Rat

[KUGRDON]

 

How closely does he look like you in your playing days.  Any pictures?

how about sharing your favorite story as a participant in Pac 12 football.  We are humbled by your athletic achievement, the rest of us being mere nerds to your gladiator.

 

[Nakedmolerat]

6'8" is a little taller than I am. I'm only 6'6". That guy looks to be a svelte 325-335, approximately the same playing weight. I don't have any pictures on my work computer. I'll have to fish around at home to find some and google produced nothing since I played a little bit before internet ubiquity. 

My favorite, or at least most memorable experience was when OSU beat Cal my redshirt freshman year to secure the first non-losing season in 28 years. To see the lifelong fans that stuck through the dark years surrounded by the new fans that had started to come with the upswing in quality at the end of the Pettibone era and the first Riley stint celebrating with each other, grown men in tears, the crowd rushing the field... it was epic. 

Favorite team to play against: Washington. I had some battles with Larry Tripplett. I feel like he was overrated.  

Favorite road stadum: WSU. I really like the long walk down the tunnel. I don't know if they still do it but back then the WSU band would line the tunnel, face the walls and play their fight song as we walked out on to the field. That's hilarious. 

Best player I ever played against: 3 way tie. Troy Palumalu. I got in for two plays when the starter's helmet buckle broke. One play was a screen which I was the lead blocker. I sized up TP and went for him full speed, but he had a different gear. I ended up on the ground, but so did he, so successful block, right? Igor Olshansky was enormous like no other player. Just built, strong, not terribly fast, but he talked shit in Russian, which was a little intimidating. And of course, Terrell Suggs. Actually, he was the best. I guess his NFL career proves that. He is also extremely unpleasant to look at up close. 

I had mere expletives hurled at me in Autzen, while Fresno State fans hurled D cell batteries and full beers at us. Arizona State, when the students disagreed with a ref's call would throw slices of unwrapped American cheese on the field. One of those slapped right across my helmet right as we were coming off the field to meet with our position coach. I was digging cheese out of my facemask all during halftime. 

Worst playing surface: USC and UCLA. fucking hard as rocks in the endzones. Patchy grass. Might as well be playing on a painted basketball court. 

Loudest: Autzen and Husky stadiums are really close. Being that I played in civil war games in Autzen, before the upgrade, it was more impressive. I've actually heard from some of the younger guys from my senior year that played after the addition to Autzen that it isn't as loud as it was before. When it was rocking, it truly sounded like you were under water. 

I recall a literal fist fight between LaDarius Jackson and TJ Houshmanzadeh in the locker room between the time we come back in from pre-game warmups and before the start of the game. Basically as the national anthem is being played, the teams are in the locker rooms. This argument between the two came to a head at this time, right in front of my locker. It had been ongoing for a few days. What were they arguing about that was so important to take away from preparing to play USC at home (2000, also the Possum game)? Who had better rappers, Houston or LA? I wish I was joking. (LA won, as it turns out). 

 

[KUGRDON]

2 hours ago, Nakedmolerat said:

6'8" is a little taller than I am. I'm only 6'6". That guy looks to be a svelte 325-335, approximately the same playing weight. I don't have any pictures on my work computer. I'll have to fish around at home to find some and google produced nothing since I played a little bit before internet ubiquity. 

My favorite, or at least most memorable experience was when OSU beat Cal my redshirt freshman year to secure the first non-losing season in 28 years. To see the lifelong fans that stuck through the dark years surrounded by the new fans that had started to come with the upswing in quality at the end of the Pettibone era and the first Riley stint celebrating with each other, grown men in tears, the crowd rushing the field... it was epic. 

Favorite team to play against: Washington. I had some battles with Larry Tripplett. I feel like he was overrated.  

Favorite road stadum: WSU. I really like the long walk down the tunnel. I don't know if they still do it but back then the WSU band would line the tunnel, face the walls and play their fight song as we walked out on to the field. That's hilarious. 

Best player I ever played against: 3 way tie. Troy Palumalu. I got in for two plays when the starter's helmet buckle broke. One play was a screen which I was the lead blocker. I sized up TP and went for him full speed, but he had a different gear. I ended up on the ground, but so did he, so successful block, right? Igor Olshansky was enormous like no other player. Just built, strong, not terribly fast, but he talked shit in Russian, which was a little intimidating. And of course, Terrell Suggs. Actually, he was the best. I guess his NFL career proves that. He is also extremely unpleasant to look at up close. 

I had mere expletives hurled at me in Autzen, while Fresno State fans hurled D cell batteries and full beers at us. Arizona State, when the students disagreed with a ref's call would throw slices of unwrapped American cheese on the field. One of those slapped right across my helmet right as we were coming off the field to meet with our position coach. I was digging cheese out of my facemask all during halftime. 

Worst playing surface: USC and UCLA. fucking hard as rocks in the endzones. Patchy grass. Might as well be playing on a painted basketball court. 

Loudest: Autzen and Husky stadiums are really close. Being that I played in civil war games in Autzen, before the upgrade, it was more impressive. I've actually heard from some of the younger guys from my senior year that played after the addition to Autzen that it isn't as loud as it was before. When it was rocking, it truly sounded like you were under water. 

I recall a literal fist fight between LaDarius Jackson and TJ Houshmanzadeh in the locker room between the time we come back in from pre-game warmups and before the start of the game. Basically as the national anthem is being played, the teams are in the locker rooms. This argument between the two came to a head at this time, right in front of my locker. It had been ongoing for a few days. What were they arguing about that was so important to take away from preparing to play USC at home (2000, also the Possum game)? Who had better rappers, Houston or LA? I wish I was joking. (LA won, as it turns out). 

 

All great stories.  So glad you are here to represent.  The names of the player opponents help to place you in context.  1998 - 2002?  Were those the years?  But,  big question, how does mere teenage (or nearly so) Rat beard compare with young Cody's beard?

[trickydlck]

16 hours ago, KUGRDON said:

 

How closely does he look like you in your playing days.  Any pictures?

how about sharing your favorite story as a participant in Pac 12 football.  We are humbled by your athletic achievement, the rest of us being mere nerds to your gladiator.

 

With all this press maybe Cody will make second team all conference this year...

[Nakedmolerat]

13 hours ago, KUGRDON said:

All great stories.  So glad you are here to represent.  The names of the player opponents help to place you in context.  1998 - 2002?  Were those the years?  But,  big question, how does mere teenage (or nearly so) Rat beard compare with young Cody's beard?

His beard compared to mine- let's just say you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.  And yes, 98-02. 

[KUGRDON]

20 minutes ago, Nakedmolerat said:

His beard compared to mine- let's just say you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.  And yes, 98-02. 

Maybe he will grow into it.

those are the years I calculated but I'm wondering why not a word about Notre Dame and the glorious 2000 season.  We were all cheering for you before we knew you.

i'm also curious about your thoughts regarding Riley and Erickson.

[Nakedmolerat]

On 8/18/2017 at 4:54 PM, KUGRDON said:

Maybe he will grow into it.

those are the years I calculated but I'm wondering why not a word about Notre Dame and the glorious 2000 season.  We were all cheering for you before we knew you.

i'm also curious about your thoughts regarding Riley and Erickson.

I don't bring up the 2000 season as often as is should, I guess, because I was a backup that year and didn't really feel like that was 'my team'. Of course my teams had the terrible 01 season and the underwhelming 02 season, so maybe I should dip in to that well more often. 

Riley is one of the nicest most genuine people I've ever met. He really is as nice as he comes off in interviews and whatnot. The kind of man you'd like as a father-in-law. 

'Erickson was all about business. More shrew, more lewd and more competitive than Riley. The kind of guy you want as a football coach, but not so much as a father-in-law. 

Both have advantages and disadvantages. 

[Orange]

Possum game may have been the most fun I'd ever had at a football game.  Were you on the field for that one?  It was 2000, so maybe on the sidelines.

I wasn't at the Cal game when we clinched the .500 season.  I had transferred to UO by then.  Naturally, when Oregon State gets good, it's a direct result of me leaving campus.

Have you slimmed down alot during your post-playing years?  Having a kid made me want to kick my fitness into overdrive so I can keep up, and stick around longer.  Some of the most fearsome middle-aged "athletes" I've met were huge linemen in their playing days.

Also, I've always heard O-linemen are the most vulnerable to concussion symptoms throughout life due to the constant jostling at the line every play (compared to a WR only really getting his bell rung maybe once or twice a week).  Have you been lucky enough to escape that?

[Nakedmolerat]

2000 was sidelines. 

My weight has fluctuated a little. I never had to try to be heavy, the way some lineman do, to the tune that when they quit they drop 70-80 pounds and are almost unrecognizable except for their GIGANTIC heads. That never goes away. I got up to 350-360 from a playing weight of 330. I have pretty bad back issues that sideline me from time to time, meaning I can't even bend over to put on my socks. Other days I'm carrying roof tiles up a ladder no big deal. So currently I'm feeling pretty good with my back and down to 305. Sounds weird to say, but just recently I was celebrating being the not heaviest guy in the room but still got winded. I've been going on walks because it calms the baby, or at least more walking than I did before. 

There may be merit in lineman taking moderate jostles (think bang your head against the wall over and over) is 'worse' than the devastating hits that the rules officials are trying to eliminate (think getting run over by a car once). I don't know which is worse. Knowing what I know now about concussions, I would have sat out some practices and some games. But I didn't. All but one of the times I can remember were what everyone might consider "he got his bell rung". Well, these days, those are (should) be taken seriously. One time, I blacked out, but it was a freak incident in high school. A guy fell over the pile that I was on the bottom of and kneed me in the side of the head. Half a dozen times or so, my vision closed in for a series or two. Almost daily I'd see spots. I'm quite certain I have some degree of brain damage. I have some short term memory issues now. I've described it as, imagine having your memories in a file, orgainized so you can find them easy. Mine are all there, but someone dumped out the drawer and stuffed them all back in haphazardly, so finding and recalling the memories is spotty, at best. 

[Orange]

On 8/20/2017 at 11:52 PM, Nakedmolerat said:

2000 was sidelines. 

My weight has fluctuated a little. I never had to try to be heavy, the way some lineman do, to the tune that when they quit they drop 70-80 pounds and are almost unrecognizable except for their GIGANTIC heads. That never goes away. I got up to 350-360 from a playing weight of 330. I have pretty bad back issues that sideline me from time to time, meaning I can't even bend over to put on my socks. Other days I'm carrying roof tiles up a ladder no big deal. So currently I'm feeling pretty good with my back and down to 305. Sounds weird to say, but just recently I was celebrating being the not heaviest guy in the room but still got winded. I've been going on walks because it calms the baby, or at least more walking than I did before. 

There may be merit in lineman taking moderate jostles (think bang your head against the wall over and over) is 'worse' than the devastating hits that the rules officials are trying to eliminate (think getting run over by a car once). I don't know which is worse. Knowing what I know now about concussions, I would have sat out some practices and some games. But I didn't. All but one of the times I can remember were what everyone might consider "he got his bell rung". Well, these days, those are (should) be taken seriously. One time, I blacked out, but it was a freak incident in high school. A guy fell over the pile that I was on the bottom of and kneed me in the side of the head. Half a dozen times or so, my vision closed in for a series or two. Almost daily I'd see spots. I'm quite certain I have some degree of brain damage. I have some short term memory issues now. I've described it as, imagine having your memories in a file, orgainized so you can find them easy. Mine are all there, but someone dumped out the drawer and stuffed them all back in haphazardly, so finding and recalling the memories is spotty, at best. 

Eeesh, that memory stuff sounds scary.  There's nothing that fills you more with a sense of panic and dread than feeling like you're losing your mind.  I had a benign brain tumor removed when I was 28 after I had a series of grand mal seizures and lighter "aura" seizures where I became confused, and couldn't grasp words, etc.  It's under control now, but there are still occasional moments (especially after intense exercise) where I become confused, feel a sense of deja vu, and begin to immediately panic, thinking I'm about to have another seizure (and inevitably some asshole will call 911 and I'll end up paying $15k for an ambulance ride, $2k for a MRI, and have my driver's license suspended for 6 month, because, you know, republicans want us to have "personal responsibility.")

As for walking and dropping weight, I've lost maybe 10-15 lbs (without realizing that I needed to lose it) since I became competitive with my fitbit.  I average 20,000 steps per day, and do competitions with other fitbit "friends."  It becomes addictive, like a video game.  Now I'm probably more ripped than I've ever been in my life at 167lbs (I'm about 5'11"), and it's really all from just a lot of daily movement, not necessarily any intense workout program.

And while I have no expertise or evidence to prove it, I'm convinced having a leaner body has put less stress on me, mentally, making seizures less likely.

[Nakedmolerat]

Yikes. Glad your tumor removal went and continues to go relatively well. 

About three years after I was done playing, so around 2005, I had to leave work in an emergency because I had the worst splitting headache I've ever had. It felt as if someone dropped an axe blade right in the middle of my forehead. I had a friend drive me to the hospital, and after the MRI (which incidentally, I barely fit in. I actually touched the inside of it because I barely fit, and the guy was worried that it would get hot an burn me. If it didn't work, he said I was going to have to go to a cattle MRI machine. No joke.) the doctor came in and said "have you had some brain injuries?" So that's the first time I learned something was wrong. 

I will have full in depth conversations about important subjects and the next day not even remember the conversation took place. I end up in a room or an office at work with no idea why I came there. That happens a lot. I'm probably slowly losing it, but it's hard to tell while on the ride, you know?

Maybe I should run for president. 

[KUGRDON]

4 minutes ago, Nakedmolerat said:

Yikes. Glad your tumor removal went and continues to go relatively well. 

About three years after I was done playing, so around 2005, I had to leave work in an emergency because I had the worst splitting headache I've ever had. It felt as if someone dropped an axe blade right in the middle of my forehead. I had a friend drive me to the hospital, and after the MRI (which incidentally, I barely fit in. I actually touched the inside of it because I barely fit, and the guy was worried that it would get hot an burn me. If it didn't work, he said I was going to have to go to a cattle MRI machine. No joke.) the doctor came in and said "have you had some brain injuries?" So that's the first time I learned something was wrong. 

I will have full in depth conversations about important subjects and the next day not even remember the conversation took place. I end up in a room or an office at work with no idea why I came there. That happens a lot. I'm probably slowly losing it, but it's hard to tell while on the ride, you know?

Maybe I should run for president. 

Fuck man, just fuck.  My heart goes out to you and Org.

[Nakedmolerat]

A couple of months back I received a letter abouta class action lawsuit with the NCAA that if the ruling is in the athletes' favor, I and other NCAA athletes are entitled to 2 free brain examinations every 10 years, or something like that. I didn't read closely enough to digest all the details, I figured I'd wait for the results. 

All of these developments make me reflect and wonder if playing football was all worth it; would I do again if I had the chance, knowing what I know now. 

Yeah, I think so. I wish I would have sat out more when i was injured though. 

[PAC MAN]

Ouch Rat...I was prodded to play D3 football at my college but I passed on that opportunity.  I might have only played under three seasons of football but I played on the line and boy I got migraines every week during college...sometimes two or three times and I had to miss some classes because I couldn't focus due to the bright lights and noise (I actually have a profound hearing loss) that I normally wouldn't hear would register in my head.  I'm having issues with memory as well.  I do wonder what would have happened to me if I went ahead and played four more years of football even if it was at the D3.  I know for a fact that I am not quite as sharp as I was before I started playing football.

I was telling a co-worker that people think football players only play just one game a week when in reality, you play at least five such games a week if you include practice.

Next time I have severe headaches and end up having to go to the ER or the doctor, I'll ask for a MRI on my head for sure.

And having a tumor in the brain at 28 (Org)...I don't know how well I would have handled that at that age.

[Orange]

12 hours ago, Jalapeno said:

Ouch Rat...I was prodded to play D3 football at my college but I passed on that opportunity.  I might have only played under three seasons of football but I played on the line and boy I got migraines every week during college...sometimes two or three times and I had to miss some classes because I couldn't focus due to the bright lights and noise (I actually have a profound hearing loss) that I normally wouldn't hear would register in my head.  I'm having issues with memory as well.  I do wonder what would have happened to me if I went ahead and played four more years of football even if it was at the D3.  I know for a fact that I am not quite as sharp as I was before I started playing football.

I was telling a co-worker that people think football players only play just one game a week when in reality, you play at least five such games a week if you include practice.

Next time I have severe headaches and end up having to go to the ER or the doctor, I'll ask for a MRI on my head for sure.

And having a tumor in the brain at 28 (Org)...I don't know how well I would have handled that at that age.

Sorry about your headaches and hearing loss.  Were you born deaf, or did you go deaf?  If it was degenerative, do they know the cause?

As for my tumor at 28, by then I was a veteran of an open-heart surgery to replace a defective valve, so the brain surgery was actually a piece of cake.  The seizures and the medication (it causes aggression and anger) and the fear of having another one was what really fucked w/ me.  

[PAC MAN]

9 hours ago, Orange said:

Sorry about your headaches and hearing loss.  Were you born deaf, or did you go deaf?  If it was degenerative, do they know the cause?

As for my tumor at 28, by then I was a veteran of an open-heart surgery to replace a defective valve, so the brain surgery was actually a piece of cake.  The seizures and the medication (it causes aggression and anger) and the fear of having another one was what really fucked w/ me.  

Lost it at about six weeks old due to medication for heart issues.  I would not say I had a difficult life because I made the most out of what I could have instead of feeling sorry for myself.  After reading about those CTE issues and experiencing those things, I can only imagine how much worse NFL and college players would have it than I do and that got to be terrifying for them.  

That must have been no fun...people tell me that after open heart surgery, it takes time to get back to normal (six months I think) and I haven't heard anything about brain tumors.  Good to know you made the most out of your life despite those hardships.  I'm glad you opened up about yourself (your son and now this) and I respect you more even if we have our difference of opinions.

[Orange]

12 hours ago, Jalapeno said:

Lost it at about six weeks old due to medication for heart issues.  I would not say I had a difficult life because I made the most out of what I could have instead of feeling sorry for myself.  After reading about those CTE issues and experiencing those things, I can only imagine how much worse NFL and college players would have it than I do and that got to be terrifying for them.  

That must have been no fun...people tell me that after open heart surgery, it takes time to get back to normal (six months I think) and I haven't heard anything about brain tumors.  Good to know you made the most out of your life despite those hardships.  I'm glad you opened up about yourself (your son and now this) and I respect you more even if we have our difference of opinions.

The recovery after heart surgery is brutal.   They say 6 months, and that's accurate for tissue damage/bone damage.  Cardiovascular strength is a different story.  I'm a pretty avid runner (around 100 miles per month) and it's more like 12-18 months before I'm back where I want to be.

[Quack 12]

Well, this was a fun thread that turned down a dark alley.

I'm sorry for the medical issues you all suffer. I'm probably older than anyone here except Don and Bruin70, but I've never had any chronic problems. Now I'm just trying to avoid diabetes or heart failure, and looking at arthritis, carpal tunnel, dupuytren's contracture and various other old man diseases.