenzie, a member of
Washington State's 1998 Rose Bowl team, has been named to the Arena Football League's U.S. Army All-Ironman Team for the 2004 season.

McKenzie helped the Crush, owned by Denver Bronco legend John Elway, earn their first trip to the AFL playoffs. Colorado will face New Orleans Sunday at noon on NBC.

The former Cougar played in all 16 games and was twice named the AFL's Ironman of the Week. McKenzie racked up 85 receptions for 1,023 yards and 14 touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 23.5 tackles, four interceptions, five pass break-ups and a fumble recovery.

During his final season on the Palouse, the Long Beach, Calif., native tied a WSU school record with 11 touchdown receptions, helping the Cougars to a share of the Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Isaac Brown and Sammy Moore
April 29, 2004 PULLMAN, Wash. --- Washington State defensive end Isaac Brown and wide receiver Sammy Moore signed free agent deals with the Seattle Seahawks Thursday.

"I'm just excited to be able to continue my football career," Brown said. "There isn't a better place than to go across the state where I played my college football and get a shot with the Seahawks."

Brown, who will make the switch from defensive end to linebacker in the NFL, started the final 26 games of his Cougar career beginning with the 2001 Sun Bowl. The Upland, Calif., product racked up 30.5 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks during his tenure on the Palouse, both marks ranking in the top six all-time at WSU.

Moore piled up 1,633 all-purpose yards as a senior, good for fourth on Washington State's single season list. The Mesa, Ariz., native earned offensive most valuable player honors in the 2003 Holiday Bowl against Texas after hauling in touchdowns passes of 12 and 54 yards. Moore also returned a punt 51 yards to set up another score against the Longhorns.

Brown and Moore were among 12 players signed by Seattle Thursday.
 

WSU Players in the 2004 NFL draft:
Defensive back Jason David be one of the steals of this years draft?  Sure, he's not as good as Marcus Trufant, and draft pros thought he wouldn't get picked at all, but he's going to surprise some people.  He ended up being picked by the Indianapolis Colts in the 4th round.  With the WSU recent history at that position at least they know that he's been taught right.  I wonder what other traditions Rick Neuheisel brought with him from Colorado?

Where Cougars were picked:

Name	Position	Round	Team
Devard Darling	WR	3rd - 82nd	Baltimore Ravens
Jason David	DB	4th - 125th	Indianapolis Colts
Eric Coleman	DB	5th - 143rd	New York Jets
Jonathan Smith	RB	7th - 214th	Buffalo Bills

So what's your favorite Cougar moment?
(Sexual conquests aside, of course!)
Let me know.  Here are some moments I remember, but need to get the details of:

1.    The name of the WSU kicker that kicked a punt in a driving wind storm in Spokane 
        that actually landed behind him!  (I didn't say I was proud, just curious).
2.    That really cool picture of the skier flying off of the roof of that frat, who was he 
        and which frat was it?  Anyone have a copy I can post here?

Thanks to Jim "Tiger" Engstrom for this answer to one of my favorite cougar moments:

"Cougar punter Glenn Harper in the 1983 Apple cup is the one who "ballderdashed " Husky return man Danny Greene.  Glenn went on to play many years in the CFL.  "

If you didn't see it, you missed one of the funniest moments in cougar football history.  In a special "where are they now" segment, I heard that Danny Greene went on to a 7 year career as a soprano for the Vienna boys choir.

WSU Players in the NFL draft
Defensive back Jason David be one of the steals of this years draft?  Sure, he's not as good as Marcus Trufant, and draft pros thought he wouldn't get picked at all, but he's going to surprise some people.  He ended up being picked by the Indianapolis Colts in the 4th round.  With the WSU recent history at that position at least they know that he's been taught right.  I wonder what other traditions Rick Neuheisel brought with him from Colorado?

Where Cougars were picked:

Name	Position	Round	Team
Devard Darling	WR	3rd - 82nd	Baltimore Ravens
Jason David	DB	4th - 125th	Indianapolis Colts
Eric Coleman	DB	5th - 143rd	New York Jets
Jonathan Smith	RB	7th - 214th	Buffalo Bills

For more information on exactly who went where  click here

 

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