Pickett inspires Dawgs

  • John Sleeper / Herald Writer
  • Saturday, October 20, 2001 9:00pm
  • Sports

By John Sleeper

Herald Writer

SEATTLE — It was moments after Cody Pickett threw incomplete to Wilbur Hooks when blitzing linebacker Kirk Johnson lowered his head and blasted the Washington Huskies quarterback’s shoulder.

Pickett was more angry than hurt, although his limp right arm revealed how much pain he was in. Johnson was flagged for a late hit. Pickett was left walking around and shaking his head, but he finally moved his arm around and dealt with the fire in his shoulder.

It was the same right shoulder that he separated against USC two weeks ago. The same shoulder that kept him out of the UCLA game a week ago. The same shoulder that, to those with a normal pain threshold, usually takes six to eight weeks to heal.

Now, late in the third quarter, with Washington tied with Arizona, it was the shoulder that was screaming at Pickett to leave the game.

"It really hurt," Pickett said. "It hurt more than it did when I hurt it against USC. He got me right in the spot where my shoulder was hurting."

That was the question all week. Yes, Pickett went through all the practices, made all the necessary throws and even acted irritated late in the week when the press dared asked him about it.

But what would happen, the questions nagged, when some yahoo takes a cheap shot at it?

Answer: Pickett would stay in the game.

"Are you kidding?" defensive tackle Larry Tripplett said. "He’s a rodeo guy. He’s tough. He has big ol’ animals bumping him and throwing him around. I knew he’d never come out."

He didn’t, but teammates knew he was in pain.

"We could tell," wideout Todd Elstrom said. "You could tell when he threw deep balls that he was in some pain."

The fact that Pickett stayed in the game was a source of inspiration to his teammates.

"The quarterback is automatically the team leader," said wideout Paul Arnold, who finished with seven receptions, 138 yards and a touchdown. "We always say, ‘You don’t play injured, but you do play with pain.’ He was in more pain than anybody, but he didn’t show it. I’ll always want to play for him."

Wildcat apparently quits: Nose tackle Keoni Fraser, a three-year starter, did not make the trip to Seattle and apparently has quit the team. Fraser reportedly had been having personal problems and missed the Oregon game two weeks ago because of recurring headaches.

He did not show up for practice Wednesday or Thursday, leaving UA coach John Mackovic to believe that Fraser has left the team.

Wildcat hurt: Arizona defensive end Johnny Jackson suffered a neck injury in the third quarter. Although the injury did not appear serious, he was transported to Harborview Medical Center as a precaution.

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