Once word got out that Samoa was fielding a team with Samoans from the US our eligibility came into question, and New Zealand become very nervous. New Zealand protested our eligibility to the Oceanic Federation causing a gauntlet of red tape.
Read MoreThrowBack: Pursuit of An Olympic Dream: Part 1, Ana Tuiaea-Ruud
Imagine, it’s 1999 and you are sitting on your couch, watching Days of Our Lives and eating a quesadilla fresh out of the microwave. The phone rings and a man’s voice says, “Hello, would you like to play in the 2000 Summer Olympics?”
Read MoreThrowback: My First NFL Experience, Markee White.
I was a part of the 2006 draft class, the class where Mario Williams overtook the number one pick in the draft from Reggie Bush. The same year I fell from being a projected 6-7th round pick to an undrafted free agent.
Read MoreWorld Cup Intro: International Match Rule # 1: Bring Cleats
I traveled to El Salvador to play Isidro Metapán of the CONCACAF Champions League. The Champions League is “the most prestigious international club competition in North American football.” No MLS team had ever won a Champions League game off of American soil, can this team be the first?
Read MoreThrowback: Tiny Hurdler Defies Gigantic Odds
Have you ever looked to the other side of the court, field, or to the lanes beside you and think ‘wow, they look good.’ We size up competition with sometimes no other information than how they look and I have been guilty of this too..
Read MoreThrowback: Who Do You Play For? One Athlete's Story of Inspiration During Trying Circumstances.
Every second I played volleyball for the University of Idaho, I was there for my family. But my senior year was different. Whether I was in the weight room, the gym or playing in a match, I was there for my mother...
Read MoreThrowback: 2010 Rose Bowl, A Duck's Tale.
Ever since I was a little kid I always dreamed of playing in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The dream came to light in 2009 when my teammates and I won the Pac-10 championship...
Read MoreThrowback: Vandal Team BBQ's, How Traditions Begin.
At the time, I was just an 18-year-old homesick kid. No friends, no family. But all of that changed soon...
Read MoreVideo Throwback: Former Rutgers TE, Shamar Graves, Finally Gets His Time to Shine
Athletes often dream of the big stage. That particular moment where they stare adversity, a challenge, or a high stakes scenario in the eye and simply deliver. It’s called, “the moment” and mine was two-years ago.
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Throwback: Brian Zbydniewski recounts his David vs. Goliath tale
Brian Zbydniewski (Spokane Shock #14) recounts what was going through his mind when lined up against a person 3 times his size and being the only person to block successfully in this picture.
Read MoreThrowback: Greatest Football Comeback in my Career. Brian Reader, QB - Iowa Barnstormers
By Brian Reader
Twitter: Breader14
One of my greatest comeback moments as a football player was when I played for the University of Idaho. I was the backup quarterback at the time in my sophomore season with the Vandals to Nathan Enderle, current AFL Portland Thunder quarterback and ex-Chicago Bear. We were playing in my home area of California, versus San Jose State University. As I remember correctly, we were ahead most of the game, but had been just short of capitalizing on a few plays which could have really blown open the score. Well, long story short, we were down 22-25 with a little over 6 minutes to play. Nate was having a good game, but a few balls bounced the wrong way, so Coach Akey (our head coach) decided to give me the nod to try and have the game winning drive.
That year Vandal football had a strong offensive line behind our guards Mike Iupati (49ers pro bowl guard), Bryce Sinclair, Matt Cleveland (CFL lineman), Irvin Stevens, and last but not least, Adam Juratovac (Spokane Shock/ SJ Sabercats). I honestly wish I could have thrown the ball all the way down the field, but there was no need to. With an O-line that good, my job was to get the offense in the right play every time. We executed each play perfectly, and finished in the end zone. In our offense, the quarterback was given a package of plays in a certain formation, which then he deciphered at the line of scrimmage, and put the offense in the best play against the look the defense was giving. I believe the drive sequence went something like: run, pass, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, touchdown!
We ended up scoring with 30 seconds remaining on the clock. San Jose State kept giving us the same look over and over again, so I basically called the same play over and over… and sure enough, it worked like clockwork. Final score, Vandals 29, Spartans 25. That game was definitely a highlight of my college career. The odds were against us and yet we were able to come from behind to win the game in my own back yard of the Bay Area, my entire family there to watch. It couldn't have been
any better.