SEATTLE – During Friday’s game against Syracuse, Jared Ballman went about his business, kicking and punting his way to special teams player of the week honors for Washington.
It wasn’t until the final whistle had sounded that the junior from San Diego let his emotions catch up to him.
“It didn’t really hit me during the game, but it was a pretty emotional day,” said Ballman. “My dad was born in New York so playing up there was pretty cool.”
Ballman, who last played for Grossmont College, was the driver in the January car accident in which his father, John, was killed. His younger brother, Jeffrey, was in a coma after the accident, but is steadily improving, Ballman said.
“He’s doing really well,” Ballman said of his brother’s recovery. “He should be out of hospital in three weeks. I talk to my sister every day and get good news every day.”
Ballman said it meant a lot to him that Jeffrey was able to watch the Syracuse game, and was reportedly “going nuts, yelling, and jumping up and down.”
Ballman reported to Washington in the spring, but now admits that his focus wasn’t on football. He said he didn’t start getting his mind back into “football mode” until returning to school campus for fall camp. Now, football is helping Ballman deal with a tragedy that no one should have to face.
“It makes things a lot easier,” he said. “Not thinking about other things and concentrating on football has helped a lot.”
No decision on Murchison: Willingham said today that there is nothing new in the Jordan Murchison situation. The cornerback pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor assault charge, but has not yet been sentenced.
Willingham said only that the proceedings are still ongoing, and that he has yet to make a decision. Murchison has not been with the team since his arrest in early August.
Finally: In case you missed it amongst all the Jake Locker excitement, another once-heralded Washington recruit finally made his Husky debut against Syracuse. Late in the fourth quarter of Friday’s blowout win, tailback J.R. Hasty saw his first game action, rushing once for six yards.
Hasty, a standout at Bellevue High School, redshirted in 2005 and missed 2006 after failing to qualify academically. He has been slowed recently by an ankle sprain, allowing some of the freshmen tailbacks to push him for playing time.
“That’s always good,” Hasty said of getting his debut first play out of the way. “After a down year not playing, now I am here, I feel comfortable, so there’s no worries, no butterflies, just excitement.”
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