Leonardfan
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Anyone see Jordan Peterson chase down the Mizzou WR and knock the ball out of his hands preventing a touchdown. A great play...Don Beebesque.
TROY -- Troy senior safety Brannon Condren was notified last week that he has been selected to play in the annual Hula Bowl in Honolulu on Jan. 14.
It was a pleasant surprise when he found out last Thursday after practice. It was the latest amazing thing in what has turned out to be an almost unbelievable senior year, Condren said.
He came to Troy as a walk-on, and earned a scholarship after his redshirt freshman year. He continued his climb through the ranks, to a special-teams player, to a reserve, to a starter and now, to a bona fide NFL prospect.
He came as a preferred walk-on, redshirted his first year. He worked his way onto the kicking teams, earned a scholarship after his redshirt year, became a starter, and now, an NFL prospect.
It's what he hoped would happen ever since he was about 8 years old and watching the NFL on TV. Now it's happening.
"I dreamed about it," Condren said Monday. "But I never really thought it would actually come true. Now, I've got agents calling me, scouts calling me.
"It doesn't even seem real to me," he said. "I can't believe it's happening to me."
God-given talent
Warrior Jacob Patek embraces God in his starting role
By Kiyomi Ueda
Ka Leo Staff Reporter
October 26, 2006
Saturday's game against New Mexico State University gave University of Hawai'i junior strong safety Jacob Patek the chance to show everyone watching why he deserved his starting position.
In the second quarter, Patek knocked the ball out of the hands of New Mexico State's Nick Cleaver in the end zone, preventing a touchdown and a tied score between the Warriors and the Aggies.
Patek has excelled in his starting role. He is fifth in tackles with 26 and has played in all of UH's games this season.
Those who religiously follow Warrior football by now have noticed that Patek is a fresh face for the Warrior defense. This is Patek's first year at UH, following two seasons at Blinn Junior College in his home state of Texas.
"I started when I was a freshman in high school," Patek said. "I always went to a private school growing up, and we didn't have any sports except for basketball, and [it] wasn't my sport. I wanted to play other sports like baseball and football."
Unlike recreational athletes, Patek knew that he wanted to continue playing football during his college years. According to him, football is the ultimate team sport, and being a competitor, he doesn't think he could get through college without the kind of competition that college football brings.
After high school, Patek went to a junior college because he had not been recruited extensively. After two seasons at Blinn JC, UH began to recruit Patek.
"When the fall semester was starting to come to an end," Patek said, "like the last couple of weeks, is when they started talking to me. So it was kind of late, but it's good."
Despite late recruitment, Patek chose to attend UH because he felt the coaches here were honest with him and kept the offer available for him.
"Overall," Patek said, "I think this is where God wanted me to be."
Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville feels Patek has exceeded the expectations set for him by the coaches.
"For a guy that has played junior college linebacker," Glanville said, "to play that well and change positions to safety, he's done a real good job. He plays harder [and] he plays better than what he is."
Glanville also feels Patek does not have potential  in a good way.
"Potential means you've got something and you're not using it," Glanville said. "[Patek] is the opposite; he's using more than he has. We gave him a gallon of gas, and he burns up two gallons."
While Patek did not have any Division I-A experience, he still won a starting job over Brad Kalilimoku during the off-season. Patek has started every game this season at strong safety and has earned praise from his teammates.
"He's easy to work with, he listens," said Leonard Peters, who plays free safety opposite of Patek. "Anytime you play safety, you have to be on the same page, play the same coverage and play the same defensive call, and he's good on listening to me because I'm the vet right now."
Although Patek's major is sociology, he would like to become a college football coach one day, and he believes that football will always be a part of his life.
"Hopefully, [I will] be a coach and just give back to everybody," Patek said, "give to younger kids, the way my coaches have given to me, and help them to mature. I mean, everybody has that dream of going to the NFL ... but if that doesn't happen, then I would be content."
Patek said his decision to study sociology was influenced by his mother's career choice.
He is also very spiritual, having grown up in a religious household.
"Religion is pretty much my life. I mean, God is my life," Patek said. "It's not religion. It's God, and I give [God] all the praise."
Although some of his religious views were instilled by his parents, Patek says he has developed his own views, too, and he feels everyone should do the same.
"I got a lot from my parents," Patek said. "But as you grow up, you have to develop your own beliefs and your own thoughts, what you think is right and what you think is wrong. Your parents are molding you, but they can't read the Bible for you. They can pray for you, but they can't feed you spiritually. Only God can do that."
Coming from Texas, Patek had to find a new church to attend while enrolled at UH.
"I go to Campus Ministry right down here on lower campus," he said. "There are a lot of athletes and some other students ... It's a pretty good service."
Patek has used his religious beliefs to bond with other players. He said that on plane rides to away games, he and other players get together to have Bible studies. At home they meet in the coach's office to have the study.
"We just try to fellowship," Patek said, "and be together and be in the Word together."
Aside from sharing his religious beliefs with his fellow teammates, Patek wears his religion on his sleeve. He has a tattoo around his forearm that means "Jesus Christ" in Aramaic.
"It's supposedly the original language that Jesus spoke," Patek said of his tattoo. "So I thought maybe it would seem cool. Everybody would ask me about it; it would break the ice."
whiteCB said:SteveB how's the Texas media treating Jordan. I mean becuase up here in Ohio when Fox was first starting to play CB and maybe gave up a couple of b.s. passes like all CBs do the media was all over the coaching staff. They were always asking Tressel and co.: Is Fox going to be moved to safety? Why is Fox playing CB? Just wondering if their giving Jordan a short leesh to work on as well.
Sherley you can't be serious</font>
Senior safety has persevered to become a standout player, leader
By Jeffrey Christian
The Collegian
WHEN TALKING TO FRESNO State free safety Josh Sherley it's hard to imagine his actions on the football field.
The senior has a calm, almost spiritual demeanor to his personality and although his voice on the field is sometimes quiet, his play certainly is not.
Sherley has been labeled by some as being "pound for pound" the hardest hitter on the football team, and while causing pain to opposing players who dare come across the middle is his job, you aren't likely see him in the player's face bragging about it afterwards.
"It has been really cool to earn that title because I always pride myself on a quote that Coach Hill always says, which is, 'your actions speak so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying.' That's the way I try to model my life. I'm not much of a talker or an outgoing person, but I let my play or the things that I do show more than my talking," Sherley said.
Despite being soft-spoken, Sherley has developed into a key leader for the Bulldogs secondary this season.
"I've definitely been a little more vocal this year but mainly my biggest thing is leading by example," Sherley said.
Sherley and senior cornerback Marcus McCauley have provided veteran experience for a Bulldogs defensive backfield that lost two players from last year's team to the NFL.
"Sherley's really prepared all the time and he's really funny but quiet. He's got a certain sound that he makes when he's trying to pump people up, but I'm not sure what it is," senior cornerback McCauley said.
The Bulldogs replaced their losses in the secondary with first-year starters, Damon Jenkins and Vincent Mays. Sherley's quiet leadership and work ethic have been vital in providing confidence to the inexperienced players in the Bulldogs defensive backfield.
"It gives them more confidence having someone like Josh who's been through it," McCauley said.
In addition to the physical and mental challenges that Sherley must meet on the field, there are also commitments to be fulfilled off the field as well. The 22-year-old senior met his wife at Fresno State and the two have been married for a year.
"When I have free time I try to get away as much as possible and I just try to balance time with my wife, church and friends," Sherley said.
During the football season, Sherley is left with only a few hours at night to manage a life off the field.
One hobby that is pushed aside by football meetings and practices is playing the guitar.
"I got started my senior year in high school and since then I've been playing. I love a lot of different instruments, but the guitar is my favorite," Sherley said.
Sherley's playing the guitar is fitting because it fits both of his personas: the quietdemeanor of Sherley off the field would probably best be suited with a Gibson acoustic guitar. However, when on the field, Sherley's game is like electric power chords screeching as the hard-hitting safety slams offensive players into the ground.
Sherley credits his athleticism and mental focus to his years on the high school wrestling team. While attending Bakersfield High School, Sherley finished second and then first in consecutive years at the state championships.
"The biggest thing that it's helped me out with is the mental aspect. Wrestling is the number one thing in my life that molded me mentally as far as being mentally tougher and handling the physical and emotional stress of football. It taught me so much about being mentally strong," Sherley said.
That mental toughness was challenged during his first two seasons at Fresno State as he struggled for playing time.
"There were a lot of times during those first few years where all the stress and all the time I put into it got me down and it didn't seem like I was getting the rewards. But the commitment I made to my family and God helped me through not quitting and giving up," Sherley said.
His perseverance and dedication have molded Sherley into a two-year starter, a hopeful future All-WAC candidate and most importantly, an anchor in the secondary on a Fresno State team in search of its first conference title.
"The highest moment in my career, by far, was my first start at Bulldog stadium last year against Weber State. I had a really solid game and I had family and friends in the stands. For awhile I'd been on the sidelines and the love of the game had slipped a little bit, but that is when it all came back," Sherley said.
Sherley plans to graduate next spring with a degree in business; however, prior to graduation, he hopes to attend the National Football League combine and pre-draft workouts.
"I want to see how far football takes me. The NFL has been a childhood dream and I want to accomplish it, but if not, I've really been looking into pharmaceutical sales," Sherley said.
If a career in the NFL doesn't work out, Sherley will be able to fallback on the experiences and knowledge that he has gained on and off the field during his four years.
"Fresno State has really taught me a lot of lessons about life. This season alone, being 1-4 right now is the last thing I thought was going to happen. When you go through a lot of trials and hardships it teaches you about life and how you have to persevere and keep pushing through, because you can't give up in anything," Sherley said.
With only seven games remaining in the season, three of which are at home, Sherley is entering the homestretch of his time in a Bulldogs uniform. However, before he takes off his Fresno State pads and helmet for good, Sherley still has some unfinished business to attend to.
"I still haven't got the WAC championship. Coming here out of high school, where I had only lost two games in four years, I wasn't used to losing. I wanted to continue that feeling and tradition and I knew that this was a program on the rise. My goals were to win a conference championship and be in a top 25 program throughout," Sherley said.
Even if a conference title somehow eludes him, Sherley will still have several great successes and memories to take with him.
"Fresno State is where I met my wife and I will definitely take my friendships and the education that I've received here with me," Sherley said. "I've met some people here that I will be friends with for the rest of my life."
BYU Notes: LB Jensen not surprised by defense</font>
By Patrick Kinahan
The Salt Lake Tribune
PROVO - With one game left in the regular season, Cameron Jensen looks like a genius.
Weeks before the season started, the Brigham Young linebacker insisted the team's defense would play well. He sounded silly at the time, pumping up a defense that was shredded in most games last season.
Look who's smiling now.
"I knew we would keep points off the board," Jensen said.
Going into Saturday's game against Utah, BYU is ranked ninth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 13.82 points a game. The Mountain West Conference's Texas Christian is No. 6 at 12.5 points a game.
BYU returned five starters on defense, including three defensive backs. Jensen said only the play of cornerback Ben Criddle has surprised him.
A junior college transfer, Criddle sat out last season as a redshirt. The hard-hitting junior beat out Kayle Buchanan in fall camp.
"Criddle kind of showed up out of nowhere," Jensen said. "He's played phenomenal, not only in pass defense but in run defense, coming up and making tackles."
Other teammates knew Criddle could play. He stood out last season during the weekly scrimmage for redshirt and scout-team players.
"You could just tell the kid's an athlete," said starting safety Dustin Gabriel.
Criddle took advantage of Buchanan's injuries to win a spot. In the last two seasons, Buchanan has had shoulder, hamstring and elbow injuries.
With Justin Robinson as the secondary's only senior, Buchanan has an opportunity to reclaim a starting position next season.
"Coming back and not being able to win back a job was frustrating at first," he said. "Both Ben and Justin are playing well, and I haven't deserved to take that job back.
"I'll continue to get better. As soon as the injuries are gone, I think everyone will be surprised at what I can actually do."[/b[
There were 5 white safeties who should have been drafted, Scott Nelson, Jack Koerner, Sterling Weatherford, Nolan Turner and Reed Blankenship.. There are probably more.
Two of them, Scott Nelson (9.69) and Jack Koerner (9.19) had an excellent RASs. Three of them, Sterling Weatherford (8.89), Reed Blankenship (8.02) and Nolan Turner (7.72) had good RASs.
Koerner and Blankenship had excellent production. Nelson, Weatherford and Turner had good production.
None of them were drafted. Blacks with lower RASs and less production were drafted over them. When you read scouting reports of these white players it sounds as if they're horrible players.
Them being passed over and the negative scouting reports are because of anti-white racism and anti-white discrimination.
Hopefully all 5 of these guys are so talented that they force their way onto a team. But seeing how this is the Caste NFL, with the deck purposefully stacked against them, I’ll be happy with 2 or 3.There were 5 white safeties who should have been drafted, Scott Nelson, Jack Koerner, Sterling Weatherford, Nolan Turner and Reed Blankenship.. There are probably more.
Two of them, Scott Nelson (9.69) and Jack Koerner (9.19) had an excellent RASs. Three of them, Sterling Weatherford (8.89), Reed Blankenship (8.02) and Nolan Turner (7.72) had good RASs.
Koerner and Blankenship had excellent production. Nelson, Weatherford and Turner had good production.
None of them were drafted. Blacks with lower RASs and less production were drafted over them. When you read scouting reports of these white players it sounds as if they're horrible players.
Them being passed over and the negative scouting reports are because of anti-white racism and anti-white discrimination.