Ian Johnson undrafted—My faith in humanity dashed

This is my 300th post on FFBSU. Seems odd that my 300th post milestone is to announce Ian Johnson, the "face" of the Broncos for the last 3 years, went undrafted in this weekends NFL draft and I'm not happy about it. You wanna know why I'm not happy about it? Look at who was drafted. Tom freakin' Brandstater was drafted (!). Two Mountain West running backs were drafted that had fewer TDs in their career than Johnson's sophomore season alone—one of them had fewer career yards than Johnson's sophomore campaign as well. You are telling me that Ian Johnson, the very definition of a character player...who scored 58 rushing TDs in his career and finished 8th in Heisman voting as a sophomore isn't a better pick than UNLV's Frank Summers? Really, NFL? A guy who posted the second fastest time among running backs at the NFL combine and showed versatility and character throughout his career can't even make it 10-deep on the "top remaining players" list hours into day 2 of the draft? Really, "Scouts Inc."? What a slap in the face to a kid who played through injuries, always talked to the media and never complained about diminished touches in the backfield. Say what you will—I know that free agents can and do flourish in the league...but a player as decorated and talented as Ian Johnson should NOT be drafted behind two (!) players from 1-AA. A player as valuable to a team and as committed as Ian Johnson should not be drafted after a quarterback from Nebraska-Omaha or a running back from Abilene Christian. The all-time leader in rushing TDs and face of the WAC just got wacked...10 conference mates were picked up by NFL squads—none could take a "chance" on Ian?

Oh sure, Ian will get his shot somewhere...and he has his "foot-in-the-door" so to speak, but the NFL's system of evaluation leaves much to be desired...and Ian deserved better than what he got. Oh, and I'll go ahead and throw this out there: Jeremy Childs might have made a "slight" miscalculation.

Somewhat less disappointing update: Friends gotta stick together. Vinny and Ian heading to the Vikings as free agents. Ian chose the Vikings from 12-15 suitors (the team with Adrian Peterson as an RB...really?) Good luck to both. Also, Julian Hawkins to Dallas to say hello to O. Scandrick.

LINK

Oh snap...we got another snapper

The Katy Times (TX) are reporting that Chris Roberson has accepted an offer to play football at Boise State. Roberson, who played both linebacker and fullback at Katy High School, will apparently be coming to Boise to try to snag a floating scholarship at the long snapper position. As Roberson's scholarship is not a definite, it appears he will be attending as an invited walk-on. Roberson believes he'll stick.

"They have a scholarship waiting. They've offered for me to go to school there, and earn the scholarship if I beat out the guys they have."

I'll be honest...I'm not really sure how our long-snapper situation is right now. Dallas Dobbs was a long-snapping specialist the last few years and prior to that, Jon Mike Dominguez held the role—I don't see why the 6'1", 220 lb. Roberson couldn't inject himself right into the mix. After all, he's got his very own long snapping coach.

"I have a deep snapping coach in California, and they saw me on his web site," Roberson said Monday night.

Roberson will represent the 7th Texas athlete on the Broncos' roster. Welcome aboard, kid—and good luck.

Katy's Roberson picks Boise State [Katy Times]

Blue by you.

The team parity seems a bit Fünke this year.

As you may now know, the annual Blue and Orange (or rather, Blue and White) is taking on a new look this year. The contest this Friday will not feature the wacky scoring or "ones" vs. "twos" scenarios that we've all grown accustomed to. This year, things get real...er. The Blue and Orange White teams have been assigned coaches and the coaches have "drafted" offensive and defensive players for each team to play four 8 minute quarters. Sounds great, right? Yeah, but there's one problem: the Blue team is WAY better than the Orange White.

Now, this isn't to say that the White team will stink...far from it. The White team is chock full of talented, athletic guys...Broncos all. But the disparity between starters on the Blue and White teams is a little ridiculous. Ready?

Well, the Blue team has probable 1st or 2nd round draft-pick Kyle Wilson, speedster Titus Young, 2nd scrimmage MVP D.J. Harper AND Jeremy Avery. I'm not even a little bit done yet. QBs for the Blue team will be Kellen Moore and Drew Hawkins who will be protected by Thomas Byrd, Garrett Pendergast, Zach Waller, Cory Yriarte, Faraji Wright, Brenel Myers and Joe Kellogg. All-potential first teamer Mike Atkinson will be the Blue team DT and Byron "I must break you" Hout will hold down the end. Oh yeah, and they have Brandyn Thompson, George Iloka, Winston Venable and Jeron Johnson.

Now, like I said the White team is no slouch...they have Austin Pettis, Doug Martin, Mike Coughlin and Shea McLellin as well as the only healthy fullback on the team Dan Paul. The O-line for the White squad may be as just as capable as the Blues for all I know. Here's the rub though...the Blue team has AT LEAST 16 guys that were starters or had significant game experience in 2009. Pretty much the entire secondary for the Blue squad are starters as are both the Blue team's runningbacks and quarterback. The White squad has maybe 10 guys with the same credentials.

Now, please understand that I am not slagging off the White team, but the "skill" and "experience" positions heavily favor the Blues. Game changers Richie Brockel, Nate Potter, Billy Winn and Ryan Winterswyk aren't even suiting up.

Do the Bronco coaches realize what they've done? They've given the Blue and Orange White game rooting interest. Go White!

Update: Coach Pete throws a wrench in the whole thing by announcing that star players (i.e., the Blue team) will suffer mysterious mock injuries during the game (I said "mock injuries" guys) that will force substitutions to be made. Looks like a bold gambit by Coach Kwiatkowski now.

Spring Game rosters [BroncoSports]

Sticker time!

This is the most masculine sticker I could find.

Kids love stickers. I should know...I used to be one (not a sticker, but a kid). I used to have a whole book full of scratch-n-sniffs and Garbage Pail Kids stickers. Now, my kid is wracking up the stickers every time we go to Fred Meyers and he's loving them too. Well, the Boise State coaches are handing out star-shaped stickers during Spring Camp, and like the attendance sheet in elementary school, it's paying dividends.

"The coaches would say 'it's amazing what the (high school) kids will do for a sticker,'" (Coach Pete) said. "Well, the high school kids and college kids aren't that much different."

Nor are any of us, Coach Pete, stickers are awesome (especially potstickers from Oriental Express)!

The most heavily stickered player on the team is Richie Brockel...and not due to his on-field prowess. Brockel is injured this Spring and the tight-end crew has taken it upon themselves to sticker up Brockel's visage in the team room whenever they can.

Other childhood carryovers that may help motivate the Broncos this Spring:
Coach Pete draws a smiley face on players' playbooks.
10 minutes extra recess.
High fives.
Pizza party.
May pick one toy out of bin.

Star Power in Spring [Press Tribune]

Spend some time in the Big Apple with IJ...

This didn't hurt.

Must be the shoes...

After Ian Johnson turned heads and calmed nerves at the NFL Scouting Combine last month many just hoped he would sit back and ride out the wave of goodwill till Draft day. Ian wasn't hearing any of that. On St. Patrick's Day, IJ took to the FieldTurf again to show the scouts what he's got, and once again, impressed those in attendance. Johnson, who wisely chose to stand on his Combine 40-time of 4.4, ran agility drills for about 12 NFL scouts at the Caven-Williams Complex on Tuesday afternoon and garnered high praise from the reigning BMOC, Coach Pete:

“He’s as big as he’s ever been and moving as well as he’s ever moved,” Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. “… He looked fast and he looked powerful.”

Chrissy, must be slipping some whey protein into the Hamburger Helper.

Also showing off for the scouts were Vinny Perretta and Jeremy Childs. Perretta may have piqued some interest from scouts with his blazing 40 times of 4.48 and 4.43 as well as some solid numbers in the agility tests, and Childs had to have improved his stock as he was able to make them forget his so-so Combine sprints by finally posting some sub-4.5 marks.

All-in-all...a good day for the newly-minted Bronco alums. Hopefully we'll see all three of the aforementioned sneak onto Kiper's big board.

Ian Johnson looks 'fast, powerful'...[Statesman]
Intriguing prospects work out at Boise State Pro Day [NFL.com]

Blue collar team...white collar business

We're gonna need a bigger hammer.

As a freshman at Boise State in 1999, I used to pick up my free game tickets at the Student Union info desk on the day of the game. A couple of years and a couple of championships later, I was camping out in front of the ticket office the Mondays before games for hours. By the time I was a senior...the writing was on the wall—I had to become a season ticket holder while the getting was good. Now, after 5 years as a season-ticket holder—more writing-on-the-wall arrived in my mailbox on Thursday: I don't know if I can afford it anymore.

The "Decade of Dominance" factsheet was what you were supposed to see first. That part was supposed to make us feel better...maybe a twinge of guilt that we might be taking all of this success for granted. Keep reading...turn the page. "We're raising ticket prices almost 20% AND you'll be paying BAA membership fees on top of that". Nice.

I always pictured myself being a lifelong season ticket holder...I got in when the getting was good...now my kids can attend games with me. Sure, there would be lean years with the pocketbook, but we could always just renew and sell the tickets to someone for the season. That way, we'd keep our tickets for a better day. But, the thing is—I'm starting to see a trend and I'm just not sure I can keep up. The worst part is, it may affect the lifelong ticket holders and the younger fans alike...the younger fans, incidentally, being the lifelong ticket holders in the future. Now, the dilemma...the winning has brought the fans in droves—but will the fans be there to see the winning product if they keep getting priced right out of their seats?

So, I've got till May to figure out what to do. For the short term...for the long term. Do we downgrade our seats? Sell them off for the year in hopes that next year's a better fit? Do we drop them altogether (perish the thought)? Should I sell off a kidney?

I know, Gene, I know...we have to support the team and "keep up with the Joneses"...but weren't those shiny new Skysuites supposed to foot the bill for future expansion? I'd sooner part with a limb than my season tickets, but in the grand scheme of things, tickets aren't life's top priority. I'll continue mulling it over...in the meantime, make room in the South End Zone...we may be coming down!

Doug Mad...Doug Smash

"Did somebody misplace this hammer?"

Horrifying news, everyone...Doug Martin wants to tackle you. Well, not you personally, but all the offensive "yous" out there. The coaches seem to feel that Martin has just had too few opportunities to kill someone while blocking or carrying the ball—so this Spring will turn him loose on a terrified second-team offense in Spring Ball. Just for the record...THIS is what Doug Martin looks like on offense...and THIS is an artist's rendering of what he may look like on defense. Nate Enderle just peed a little.

Coaches announced today that Martin will be given the opportunity this Spring to try out for the hybrid/linebacker position vacated by Ellis Powers...and he's already a finalist...

Martin, junior safety Jason Robinson and junior-college transfer Winston Venable are the top contenders to replace Powers, who turned nickelback into a staple of the Broncos’ defense last season.

God, I love Boise State football.

In other awesome news, linebacker Dan Paul has jumped the line of scrimmage as well and will be playing fullback in 2009. Personally, I thought that Paul was a natural at fullback when he filled in for a gimpy Richie Brockel last season...this too is a great move. Oh yeah, and DL Chuck Hayes couldn't stand all the exciting switches going on and decided to move to Offensive Guard.

Remember, Bronco Nation...position switches are our friend—WR Legedu Naanee came in as a QB, DE Ryan Winterswyk walked on as a Safety, RB Lee Marks came in as a cornerback and Coach Chris Petersen came in as an Offensive Coordinator. The coaches routinely get these guys in the best position to contribute so look for these to be very fruitful changes for the Bronco squad this Fall.

Martin to try defense full-time [Statesman]
Oh, look...the Lombardi Award watch-list just got Swiked [Statesman]

Watch it again...

Sorry, Sean Penn...Z's acceptance speech was better.

Found a little website that lets you watch Out of the Blue in streaming format without commercial interruptions (and in its entirety). Watch this great little doc about our beloved Broncos again...or for the first time. Here's to a slow day at work tomorrow.

Out of the Blue

IJ just made some money

You can get all the yarn you've ever dreamed of

No one has ever questioned Ian Johnson's heart or character, but after IJ's stellar sophomore campaign, his NFL draft stock appeared to be dropping precipitously. Ian suffered some freak injuries throughout his career and had to deal with a retooled offense that no longer gave him the ball as much as he was accustomed...and then there were the questions about his speed. All in all, I don't think things were looking great for IJ, draftwise. But the all-time WAC rushing TD leader has been turning heads at the combine this weekend and quieting some naysayers that thought his sophomore season was a fluke. Ian just finished running his 40-yard dash in Indianapolis and officially has run the second fastest time of the day...just 1/100th of a second behind Virginia's Cedric Peerman at 4.46 seconds. Ian also put up impressive numbers on the bench press, finishing with 26 reps of 225 lbs. Those finishing with more reps than Ian among the running backs were mainly fullbacks. Ian also finished 4th and 5th amongst running backs in the 20-yard and 60-yard shuttle runs, respectively.

With Ian's character speaking for itself, and now being backed up by solid combine numbers and experience on special teams—I think that Ian just made himself (and Chrissy) some cash.

Nice job, Ian.

By the way, Jeremy Childs ran a 4.57 in the 40—not amazing...but not terrible. Hey, nobody ever said JC was a burner, right?

Combine top performers [NFL.com]

Class of 2009 could have immediate impact pt. 1

2009 Running Back commit Malcolm Johnson

Boise State plays the best guys, period. If you don't believe it, look at the last few seasons. In 2007, five true freshmen saw the field, in 2008, Boise played 3 true freshmen and the starting QB was a redshirt freshmen. Yes, a youth movement is taking place at Boise State and the Broncos don't believe in "rebuilding", the Broncos simply reload year in and year out and 2009 looks to be no different.

—QBs—
Kellen Moore is the present and future of the Bronco program, garnering WAC Freshman of the Year Honors and Freshmen All-America status. With the departure of Nick Lomax and the graduation of Bush Hamdan, however, Kellen has little depth behind him. Right now, Moore has only Mike Coughlin and walk-on Drew Hawkins behind him and the Broncos took no quarterbacks last offseason. This year, things looked different on the recruiting trail and the Broncos look to have snagged some top-notch signal callers to add instant depth under center.

Joe Southwick, a 3-star prospect out of Danville, CA was the first verbal that the Broncos received in this recruiting cycle and may be one of the best. The 6'2" Southwick is rated as the #32 signal caller in the country and threw for 3,781 yards and 36 TDs this last year while running another 8 into the endzone. Southwick was named the All-East Bay Offensive Player of the year. Look for Southwick to redshirt next year.

Southwick likely thought he'd be the only QB taken in the '09 class. Well, things have a way of changing when you commit in May because by August, Nick Lomax had departed the Boise State program and QB depth looked to be a real issue. Enter North Gwinnett quarterback Mikey Tamburo—a Jared Zabransky clone that competed in Georgia's largest division and held offers from just about every mid-major in the Midwest. Tamburo is not the pure passer that Southwick is, but he is more of a pure athlete. Tamburo is a classic Boise State recruit...one who likely would've been heavily recruited by BCS conferences had he only been a bit bigger. A picture of consistency and a proven winner, Mikey threw for over 8,000 yards and nearly 90 TDs in his prep career. Tamburo is an intriguing player who may find his way on to the field sooner than later in option situations designed around his strengths. Still, I think Tamburo redshirts as well in 2009.

—WRs—
With Vinny Perretta graduating and Jeremy Childs declaring for the NFL Draft, Kellen Moore will have a few less experienced targets back in 2009. Speedster Titus Young will be back from suspension along with Austin Pettis (who snags every ball thrown his way). Hard to believe that in 2007, it was Young and Pettis foregoing their redshirt years to contribute immediately. Well, 2009 looks ripe for some newcomers to see the field and Boise State has some exciting commits this year.

Kirby Moore is the WR commit that grabbed the headlines nationally and locally. The "little" brother (he's 6'3" and 205 lbs.) of Bronco QB Kellen Moore was highly coveted in Pacific Northwest recruiting circles and this season became the national record-holder for career TD receptions. Moore is rated as a 3-star recruit by Scout.com and while he possesses a respectable 4.6 40-time, he is not a burner like Titus Young. The younger Moore will get the job done with his precision routes and great hands and I think he stands an excellent chance of seeing the field in 2009. You just don't get that many opportunities to catch touchdown passes from your brother and Moore will contribute right away.

The other intriguing WR commit for the Broncos is one that no one really knew much about when he committed in June. Aaron Burks is a 6'4" wide receiver out of Mansfield, TX who is already enrolled at Boise State. Burks did not play much wide receiver before his senior year, but managed to notch 500 receiving yards for the Mansfield Timberview Wolves last season. Burks will need to put some weight on that thin frame, but has good speed (4.5) for his height and following the lead of fellow Texan George Iloka and enrolling early can't hurt his chances to see the field in 2009. Burks should make the two deep rotation next year to give Kellen more options in the red zone. Imagine two lanky receivers in Austin Pettis and Aaron Burks running corner fade routes in the end zone. Can you say 'unstoppable'?

Can you say 'raw'? Boise State's third WR commit of the class is Geraldo Hiwat, a Capital High (Boise) product who is originally from the Netherlands and playing his first year of football. Hiwat is built much like Burks at 6'3" and 185 lbs. but may have a step on him speedwise. Hiwat will benefit greatly from more practice time as he missed a chunk of last year to injury and is still learning the American game. Hiwat is a likely redshirt candidate.

The Tight End position is one that the Broncos utilize more effectively and with more innovation than most teams in the country. Tight Ends at Boise State are expected to catch and block with equal aptitude and contribute to the endless amount of motion looks that the Harsin offense shows. Well, the 2009 class looks to have a nabbed a Tight End that can do it all. Trevor Peterson out of Placerville, CA is a 6'4" 220 lb. athlete with a big brain to match his big frame. Peterson entertained scholarship offers from Harvard, Utah, UC Davis, and SDSU. Peterson has a rare combination of size, speed and strength that may remind Bronco Nation of Derek Schouman, Richie Brockel and Jeb Putzier...combined. Peterson was a real steal for the Broncos in this recruiting class and will be a mainstay in the next few years, but with the current glut of capable Tight Ends, I say he sits until 2010.

—RBs—
Boise State has no shortage of quality running backs, but the Offensive Lines growing pains last year produced far fewer rushing opportunities than in years past. With Ian Johnson's graduation, the Broncos will be looking for a new feature back. The most likely candidate to lead the Bronco rushing attack is Jeremy Avery, but the Broncos backfield will be crowded with talent as DJ Harper and Doug Martin will get their touches too. Will a new face follow DJ Harper's lead and play as a true freshman in 2009? Could be.

The Broncos only picked up one running back in this class—but they got a good one...maybe even a great one. Malcolm Johnson from Sam Barlow High School in Gresham led the state of Oregon in rushing two years straight. His senior campaign saw him rush for roughly 2600 yards and 25 TDs. One game early in the 2008 season, Malcolm rushed for 458 yards and 5 TDs. Johnson's consistency and explosiveness will make him a mainstay in the Bronco backfield for years to come...but it's doubtful he'll burn his redshirt in 2009 out of necessity unless the Broncos have an injury in the rotation or he simply is THAT good. With numbers like Johnson has put up as of late, that may well be the case. Johnson held offers from Utah, UNLV, Air Force and Wyoming.

—LBs—
The Broncos look to have snagged some great linebackers this year and the recent coaching shake-up that moved runningbacks/special teams coach Jeff Choate to LB coach will hopefully pay immediate dividends.

John Michael Davis may be the star of the 2009 class. Rated a 4-star prospect and the #13 WLB in the 2009 class, Davis has good speed and a solid frame (6'1" 220 lbs). Davis battled through injuries his senior year, but should come in healthy and ready to go, and with the linebacking corps needing to replace outgoing Kyle Gingg, Tim Brady and Dallas Dobbs I wouldn't be surprised to see JMD make it onto the '09 depth chart.

Allen Mooney is another prototypical Boise State recruit...a little taller and every Pac-10 team would've been on him. Mooney is stocky and strong and just plain produces...he had over 100 tackles his junior year despite missing three games. Mooney also battled some injuries his senior year, but nothing that should impair his progression at BSU. Good pursuit and strong tackling will make Mooney an ideal middle linebacker for the Boise State system. Allen is rated a 3-star recruit by Scout.com and the #26 MLB of the class. I see Mooney redshirting in 2009 as Derrell Acrey and Daron Mackey will slug it out for MLB supremacy.

The strong side 'backer position in the 2009 class will be filled by a jack-of-all-trades with a familiar last name. Gabe Linehan out of Oregon played quarterback and linebacker out of Banks High and looks to come in as the third LB of the the Broncos' class. Linehan is an all-around athlete whose brothers Josh and Cole both played on the lines of Oregon and Oregon State. Linehan's bloodlines hint that he'll bulk up from his current sinewy 6'3" 190 lb. frame. Linehan's quarterback experience, athleticim and height will remind a lot of Bronco fans of Colt Brooks. I think Linehan will be a good one, but probably won't see real action until 2010.

Check back tomorrow for the an overview of the DBs and Lineman of the 2009 Bronco recruiting class.

Childs' Combine invite was apparently lost in the mail

*Yoink

So about that article a couple of days ago...nevermind. It turns out that Jeremy Childs will be attending the NFL Combine in Indy next month, but nobody knew about it. The Statesman is reporting this morning that Childs is working out at Athletes' Performance in L.A. and prepping for the combine, one of only about 40 receivers on the list. KBCI reported a week or so ago that Childs had not been on the list of attendees and that Ian Johnson would be the lone Bronco participant. Furthermore, ESPN's Graham Watson corroborated the story saying that Childs' name was conspicuously absent among the list of non-BCS participants. Well, they were both wrong or simply jumped the gun, leaving me holding the bag as it were. J Bates, I curse your name.

Scouts will be particularly interested in Childs' 40 time which has been clocked previously as "fast enough"...but will need to increased to "faster than Brian Dawkins" by the time the Combine rolls around.

Childs gets his invite [Statesman]

What can Brown do for us?

Who is this mystery man?

It looks like Boise State may have just snagged another recruit this weekend...but this one was so far off my radar that I'm having to do some major league sleuthing to bring in much info. Encinal's Jonathan Brown has been rumored to have committed this weekend after a recruiting trip with the likes of Kirby Moore. Brown was named the All-East Bay player of the Year this year as a two way standout at quarterback and linebacker (Bronco QB commit Joe Southwick was the All-East Bay Offensive Player of the Year). Now, I don't have confirmation on this yet, but it's certainly hard to believe that the talented Brown will be coming in at QB after the earlier verbals from Joe Southwick and Mikey Tamburo. Has Boise State nabbed its 3rd linebacker of the class? Could be. Brown's size, 5'11" and 200 lbs. sure seems to put him in Boise State linebacker range (smallish), but he looks athletic enough to play anywhere on the field. Update: Looks like Brown is coming in as a Safety. Brown notched 92 tackles last year, 8 quarterback sacks and two blocked punts. Colorado and Air Force were rumored to have interest or offered Brown. More to come when I find it out. Below is a short video showing Brown's explosiveness:



Two-way leader guides Encinal [SFGate]
Encinal's Brown commits to Boise State [Inside Bay Area]

Yeah, you're in the same place...

A little remodeling is needed from time to time...

I decided to do a little housekeeping on the blog to make things a look and run a bit smoother. Hopefully, the new layout won't confuse anyone as it was done to streamline the blog a bit more and break out of the box that most blogger templates try to put you in. The content will remain the same and all the old posts are still here (virtually, anyway). You can now search Fight, Fight BSU all the way back to the beginning, but don't go digging for that blogpost about Mike Coughlin being the QB in 2008; I was a little off on that one. If you would like to see anything on the blog that you aren't seeing right now let me know.

Oh yeah, and I'll be unveiling a new series next week you should all like.

Childs on graduation promise: "Never mind"

You'll never have it this easy again.

About a month ago, Jeremy Childs said that he would return for his senior season at Boise State. You remember, it went something like this:

...yadda yadda my mom, blah blah blah diploma...

Well, like goings-on in Las Vegas...Childs believes that 'things that happen in December, stay in December' and has promptly spun an athletic 180 and decided to depart for the NFL. Rumors to this effect started swirling last week from J Bates' general direction...but now it appears confirmed—Childs is taking his 10-yard outs to the big show, and Orlando Scandrick's senioritis has infected another big time Bronco player. Sadly, Childs was only 1 yard from jersey retirement.

In other news, Kirby Moore will start next year.

Semi-full story [Statesman]

Wilson will not follow in Scandrick's footsteps

Now now...it's not polite to point.

All-WAC/All-American cornerback Kyle Wilson is staying put. That mighty wind you just heard was Bronco fans exhaling. After a couple of weeks of speculation that the talented Bronco DB may go pro...Wilson's brother Gerry says he's on the blue for the long haul.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a tough call, but I wouldn’t say it was easy,” said Gerry Wilson, the oldest of three Wilson boys. “… It was a matter of evaluating what’s best for Kyle and what’s best for the team.”

Gerry, who played college ball at Princeton and is the CEO of yoonew, an online sports ticket trading company, obviously knows the importance of education and might have helped sway his little brother's decision. If this is the case, Bronco Nation thanks you. Wilson may be on track to be another first or second-round draft pick in the 2010 draft and will be a key cog on a Bronco D that should be amazing next season. Now, go and have a chat with Jeremy Childs, won't ya?!

Full Story [Statesman]

Poll position

Y'know who was awesome at this game? D.A.R.Y.L.

Boise State's final rankings are in, and they are about what we expected. The Broncos, who you may recall were 1 point from a perfect season, finished 11th in the AP poll and 13th in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. Also, take a gander at the respect TCU got by defeating the Broncos (by one point, I might have mentioned) in the December 23rd Poinsettia Bowl—they finish at 7th in both polls (and take a picture...that's the last time you'll see a 2-loss non-BCS team ranked that high). The final rankings also failed to hand Utah a share of the national title, placing them 2nd and 4th in the AP and Coaches' polls, respectively. In a fair bit of irony, Oregon is ranked higher than the Broncos in both final polls.

The final rankings for the Broncos cap a pretty darn good year that surprised many, given the youth of the team, and will no doubt give them the momentum to start the 2009 season ranked. Hopefully, the Broncos will not squander that goodwill in the opening weeks of the '09 campaign. All signs point to the Broncos having a real tough squad next year.

Ryan Clady don't sign no shoes

Clady blocks out the sun and...Oh my Lord! What happened to your index finger?

Ryan Clady, you've arrived. Third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, a multi-million dollar contract, and the respect of every analyst and Defensive Coordinator in the country. What are you going to do with all your newfound fame and fortune? Not sign some middle-aged fan's Jordans, that's for sure! Don't give up middle-aged fan...he probably just didn't hear you.

New Year's Resolutions

New Year's resolutions—they're as predictable as death and taxes. Each and every January 1st, we look at ourselves in the mirror and resolve to quit smoking, quit drinking, lose some weight, and punch John Minegar in the head...heck, some of us even keep them until mid-February. Well, don't believe for one minute that the Broncos aren't taking a long look in the mirror this year and making a list of things that they'll do or do better in 2009. Just for the heck of it, let's speculate on a few, shall we?

Jeremy Childs—Don't listen to pal Orlando Scandrick's pleas to join him in the NFL.

Titus Young—Go to school, go to practice, go home, go to sleep...repeat.

Kellen Moore—Save some awesomeness for 2009. No need to blow it all on your Freshman year.

Bronco O-line—For the love of God, EAT SOMETHING!

Jarrell Root and Shay McLellin—Have titanium rods put into legs.

Jeron Johnson—Get all that blood cleaned off helmet.

Chris Petersen—Refinance mortgage.

Kirby Moore—Develop E.T./Elliot-like mental bond with older brother.

Byron Hout—Doin' fine...stay the course.

George Iloka—Gain weight, add a few more vertical inches to hair.

Bryan Harsin—Find "Austin Pettis Corner Fade" in playbook, circle it in red.

Derrell Acrey—Become motivational speaker.

Kyle Wilson—Stay for senior year.

Ryan Winterswyk—Tape pictures of WAC QBs to 2 x 4s, break them with bare hands.

Doug Martin—Go from being "angry runner" to "insane-with-rage runner"

4-2-5 defense—Doin' fine...stay the course.

Tim Socha—Start wearing TCU: 2008 Poinsettia Bowl Champions t-shirt every day.

FFBSU—Punch John Minegar in head.

Every cloud...

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da...

Well the season is over and the as the last of the Christmas leftovers are being digested, some much needed perspective has finally settled into the spot where disappointment and heartache sat just six days ago. The Boise State/TCU game provided everything that fans were looking for (besides a Boise State win) and really could've gone either way. Were we disappointed with the outcome? Absolutely—the way the game ended, with Kellen's out-of-leftfield INT, quickly soured the optimistic mood that most fans probably had going into the last 2 minutes of the bowl, but It is great to be a Bronco fan. Their insistence on trying to break the record for "most bowl game ended with a pick in one decade" certainly sprouts some gray hairs among even the most loyal Bronco fans, but no player or fan should be hanging their heads about the 2008 campaign...it didn't end on the highest of notes, but the future looks bright in the land of blue and orange, and here's some reasons why.

10. 1-point away from a perfect season in what "should" have been a rebuilding year.

9. Will absolutely be ranked in the 2009 preseason polls, setting up a more attainable BCS run.

8. Another undefeated regular season, another WAC title.

7. Ian Johnson surpasses Marshall Faulk for all-time WAC rushing TD mark.

6. Kellen freakin' Moore. Need I say more? Ok, I will...he's got 3 more years with the Broncos and his favorite targets are all back next year (even Titus Young)

5. Byron freakin' Hout. True Freshman linebacker/DE hybrid tore it up the second half of the season and will be a force on the Bronco D for 3 more years.

4. George freakin' Iloka. True Freshman safety didn't have the best bowl game, but the youngster surpassed everyone's expectations this year and was a key cog in the phenomenal Bronco D in '08.

3. Preseason WAC fave Fresno State was beaten soundly by the Broncos to finish the year.

2. Barring a pollster coup...the Broncos will finish the season in the top 15 yet again.

1. Boise State has 77 freshman and sophomores on the squad...most were key contributors this year. Experience and conditioning will only make this team better.

12-1 isn't what anyone expected in 2008, and while 13-0 has a better ring to it, Bronco fans better get ready for a ride because the next few years will be some doozies.