Published: Friday, October 30, 2009
COLLEGE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ray Fry
Junior | Portland State | Football
Hometown: Everett (Mariner High)
What he did: The Vikings’ leading receiver this season, Fry had five catches and a touchdown in Portland State’s 34-31 loss to UC Davis on Saturday.
What’s next: Fry and the Vikings will play at Qwest Field on Saturday, when they will face Eastern Washington.
THE TWO-MINUTE DRILL
You’ve now caught a touchdown pass in each of the past two games to increase your season total to a career-high three. Why have you been having so much success getting into the end zone lately?
I don’t know. I really don’t. I guess it’s because we’re throwing the ball more in the red zone. We used to run it more.
So have you perfected your touchdown dances yet?
No. No touchdown dances for me. I’m not much of a dancer. I don’t even like to go out much.
Portland State gets to play at Qwest Field this Saturday against Eastern Washington. How excited are you?
Real excited. I’ve never played there. I’ve been there a few times – to see the De La Salle-Bellevue game and a couple of Seahawks games. A lot more of my friends get to come. It will be fun.
Where were you playing when Qwest Field opened in 2002?
I was on the eighth-grade team at Voyager Middle School.
How did your team do that year?
We were 5-1. I was the quarterback. We didn’t throw the ball much. I ran a lot of bootlegs and ran the ball a lot.
You’ve made quite an impression at Portland State, with a team-high 48 receptions this season, but you actually started your college career at Idaho. Why did you transfer?
I just didn’t feel like it was a good place for me to be at the time. We had a few coaching changes (Nick Holt recruited him, and Dennis Erickson left after Fry’s second year), and I had a couple of issues with the new coaches. We didn’t see eye to eye. They preferred a receiver with size, and I didn’t really fit in.
Idaho is bowl eligible this year. Any regrets?
No, not at all. I talk to my buddy, (Idaho receiver) Max Komar a lot. He’s one of my best friends. We talk every day. My sophomore year, we both talked about transferring. We both wanted to leave because we felt like they weren’t using a lot of their playmakers. But he stayed, and now he’s having a great year. Now they’re using a lot of (Nick) Holt’s recruits, and it’s working out for them.
Your head coach at Portland State is former NFL coach Jerry Glanville, who’s quite a character. What’s that like?
It’s cool. He deals with the defense so much that I don’t get much coaching from him. I pretty much get coached by (offensive coordinator Jim) Craft and my position coach (Craig Stutzmann).
What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard Coach Glanville say?
He’s a joker. He’s funny. But I can’t even call that one. I just know that he’s a fun guy.
We can’t imagine Glanville has much in common with your coach at Mariner High, John Ondriezek?
Not at all. Totally different guys. They’re both good guys, though. I like them both.
You bio says that extreme sports is one of your hobbies. So what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
I used to skateboard in middle school, for about three or four years. I did a kick-flip over seven steps and thought I was going to kill myself. But I landed it. I was scared — it was my very first time — but I was hanging out with a bunch of guys who were good skateboarders and had done it before. So I just did it.
But you don’t skateboard anymore?
No, not at all. I haven’t done it since eighth grade. I’ve got a new hobby now. I play guitar.
Oh, yeah? What kind of stuff do you like to play?
Classic rock. But I like the new stuff, too. Joe Satriani, he’s kind of a guitar virtuoso, that’s my new thing.
So will you be playing guitar at halftime of Saturday’s game at Qwest Field?
No, but maybe at the next level, when I get real good.
— Scott M. Johnson, Herald Writer
Hometown: Everett (Mariner High)
What he did: The Vikings’ leading receiver this season, Fry had five catches and a touchdown in Portland State’s 34-31 loss to UC Davis on Saturday.
What’s next: Fry and the Vikings will play at Qwest Field on Saturday, when they will face Eastern Washington.
THE TWO-MINUTE DRILL
You’ve now caught a touchdown pass in each of the past two games to increase your season total to a career-high three. Why have you been having so much success getting into the end zone lately?
I don’t know. I really don’t. I guess it’s because we’re throwing the ball more in the red zone. We used to run it more.
So have you perfected your touchdown dances yet?
No. No touchdown dances for me. I’m not much of a dancer. I don’t even like to go out much.
Portland State gets to play at Qwest Field this Saturday against Eastern Washington. How excited are you?
Real excited. I’ve never played there. I’ve been there a few times – to see the De La Salle-Bellevue game and a couple of Seahawks games. A lot more of my friends get to come. It will be fun.
Where were you playing when Qwest Field opened in 2002?
I was on the eighth-grade team at Voyager Middle School.
How did your team do that year?
We were 5-1. I was the quarterback. We didn’t throw the ball much. I ran a lot of bootlegs and ran the ball a lot.
You’ve made quite an impression at Portland State, with a team-high 48 receptions this season, but you actually started your college career at Idaho. Why did you transfer?
I just didn’t feel like it was a good place for me to be at the time. We had a few coaching changes (Nick Holt recruited him, and Dennis Erickson left after Fry’s second year), and I had a couple of issues with the new coaches. We didn’t see eye to eye. They preferred a receiver with size, and I didn’t really fit in.
Idaho is bowl eligible this year. Any regrets?
No, not at all. I talk to my buddy, (Idaho receiver) Max Komar a lot. He’s one of my best friends. We talk every day. My sophomore year, we both talked about transferring. We both wanted to leave because we felt like they weren’t using a lot of their playmakers. But he stayed, and now he’s having a great year. Now they’re using a lot of (Nick) Holt’s recruits, and it’s working out for them.
Your head coach at Portland State is former NFL coach Jerry Glanville, who’s quite a character. What’s that like?
It’s cool. He deals with the defense so much that I don’t get much coaching from him. I pretty much get coached by (offensive coordinator Jim) Craft and my position coach (Craig Stutzmann).
What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard Coach Glanville say?
He’s a joker. He’s funny. But I can’t even call that one. I just know that he’s a fun guy.
We can’t imagine Glanville has much in common with your coach at Mariner High, John Ondriezek?
Not at all. Totally different guys. They’re both good guys, though. I like them both.
You bio says that extreme sports is one of your hobbies. So what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
I used to skateboard in middle school, for about three or four years. I did a kick-flip over seven steps and thought I was going to kill myself. But I landed it. I was scared — it was my very first time — but I was hanging out with a bunch of guys who were good skateboarders and had done it before. So I just did it.
But you don’t skateboard anymore?
No, not at all. I haven’t done it since eighth grade. I’ve got a new hobby now. I play guitar.
Oh, yeah? What kind of stuff do you like to play?
Classic rock. But I like the new stuff, too. Joe Satriani, he’s kind of a guitar virtuoso, that’s my new thing.
So will you be playing guitar at halftime of Saturday’s game at Qwest Field?
No, but maybe at the next level, when I get real good.
— Scott M. Johnson, Herald Writer
Comments
(
