When I first started talking to KeiVarae Russell I was very jealous of him. He’s got schools like the University of Southern California, the one college I applied to that didn’t accept me, begging him to come play football.
Who doesn’t want to go sunny Southern California for four years? Or at least have that opportunity?
USC is one of Russell’s final four choices as well, but not for the superficial reasons that I was longing for, like beaches and sun. Russell likes the prestige a degree from USC brings. He also likes the storied past of the football program.
However, I want Russell to attend a different school. I want him to head north (or stay north) and play in the remodeled Husky Stadium at the University of Washington, another one of his final four schools (along with California and Notre Dame).
It’s for an entirely selfish reason. When I went to UW I had to sit through the first two years of the Tyrone Willingham era. That included an 0-12 season that I’ve had to drink numerous margaritas trying to erase from my memory.
Fortunately UW is once again a program on the rise. I was there last year when Nebraska ran over us at Husky Stadium. However, I was also cheering loudly as UW returned the favor three months later in the Holiday Bowl. I will be flying off to either San Antonio or San Diego come the end of December this year as well. I’ve already requested the time off from The Herald.
However, as a reporter when you’re conducting an interview you have to remain objective. If I only ask questions about UW, the story isn’t going to be very good. Then I become just like one of Russell’s 1,300-plus Facebook friends, which isn’t a good position to be in.
Still, it’s very hard not to want to serve as a recruiter for UW football. One of the keys to UW’s upswing has been its ability to recruit in-state talent, such as this year’s stud freshmen Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, both of whom Russell knows rather well.
I talked to Russell, an awesome kid with a great head on his shoulders, for three hours at a Jack in the Box in Everett the day before Thanksgiving. We talked about everything: High school ball, college ball, pro ball, my lack of football talents.
The whole time it was very difficult not to blurt in “GO TO UW PLEASE! IT RAINS A LOT BUT I’LL BUY YOU AN UMBRELLA!”
I didn’t break down and yell that. In fact, it was over an hour into the interview before it even came up that I graduated from UW last year. Then Russell asked me a few questions about the school, and I was happy to answer them.
I know what you’re thinking: “David, how could you?” Relax. I told him how it was at UW, and then gave him the old “but I’m sure it’s like that at every school” afterwards. And I’m sure it is. I’m sure USC has a beautiful campus. I’m sure classes are a lot of fun at Notre Dame. I’m sure there are pretty girls all over California’s campus.
At the end of the day it’s Russell’s decision and he knows it. He’s an incredibly intelligent kid who is also the president of Mariner High School. I can’t imagine how little free time he must actually have, let alone after the three hours he spent talking to me.
Russell’s taken an official visit to Notre Dame, and is scheduling trips to visit California and UW. Meanwhile, his Facebook and phone are constantly filling with messages about where he should go to school and why.
“I’m not getting Twitter,” Russell said.
The truth is that wherever Russell goes he’s going to be successful. He’s going to draw attention whether he’s a Husky, Trojan, Bear or member of the Fighting Irish. He has an incredible work ethic that drives him to get better and better. He works out every day to stay in shape. He has a focus that will have him watching game film when others are sleeping after an exhausting practice.
“It’s what you do off the field when practice is done,” Russell said.
And he’s exactly right. So I wish Russell the best of luck wherever he may end up next year. I can’t wait to see how he does for his respective university, and will be cheering him on the whole way, regardless of the name on the front of his jersey.
But Chris Polk is probably leaving and Deontae Cooper’s hurt.
I’m just saying.
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