Oklahoma won the first matchup of the 2009-10 season with the 77-66 victory in Stillwater over their bedlam rivals, Oklahoma State. After the game, both teams took time to talk about their play and the game. Here are some notes and quotes from the stat sheet and the speakers:

• Oklahoma guard Danielle Robinson ended the day with 36 points on 10-of-22 shooting and was a perfect 16-of-16 from the line. 23 of her 36 came in the second half in the game. Her work from the charity stripe extends to a record-high 35 consecutive free throws made. She also chipped in nine rebounds and six assists while only committing one turnover in the contest.
• Sooner center Abi Olajuwon, after taking no shots in the first half, ended the day with 14 points and nine boards in her 28 minutes of play, going 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line, where OU was 23-of-25.
• Forward Amanda Thompson chipped in 10 rebounds and six points in the game. The Sooners outrebounded the Cowgirls by 18 – holding a 49 to 31 advantage on the glass.
• Oklahoma now holds a 49-36 all-time series advantage and the Sooners have won 21 of the last 22 meetings between the schools.

Head Coach Sherri Coale, Danielle Robinson, Abi Olajuwon and Amanda Thompson post-game interviews:

Sherri Coale on Danielle Robinson’s play – If you’ll just indulge me for a second, I don’t know that I’ve seen a finer individual performance from a point guard than what you saw from Danielle today. And I know the numbers are gaudy and speak for themselves, but it was her leadership. It was the way she ran our team, it was the decisions she made throughout the game, it was her cool head. That’s what great point guards do, so when you want to talk about who’s the best in the country, I think you’ve got to include her because today she was just phenomenal.

For OSU, the team was led by Riley and Cunningham, as has been the case for the majority of this season, but the downfall was no one else stepped up for the Cowgirls. As previously noted, Oklahoma State was outrebounded 49 to 31, gave up 30 points in the paint, 13 fast break points and shot 37.1 percent from the field in the tough home loss.

• Oklahoma State seniors Andrea Riley and Tegan Cunningham were the only two Cowgirls in double figures, with Riley getting 30 points on an unimpressive 11-of 34 from the field (4-of-12 from beyond the arc). Riley also had six rebounds, five assists and five turnovers in her 40 minutes of play. Cunningham netted 16 points and only three boards in the Bedlam loss. 

Andrea Riley and Tegan Cunningham post game conference audio:

Andrea Riley on Oklahoma’s performance - They outworked us, they outplayed us and that’s why they won.

Head coach Kurt Budke spoke on the loss and his team’s performance:

Kurt Budke on the loss - I thought they executed like a more experienced team than we did. I thought the point guards would kind of cancel each other out and I think that’s kind of what happened. It just came down to the boards. You can not win in this league giving up 20 offensive rebounds.

Budke on Big 12 leader Nebraska – If they stay healthy they’re not going to be caught, I don’t think. That’s a really special team up there.

photo courtesy of Katie Carlson, PRISM Press Group

On Thursday, Zac Robinson had a chance to get some of the media spotlight in a media conference to end the day. And in this question and answer session, some interesting revelations have come to light.

Did you think the Oklahoma State offense always focused on just one receiver? Well, it’s because they did. Did you know that Robinson thinks the offensive changes upcoming could be just what the Cowboys needed? He’s hoping new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen will spread it out more. Did you think that Zac has been getting little to no press coverage this week? You were right – he is on Tebow’s team.

He also gabbed about his fellow Senior Bowler, Perrish Cox, and Oklahoma State teammate Dez Bryant along the way. So, sit back and enjoy a glimpse into the mind of Zac Robinson… 

Anyone in particular you’ve meshed with throwing the football to this week?

They’re all really good and Riley Cooper’s had a really good week, really all of them have had their moments. To single out one guy would be kind of tough. Shay Hodge has been really good, Jeremy Williams – they’ve all had really good weeks and they’ve all had successful college careers and so it’s going to be a lot of fun to throw to those guys in the game and see how they play in the game situation.

What does it feel like to have to deal with the ‘Tebow factor’ on your team, almost like you and Jared are the invisible men?

You know, we’re struggling for some attention as far as from the media goes. We have great feedback from scouts and things like that and coaches but yeah with Tim’s success in college and what he’s been able to do. That’s what everybody wants to see is how can he transition and all that stuff.

My agent – we knew coming in that – he was preparing me. You know, just be prepared that you and Jarrett, when you get your reps make it count. Everybody wants to see how Tim can do and I think Jarrett and I have had pretty good weeks and it’ll be fun to compete in the game.

Did Shay Hodge missing practice today impede you at all and do you know his status?

Yeah. He’s been real solid. He’s been making plays every day and I really don’t know what his status is but hopefully he’ll be able to go. I think he’s going to do anything he can to play in the game, obviously. Yeah, he’s had a really good week and I hope he can because he’s got a lot of ability that people can see.

Did you get an earful from Perrish Cox after those two picks in practice on Wednesday?

Yeah, I did. He made a good play on the first one and then the second one my arm got hit and the ball kind of just floated in the air. I didn’t know that was him that picked it off til after practice he was like yeah man, I got you twice today, so I was kind of a little bitter about it.

He’s had a really good week and I don’t get to go up against him a whole lot in practice because we go against our twos during the season and stuff, but he does that to our backups all the time. I mean, he’s got an ability to just read routes and hopefully he’ll do that on Saturday.

He said you were going to say your arm got hit on the second one.

He said that? The first one he made a good play, I’ll admit that one – he just stepped in front.

How good is Dez Bryant going to be in the pros?

I think Dez is going to be a great pro. He has all the ability in the world, he loves the game of football and he has a great work ethic. He just loves being around the game, he loves learning the game and it was a shame he wasn’t able to play this year because I think at the end of his junior year he really started figuring things out and he had a great junior year and we were expecting big things from him this year. It was unfortunate but I know he’s been training hard and he knows that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and discipline and things like that and I think he’s going to be ready.

How much did the offense have to adjust to playing without Dez?

Yeah, it was a little bit different. We like to focus on one receiver usually. We like to feature one guy and get him the ball as many times as we can and that’s just how we’ve had it. In recruiting, we get a premier guy and then a bunch of role guys and that’s just kind of how our offense has been ever since I’ve been there and even dating back to Rashaun Woods, and then Dejuan Woods and then Adarius Bowman and then Dez Bryant. It’s just kind of we have that one guy that’s just really good and try to feature him so it was a little bit of an adjustment.

We were still somewhat successful through the middle of the season and then kind of hit a lump there at the end; it was a lot different. Fortunately we were able to run the football and still score points though.

Who’s the next guy they’re going to feature at Oklahoma State?

I don’t know. I really don’t know. We have a lot of young guys, they’ll continue to get better. I don’t know any of the guys that are coming in but hopefully with the new offensive coordinator and stuff maybe we’ll spread the ball around a little bit more and I don’t know, we’ll see.

Did Coach Gundy give you any advice heading into the Senior Bowl week?

No. I have not talked to him since our last game.

The offensive line is the unsung hero on that side of the ball, protecting the quarterback, opening up holes for th running backs and creating enough time and space for the wide receivers to get open. And on that line, perhaps none could be as important as the center. You notice him every down as he exchanges the ball with the quarterback, but do you even know his name?

 Well, at Baylor for the last three years the center of the o line was J.D. Walton. This week at the Senior Bowl Walton is working with a trio of great quarterbacks that you just might have heard of Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State, Jarrett Brown of West Virginia and Tim Tebow of, well the world it seems – ok, of Florida.

Walton took a few minutes after practice to talk to my colleague Jason Roberts of sister site PRISM Press Group and talk about the Senior Bowl, the Baylor Bears and the Big 12:

How are you feeling as the practices go along?

I feel great. Mixing in good with the O Line, we’re getting together, starting to click together, work together as a whole front so things are coming together are we’re going to roll on Saturday.

What was the hardest part in getting to this point of gelling together as a unit?

It was definitely like footwork, how we step, terminology-wise, getting to know each other and names. You’ve got to know each other by name – we call them out so you know what we’re doing together. Big thing was just terminology and really just getting to know each other.

What are some of the things you’re learning this week that will help you at the next level?

Everything. You soak everything in, you’re a sponge this week. Take everything in that these NFL coaches are giving you and retain it as much as you can.

Baylor has begun to make a lot of waves under Briles recently. What do you think has been the difference in the last couple years at Baylor?

 Definitely our personnel. He’s recruiting at a whole new level, getting players that we’ve never gotten before and the program’s turning around and it’s showing. We lost our quarterback early in the season this year. Next year it’s going to be dangerous, it’s going to be scary. They’ve got a lot of speed on the outside on the offensive side of the ball and defense they’re bringing a lot of guys back so it’ll be fun. It’ll be exciting for them.

Talk about the offensive line at Baylor. Is that the difference maker for Griffin?

The offensive line was good. It’s been good the last two years that he’s been there. They’re just recruiting bigger and faster guys, probably the biggest recruiting class they’ve had O Linemen-wise, size-wize so O Line has definitely got something to do with it, getting all our blocks and being angry.

How does it feel to represent Baylor and the Big 12 here at the Senior Bowl?

Oh it’s awesome. I’d do anything for the Big 12 and Baylor. Baylor’s my family and the Big 12’s part of the family tree so it’s awesome to represent and I want to do it in a good way.

Has Briles prepared you for this day and this week?

Definitely. I mean, he gave me all the support I’ve needed, my position coaches have been here and it’s been a blast just hanging out.

What’s next for you after the Senior Bowl?

Go back to CES Atlanta and keep training my butt off for the combine.

Weatherspoon had over 100 tackles in each of his final three seasons for Mizzou, including career-highs - 149 total tackles, five sacks, three interceptions and two touchdowns in 2008. The ’09 season wasn’t as good for Spoon or the Tigers and ended with a bowl loss to Navy. Weatherspoon isn’t dwelling on the past though, rather looking forward to his future and showing why he will be an asset to an NFL organization while at the Senior Bowl.

My colleague Jason Roberts of PRISM Press Group caught up with Weatherspoon after Senior Bowl practice earlier this week and he dished about his week – and his vocal play, his fellow Big 12ers - even mentioned a Cornhusker! - and his Twitter habit – perhaps I can get him to do a Twitterview next?:

How are you feeling as the week is progressing?

On this third day everything just went a lot smoother for the defense. We’ve been putting in new stuff and just trying to learn the system and going out there and just kind of cutting loose. And today? Hell of a better day than yesterday. We’ve been getting out there, just running around and guys are making plays. You can tell that the anxiety has kind of settled down and guys are just out there ready and reacting instead of just thinking so much. So it’s been fun.

Why so much intensity today compared to earlier in the week?

I just felt a lot more comfortable out there. With learning the new stuff, you’re kind of out there and you’re thinking too much, like I said. Once you get into that routine of playing football you kind of settle down and I think our linebacker coach – Coach Burke – he did a great job of just getting us settled down. As a linebacking corps and a defense we just had a better day. Everybody was out here playing together, being interactive with guys, getting guys lined up and you saw a lot more plays being made.

You are very vocal on the field. Is that something you use to get the linebacking corps more pumped up?

  Not just the linebacking corps, it just to get the whole defense fired up and I feel like if you’re that guy in the middle of defense you’ve got to bring a lot of intensity as far as your play and your passion for the game. So you’ve got to talk guys up, you’ve got to make sure everybody’s getting lined up. I mean, you’ve got guys doing that then other guys are going to gravitate to that and they’re going to feel a little bit more comfortable with you because they’ve been playing with other guys, you know, and once you get going together then things just work out better.

How would you describe the 2009 season for Mizzou?

It was decent. I would say decent; that’s one word to sum it up. Not a great year for myself, not a great year for the team, but we went out there and we overcame a lot of stuff and we had a fun time out there, man. Senior year – you get all those senior memories – I remember Senior Day and you know all that stuff you just can’t forget and I definitely had a great time.

You seem to be pretty savvy with social networking, namely tweeting as @SeanWSpoon12. What role does it play for you?

As far as keeping in touch with family and friends, I kind of do that more on my cell phone and when I go home I usually get on web cam with my mom or something like that when I can’t get home. But social media – I feel like just whenever I’m out here doing some football type stuff I can always just reach back out there to the fans and kind of let them know what’s going on, how things are going and stuff like that. It’s not that big of a deal. I haven’t been getting a lot of time to do that stuff out here this week, but I definitely like to do that from time to time.

What does it mean for you to be representing Missouri and the Big 12?

It means a lot. I saw a safety from Nebraska – my boy Larry Asante made a play and I’m like that’s right, show them how the Big 12 do it. It means a lot to represent your conference and go out here and represent your team. You want to come out here and kind of put on, you don’t want to come out and just be a so so type of guy. It’s been going well so far and hopefully we can keep that going.

What is in store for you after the Senior Bowl?

After the game? Let’s see. I’ll probably stay out here that night and fly out that Sunday morning, back to Irvine, California and get back to working out for the combine.

Firstly, to the Senior Bowl selection committee. To show that as a late addition, his selection was a worthy one. Secondly, to himself. To cement in his own mind that he is a top caliber player. And thirdly, to this doubters. To show that his suspension prior to the Cotton Bowl is not a reflection on him, his play on the field or his potential future at the next level.

Cox is working hard to show his value in Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama and this hard work is not going unnoticed. In Wednesday’s practices, Cox picked off back-to-back passes and turned the heads of the scouts watching his performance. This Senior Bowl opportunity is a welcome one for Cox and if followed by a strong game performance and combine showing could vault this Cowboy up the draft board in into the place he dreams of playing – the National Football League.

After practices early in the week, Perrish stopped to talk with Jason Roberts of sister-site PRISM Press Group to share his thoughts on the Oklahoma State season and his week at the Senior Bowl: 

How do you feel after two days of Senior Bowl practice completed?

I’m feeling alright. I don’t feel like I did what I know I can do. I feel like I came out, started off slow, but that’s coming off of a few weeks out of a game. Coming back in first day, getting some time with the players, so it’s coming around. I think I’m doing alright, but it could be better.

Are you getting comfortable with the defensive schemes for the game?

We’re not really running too many schemes. We’ve got only two coverages – the man and cover three so that ain’t too much. I’ve got to try to get my footwork right, try to polish up the technique and the footwork. When you get that right, you’re rolling.

What’s it mean to be out here with all these great players?

Man, it’s great. It’s one of those dreams, it’s one of those big-time goals you set when you was [sic] young. You know, I want to go to the NFL. Finally I’m here with all the NFL teams; a lot of players that’s going first round and that’s a great feeling. You can’t ask for nothing better, but to keep improving on it.

Do you think it’s hard to draw attention because you’re Big 12 at an event so focused on the SEC, it seems?

No, not really. As far as the fans – I am in Alabama. They did just win the national championship and then Alabama facing Florida, the Georgia Bulldogs and a lot of top teams but other than that – other than the fans – with everybody else, just kind of keep it simple.

How do you feel like your year was at Oklahoma State?

Compared to all the rest of the years I’ve been in college – I’d describe it [as] great. You know, with all the injuries we had and the suspensions and to still come out ranked Top 20 – you can’t ask for nothing better than that. There’s a lot of adversity we went through at the school. A lot of missed curfews and getting in trouble before games, a lot of people getting suspended and playing with not that many people – a lot of people playing over 90 snaps a game. It’s kind of big with the season we had. If you were to look at all the injuries and try to tell what kind of season we was [sic] going to have, you’d probably say oh man and everybody drop their head. But we stuck together, played as a team and played like we knew how to play. Then we had a lot of young players to step in and made a lot of plays, that was kind of big. I would describe it great compared to the rest of our seasons.

What’s that say about the coach of the Cowboys?

It all starts with the coaches, they keep us motivated. But also it comes down to all the seniors being there. We had like 19 seniors; a lot of them started. It comes down to the coaches and then the seniors – we all stay together and keep the team improving and keep working hard and you can’t ask for nothing better.

What are you doing after the Senior Bowl?

Going back to school, getting my books and getting prepared for the combine, going to put up some big numbers.

But that doesn’t stop him from making big plays on the field. Sanders was at the East-West Shrine Game and made his presence known in practice and in game situations, just as he did in his time on the field as an SMU Mustang. His numbers steadily increased throughout his time at SMU and he thrived under the tutelage of head coach June Jones, nabbing 98 receptions for 1,339 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009. Sanders knows he has to prove that size doesn’t matter when it comes to his performance on the gridiron and he’s working to do just that, both in this Shrine Game opportunity and later on at the NFL combine.

After the game he talked about his experiences at SMU and what it will take for him to continue on playing the game he loves:

What has this game and this experience taught you about yourself as you prepare for the next level?

I need to work more on my outside game. The past four years I’ve been playing the slot and I learned a lot from Keenan McCardell about how to play on the outside, how to set a guy and I’m just really excited I came to this game. The whole week has been fun, it’s been long with the interview process, but all in all it’s been great.

What kinds of things have you encountered in the interview process?

A couple interviews are 10 minutes, short, just want to know about family background and I had like two or three interviews that were in a room with a camera and personnel guys there; big time guys just looking to see me so that was just kind of very grueling with the answers but I think this whole week I’ve showed what kind of character I have and what kind of person I am. I think all of them went good.

Was it hard to prove yourself from a ‘small’ school? Did you have a chip on your shoulder coming in?

It’s not only a school it’s just me as a small receiver. They always say I’m 5’11”, 180, a bit undersized, on the next level I’m not going to be able to make it. I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder – everything I do. I come from a small school, in high school and in college. That had a little influence on it too.

You had great collegiate numbers though. Did you find yourself saying my resume speaks for itself?

No. I’m always going to be hungry. Even if I have 15,000 Pro Bowls and been to 15,000 Super Bowls I’m always going to stay hungry until I accept the fact that it’s time for me to back down from this game. So I’m always hungry. Yeah, I had 1,300 some yards this year and I feel like now it’s time for me to prove myself to the NFL so I can have 1,400 yards the next season and so I’m always trying to improve every year.

Does having June Jones as your coach help you in this process?

It has helped me so much. Coach Jones is an NFL coach. I mean, his offense isn’t an NFL pro-style but I feel like the right team, when it comes along, me playing in the slot, that’s when it’s really going to help me. Playing in this camp, playing in this game, it didn’t really help me but it didn’t hurt me because I played outside. Like I told you before, I’d never played on the outside so Keenan McCardell did a great job of helping me adjust. The first day I kind of struggled with it and as the week’s went on I started to get a little better and I feel like scouts started to see what kind of athleticism I had even though I’m not an outside receiver.

What does it mean to you as a player to be a part of this SMU team that went to a bowl game and had success when no one expected that?

It means a lot because I went to SMU to turn a program around and all four years, all five years, that’s been my goal. Let’s turn this program around. Now when they think about it they don’t think about the death penalty anymore, they think about that ’09 team that turned the season around and me being one of the main guys on the team, it feels real good. Now I have SMU on my back still even though I’m in a different jersey. I represent SMU and I’m going to represent it to the fullest.

[post-game interview conducted by colleague Jason Roberts of PRISM Press Group - freelantz sports' sister site]

photo courtesy of Jason Roberts, PRISM Press Group

The 2009 Oklahoma State football season didn’t go exactly as planned. 

The pre-season ‘triplets’ of Zac, Dez and Kendall were broken up early and the offense didn’t seem to bring the same firepower as in the previous season. Some of this point directly to changes in personnel due to injuries and suspensions. 

But when talking to quarterback Zac Robinson, perhaps there is another cause. Perhaps the Big 12 had ‘figured out’ the OSU schemes. Robinson pointed out that the changes to the offensive coaching staff might be due to just that fact – to become unpredictable again, much like the 2007 and 2008 offenses seemed to be. 

Even with what some would consider an ‘off year’ for the senior, Zac Robinson managed to pass for 2,084 yards and 15 touchdowns, rushing for another 305 yards and four scores. Yes – these number pale in comparison to the 3,626 total yards gained in 2008. But for Robinson and the rest of the Cowboys, nine wins was good. 

The ‘what ifs’ will always be asked, and Robinson is not an exception to that rule. But for this Senior Bowl week, he’s ready to focus on the future instead of dwell on the past and make the most of his opportunity to showcase his talents. 

Here, he dishes about the start to the week, other draft hopefuls Tim Tebow and Dez Bryant and the coaching changes awaiting the OSU offense in 2010: 

What did you think of your first day performance? 

I felt pretty good. I made some good throws. You’re learning a whole new offense, so of course you’d like to have a couple reads back. Just getting used to the guys, getting used to the whole offensive system. It’s totally different than what I had and what we ran in college. It was a lot of fun. I felt like I threw the ball pretty well, there’s always a few throws you’d like to have back, but overall I had a lot of fun. 

How about your number of reps today? It appeared you got a few more than some of the other guys. 

I’m not sure if they did. I didn’t really pay attention to how many guys were getting, I just wanted to focus on whatever reps I was getting and go make the most of it. 

What is it like to be on the same field as Tim Tebow? 

It’s great. It’s a lot of fun to compete against him. He’s obviously had a great career and been a lot of fun to watch. Every time I get a chance to watch them on TV I’ve seen him and he’s a playmaker – a winner – so it’s a lot of fun to come out here and compete. 

How do you think the 2009 season went for the Cowboys? 

It was an up and down year. Our team faced a lot of adversity. Dating even back to last spring we lost three starting receivers and we lost our starting tight end and the chips fell from there. We stayed together as a team. We were able to win nine football games, which was a big accomplishment for us. We went to the Cotton Bowl and were pretty close to winning 10 games so in our mind we had a good season. Of course, you always look back and say ‘what would have happened if this guy didn’t get hurt’ or whatever happened, but it was a lot of fun. Of course you’d like to win that last game, but I still had a lot of fun my whole career. 

What are your thoughts on the new coaching situation in Stillwater? 

Coach Gundy just felt like it was time to make a move and we’ve been running the same system for five years and in that league, people see you. Playing teams every year in the South and every two years in the North, they see your offense, they see what you’re doing so maybe schematically they just needed to change it up a little bit. Get something fresh and get something new going and I think it will be great. Houston’s had an awesome offense last year and the year before, so it will be a lot of fun for those guys. 

What does it mean to be a representative of the Big 12 Conference? 

Oh, it’s great. The Big 12 – we’re pretty well represented and it’s one of the best conferences and a lot of fun to come out here and play with guys that you’ve competed against your whole career. 

Have you been in touch with Dez Bryant? 

Yeah, I’ve been in touch with Dez a little bit. I know he’s doing great. He’s preparing for the next level and I know he’s doing everything he can to try to be successful and stay in the NFL as long as he can.

photo courtesy of Jason Roberts, PRISM Press Group

Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander is proud of the fact that he has grown into such a great player with national recognition in his senior season.

And he well should be – after his first three years as a Tiger were plagued with injuries, Alexander stayed healthy and showed his talents off for the world to see in 2009. Catching 113 passes for 1,781 yards and 14 touchdowns, Alexander is looking to use this Senior Bowl week to silence his critics and prove his value on the gridiron.

After the first day of practices, he took a few moments to share his early thoughts on the week, reflect on his days at Missouri and talk about two former teammates and NFL rookies - Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and Super Bowl-bound Saints backup quarterback Chase Daniel.

What does it mean to you to be able to participate in the Senior Bowl?

It means a lot to me. I’ve been through a lot of adversity throughout my career. For this week, I have the opportunity to compete with the best players in the nation, so it’s a big deal for me right now.

How does it feel to represent Missouri and the Big 12 in this event?

It’s a big game. A lot of guys are using this to show that the Big 12 is a big conference so I’m representing a lot of players in the Big 12 and I want to show up well.

What are your goals for this week?

I want to be the best receiver out here. I want to show everybody that I’m a complete receiver and I can do anything that the NFL wants me to do.

How has the week started for you?

Today was kind of a rough day. I was just trying to catch up with the whole offense, but I’m just getting into the swing of things. Tomorrow I’m looking forward to having a great practice.

What is your best attribute on the field?

The run after the catch. I think I’ve become more physical when I get the ball and I try to get to the endzone every time I touch the ball.

What do you feel like you still need to work on?

First of all, I’ve got to show everyone that I’m healthy, that my knees are pretty good and just try to come out an attack with grace with whatever I’m called to do. The scouts down here are wanting to see if I can do that, so that’s basically what I’m working on right now.

What is your favorite memory from your time at Missouri?

My entire senior season - that means a lot. For three years I’ve been basically injured. I was always in the training room and trying to get to my senior year because I had a great team. For that whole year to go the way it went for me, it’s the best.

How does it feel to get a little national recognition after this season?

That means a lot too because coming into my senior year, pretty much anybody didn’t know about me. Everybody kind of forgot about me because I’ve kind of been off the radar because of my injuries. Later on through the year, for me to get a little bit more national recognition, it means a lot. I think I made All-American on a couple teams and second team All-American.

How is it playing with Spoon this week?

I’m with Spoon, he’s on the North squad. We’re roommates and we’re basically back in Mizzou days.

Who from Mizzou will you miss playing with the most?

I would say Blaine Gabbert. That’s my quarterback. We worked a lot throughout the summer and throughout this year.

Talk about you twittering as @D_Alexander81.

It’s kind of helpful. A lot of people want to know how things are. I haven’t had any updates today because I’ve been so busy but I try to stay in contact with as many people as I can.

You and Chase Daniel seem to stay in contact. How is he doing? Have you talked to him since the win yesterday?

I haven’t got a chance to talk to him, but I’m sure I’ll talk to him tonight. He’s really excited about that Who Dat Nation, he calls it – the Saints organization. I’ll see him in Miami, because I’m training in Miami, so I’m sure I’ll see him when he comes down for the Super Bowl.

Have any of the former Missouri guys been giving you any advice on this process?

Yeah. I talk to J Mac (Jeremy Maclin) all of the time and he always tells me just to stay focused and stay healthy throughout the whole process. A lot of teams will come at you and just try to go to the end and just take it out there and don’t let it hold you down.

Crystal ball – where will you be next January?

Where will I be? Next January? I’ll be getting ready for the Super Bowl. With whatever team that picks me up.

East Team quarterback Daryll Clark, Penn State

Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark was a late addition to the East Team roster for the East-West Shrine Game, but that didn’t stop him from making an impact in the game.

Though fellow East Team and Big Ten quarterback Mike Kafka led the team to the game winning touchdown and was Offensive MVP of the game, Clark did what he could to help his team in his two first half drives, both of which led to Joshua Shene field goals en route to the 13-10 win over the West.

By his own admission Clark was “a little bit behind and … playing catch up” during the early part of the preparation week, but he caught on quickly as the team’s #2 quarterback. In his two series’ played in the game, Clark was 7-of-10 for 75 yards.

Clark shared his thoughts on his progress throughout the week, his days and teammates and Penn State and his hope to continue on as a quarterback at the next level after the final Shrine Game whistle blew:

How has your experience gone this week in the practices?

For me it was a bit rough at the very beginning. I was a late add-on and I was thrown in, so I was kind of a little bit behind and kind of played a little bit of catch up, so the first couple days were a bit rough for me. Trying to get the timing down and the QB / center exchange – it was a bit rough. But, I picked it up toward the end of the week when it definitely mattered and I didn’t know how many reps I was going to get for this football game, but I just told myself ‘whenever you get in, just make sure you make the best out of it with every rep you take, every throw you make’.

Do you think you accomplished everything this week that you could have?

I learned a ton. And Coach Pep Hamilton, our quarterback coach, really drills on the mechanics and that was something coming out of college that I knew that I would have to fine tune to get ready for the next level and he definitely worked on that with me. I learned a lot from him. I didn’t get a ton of reps in the football game but I definitely was proud of the way it wound up being with scoring drives. Ideally you want a touchdown but a field goal is just as good.

Talk about your fellow Penn Staters at the Shrine Game, Andrew Quarless and Jeremy Boone.

Jeremy Boone – big time punter for the Big Ten, good teammate and always enters the locker room with a smile and always comes to work every single day.

I’m real proud of Andrew Quarless – the way he played and prepared for every game this year. He took a 180 in his life and redirected his focus on what was important and what wasn’t important and I was real proud of that. He had a great year. I wish we could have hooked up a little more for the endzone, but there were times when we needed him to catch for the first down and it was almost automatic for him. And for him to make the big catch for this game really goes to show how hard he’s worked, how far he’s come. He didn’t get any catches at the beginning of the game, but I just kept telling him, ‘Just plug away, we’ll find you’ and I love the guys.

One thing that I definitely miss about Penn State and I’ve only been gone for a couple weeks now – it’s a real family. We have a real football fraternity and you’ll develop some relationships and friendships with all of your teammates on whatever team you wind up playing on, but it will never be like how it was at Penn State.

How about the Big Ten conference this week?

It was definitely important for us to come in and every player we had represent the Big Ten just played their part and worked hard at their craft and tried to perfected it and prove to a few people that we are able to play with the big boys. I feel like we definitely did that. We came out and worked every single day. I struggled at the beginning of the week, being thrown in and whatnot but I really felt like I came on when it mattered and Quarless has been really consistent throughout the week and so has Jeremy with kicking the football.

What was it like playing for Joe Paterno?

It was unreal. Jay Paterno, my quarterback coach, and the rest of the coaching staff made such an impact on my life. Back in 2005 when I first stepped on campus, Coach Jay was definitely a guy that backed me 100%, that fought to get me in at certain times and when things didn’t happen right for me he said remain patient and when your time comes, take advantage of your responsibilities and your opportunities.

With Joe, obviously there was a quarterback controversy with me and Pat Devlin and he felt that is was very tight run, but he felt like I edged it out. When times were bad and I wasn’t playing as  well he didn’t yank me right away, so that goes to show you the faith that he had in me. What else’s been great is he definitely prepares you for life as well as football and he always harps on the little things. We have a quote in the quarterback room – “Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves”. As you get older, you really start to understand what he means by it. It’s been great. I enjoyed every year – all five years of it.

You seem to be considered one of those athletic quarterbacks. Do you think you could transition to another position?

If I have to – yes, but I would rather play quarterback. That’s my main position and that’s what I would want to play on the next level. Now, if things don’t work that way and they need me to play another position then that’s what I have to do.

What’s your best attribute as a quarterback?

The gift to be able to make all the throws and when needed to run the football. There are times when the defense does it right and no one’s open so you have to take off with your legs, make a couple guys miss and continue to keep drives alive. I feel like I definitely bring that to the table. As far as quarterbacking, I’ve never been a guy to force the football. I understand the route combinations and the coverages that we face so I’m well coachable. I’m definitely still a work in progress, so we’ll see what happens in the next months.

Actually, pretty darn good for a school that had been going through tumultuous times, changing coaching staffs, trending towards the bottom half of the Big 12 North rather than going upward. The ‘one-and-done’ season by Fitzgerald due to transfer rules, made him a spectator to all the coaching changes, but for ‘Fitz’ the changes became a blessing of sorts, as he is grateful he had the opportunity to play for Coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State.

He gave me a couple minutes of his time at the Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday night, on the eve of the East-West Shrine Game:

How has the week been?

It’s been fun just getting out here with these guys to compete against some of the top competition around the nation. And just getting out here for a good cause like we are, raising the money and being able to be around the children the way we are is definitely an eye-opening experience. Definitely a lot of fun. The main thing is doing it for the cause we’re doing it for – it’s definitely a good thing.

And the football?

I’ve been doing good. I feel like I’ve had a very good week of practice this week. Just everyone out there competing, trying to do the best they can, to be able to showcase it all in tomorrow’s game.

Did you have any goals for the week starting out?

Just mainly to go out there and do the best I was capable of doing. I feel like I’ve done everything possible and not having any regrets throughout the week and I feel like I’ve fulfilled that. I’m looking forward to putting this completion on it tomorrow at the game.

What are your reflections on your time at Kansas State?

It’s just been a great time. When I was going out there expecting to play for Coach Prince, but things didn’t work out that way. I definitely loved the opportunity playing for Coach Snyder. He’s a great coach and the program is definitely on the up –side. He’s done wonders just in one year, so as the program gets developed under his leadership I think it’s going to be heading in the right direction.

Crystal ball time – where will you be next January?

Hopefully on a team. Same thing I’m doing now – trying to prepare the best I possibly can on a team playing football. I’m looking forward to doing the best I can, whenever I can, next time I can showcase my talents.