The deafening roar of 40,000 Cougars
on the field level is awesome! The intensity of college football up close and
personal, the sound of crashing pads, the grunts from players struggling for
every yard, the coaches critiques, the feel of the pigskin, the field reporters
for the major networks, the band, the crowd…all of these are reasons standing on
the sideline is an experience of a lifetime. And these aren’t just any old
sidelines I stand on--these are the sidelines of Martin Stadium!
During
the past three seasons as a WSU ball boy, I’ve had many amazing experiences.
Here are some of the most vivid ones in my mind:
November
1, 2001 UCLA vs. WSU - The
UCLA coaching staff was using their wired headsets to communicate with their
coaches upstairs. In the fourth quarter, with WSU up by a few points, UCLA
needed a score. I was throwing the ball into a Pac-10 official, and I happened
to get tangled up with one of the Bruin coaches’ headset. With neither of us
realizing this, we both turned and walked our separate ways, but when I looked
back I saw the coach’s head set jerked off his head, causing the mouth piece he
was talking into to go into his mouth and gag him. After a few choice words
aimed my way, I apologized. It just so happens that on the very next play the
UCLA quarterback threw his third interception to Lamont Thompson. The
Cougars went on to win the game 20-14. I like to think that moment of
miscommunication could’ve caused the pick!
August
31, 2002 Nevada vs. WSU (Seahawk Stadium) –
Cougar linebacker Will Derting picked off his third pass of the game and
sprinted up the sidelines for a 98-yard touchdown. I chased him all the way up
the sidelines so I would have a ball ready for the extra point once the official
got there. In Sunday’s Seattle Times newspaper there was a picture of
Derting running up the sidelines, with me in the background running right with
him!
November
23, 2002 Washington vs. WSU (Apple Cup) - Out
of the blue, UW coach Rick Neuheisel swore at us ball-boys, telling us we
had better keep the footballs dry and throw in the correct football. To go along
with his verbal abuse, Husky QB Cody Pickett was also attacking us, upset
because he felt that the footballs were wet. Finally, a UW equipment man stepped
in and proved they were dry as a bone. After that he was upset because he said
he preferred his footballs wetter, so we could not keep him happy. It was very
hard to work next to a team that complained so needlessly to us ball
boys.
October
5, 2002 USC vs. WSU - In
the third quarter Jason Gesser was hit out of bounds, sending him into
the sidelines like a torpedo. I was right in his trajectory and was knocked back
a ways. I did make it on National TV several times with the replay. I was not
really in too much pain, but I was more concerned I had re-injured Gesser’s ribs
with my elbow!
January
1, 2003 Oklahoma vs. WSU (Rose Bowl) -
Working for WSU with my Cougar hat on the Oklahoma sideline I got trash talk
from Sooners the entire game. Following a score they’d make a point to tell me
they just scored a touchdown, picked up a first down, etc. It was kind of fun to
get trash talk from the opposing team because that doesn’t happen in your living
room.
November
23, 2002 Washington vs. WSU (Apple Cup) - In
the fourth quarter with WSU leading 20-10, Gesser was tackled from behind and
fell violently on his ankle, putting him out for the rest of the game. It would
turn out to be a high ankle sprain. As he was hobbling painfully off the field,
the UW sideline was abuzz with phrases like: “We got him! We have them now!
Great job! Way to get him out of the game!” I was shocked to hear a team
celebrating over another player’s injury, but why should we expect decency from
the Huskies?
October
5, 2002 USC vs. WSU - WSU
stepped up and knocked USC back far enough to force a 52-yard field goal
attempt, which went wide right. The whole USC sideline just stood there in
absolute disbelief. When WSU went to kick the game-winning field goal I told the
other ballboys to get the balls in the bag and to protect them from the Cougar
fans storming the field. When that kick went through the uprights I forgot about
being neutral and began jumping up and down and yelling because the Cougars had
just beat USC! The field was swamped with thousands of WSU fans, and they wanted
a football, so we had to really protect them, which we did
successfully.
I’ve
been fortunate to get to know so many great people associated with WSU. One
particular player who has been real kind and gracious to me is
Drew Dunning. He takes time to talk to me some before and after games,
and also after practices I attend. Offensive lineman Steve Nelson is an
amazing person and a lot of fun to chat with. Jason Gesser, Scott
Lunde, and so many other Cougs of the past and present have really been
extremely gracious to me. Every single WSU Coach has gone out of their way
showing me kindness. Rod Commons in Sports Information, Bob
Robertson, and Glenn Johnson have all been tremendous to me. Mike
McGinnis, is an incredible person and quite possibly the best line judge in
college football. There have been countless other people at WSU who’ve been
incredibly gracious to me during my tenure as a ball boy.
I can’t wait to
get back to my “best job in America” on the sidelines of Martin Stadium and
experience more Cougar football from the best seats in the house.
Editor’s note: Paul Counts is
a senior at Prescott (population 300) High School. He comes from a family of
rabid Cougfans and his three older brothers either attended or are currently
attending WSU. Paul is known as a renaissance man in his neck of the woods. In
addition to his work for WSU, he is Student Body President, a sportswriter for
the Valley Times Newspaper (Walla Walla), and a sales representative for Cuda
Apparel-Vyper Sportswear out of Spokane. He plans to attend WSU and double-major
in Sports Management and Broadcasting, with hopes to have a career in athletics.