WSU Signs Nebraska Safety; Crayton Eligible Next Season

There was a rare sighting of a 1994 national championship ring on the sideline of Washington State’s football practice field Tuesday afternoon.

The face of the massive gold ring featured the words “NEBRASKA 1994 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS” inscribed around a diamond inlay of the number “1,” all in honor of the Cornhuskers’ unbeaten march to last year’s national title.

But what makes the ring special to WSU fans was the fact that it was being worn on the finger of Troy Crayton, a highly recruited prep star out of Oceanside, Calif., who will soon be a Washington State Cougar.

Crayton, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound free safety, who redshirted as a true freshman at Nebraska last fall, has transferred to WSU. He enrolled in school Tuesday and said he hopes to start practicing next week.

Crayton, who was recruited by WSU out of high school but canceled a scheduled campus visit after orally committing to Nebraska, will not be eligible for competition this season because of the NCAA’s transfer rule.

But he will still have three years of eligibility remaining when he returns next fall as a redshirt sophomore.

Crayton, who was a Blue Chip All-American as a senior quarterback and defensive back at El Camino High School in 1993, went through two-a-day drills at Nebraska this fall, but decided to transfer to be closer to home.

He entered camp as the Cornhuskers’ No. 2 free safety behind Tony Veland, a three-year starter and All-American candidate.

“Playing time didn’t have anything to do with it,” Crayton said of his decision to transfer. “I just wanted to be closer to home.

“I visited UCLA, but I didn’t like it there. Here, it was like a family atmosphere. The players weren’t cool to me at all. They made me feel like they wanted me to come here, and so did the coaches.”

Crayton, who was ranked by Super Prep magazine as the 26th-best college prospect on the West Coast in 1993, said he visited the WSU campus last Tuesday and decided to become a Cougar last Friday.

He also took a recent recruiting trip to Michigan.

As a high school senior, Crayton led El Camino to a state championship, rushing for 898 yards and 14 touchdowns and throwing for 751 yards and 12 more TDs. He also intercepted seven passes and made more than 100 tackles to earn six votes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Best in the West voting and a spot on the Tacoma News Tribune’s Western 100.

Out of high school, he visited Florida, Texas A&M and Nebraska and canceled trips to WSU and Notre Dame.

Bye, bye I-AA

Unless the NCAA changes it rules, the University of Montana’s visit to Martin Stadium Saturday afternoon will be the last by a Division I-AA school.

WSU coach Mike Price, whose Cougars (0-1) entertain the Grizzlies (1-0) in their home opener at 2, said it is no longer feasible to play smaller schools like Montana because of an NCAA ruling requiring at least six Division I wins to qualify for a postseason bowl game.

“It’s too bad it went in,” Price said of the six-win bowl rule, which does not recognize wins over I-AA teams, “because I think it’s fun for the Montana and Idaho schools to be able to play schools in the Pac-10 Conference.”

This year’s Montana game was scheduled before the NCAA rule went into effect, Price explained.

“Maybe because of my experience in the Big Sky (at Weber State), I just thought it would be good for Big Sky teams to play a team like Washington State,” Price said, adding that when he arrived at WSU he envisioned playing the Montana and Idaho schools each year on a rotating basis.

“But once the NCAA rule went into effect, that idea went out the window. We won’t be playing any more I-AA teams.”

Cougars athletic director Rick Dickson said there is a proposal before the NCAA asking that Division I-AA wins be counted toward the six needed to become bowl eligible.

“But unless that is adopted, there’s really no reason to schedule any more I-AA schools,” he added. “Why limit your chances at six wins to just 10 games when you can have 11?”

Nansen update

Junior linebacker Johnny Nansen underwent arthroscopic surgery on his sore right knee Tuesday, but might still be available for Saturday’s home opener, Price said.

It was originally thought Nansen had cartilage damage in the knee, but Tuesday’s scope showed the pain was the result of a bone chip.

“So they just sucked it out,” Price said. “And if the swelling goes down, he might even be able to play this weekend.”

Of greater concern is the health of senior cornerback Brian Walker, who suffered a concussion in last Saturday’s 17-13 season- opening loss to Pittsburgh.

Walker did not practice Tuesday because of a lingering headache and, according to Price, will not be allowed to practice until 24 hours after the headache abates.

Sanders still ill

Starting defensive end Dwayne Sanders was held out of practice because of a lingering low-grade fever that seemed to adversely effect his play against Pitt.

Trainer Mark Smaha said Sanders’ ailment is not the flu, as originally thought, nor mononucleosis.

Smaha said Sanders has undergone several tests recently to determine the cause of his fever, but added that those tests have been inconclusive.

Graduate, then pop off

When asked to describe the mood of his team following Saturday’s loss to Pitt, Price said, “Angry - at either me or themselves.

“It’s probably me, which is tough. They’re not alumni yet.”

Leaf debut soon?

Price said he would like to find some playing time for backup quarterback Ryan Leaf in Saturday’s game against the Grizzlies, but he hinted that it would take either an injury to starter Chad Davis or a blowout for that to happen.

“I’d love to put Ryan in there because I know how much it would mean for him to play,” Price said of Leaf, a 6-foot-6, 227-pound redshirt freshman from Great Falls, Mont. “But we need the win first and he’ll be the first to admit that.”

Leaf came to WSU after an outstanding prep career at C.M. Russell, the same high school that produced Dave Dickenson, Montana’s starting quarterback.

Leaf redshirted last fall and did not play in last Saturday’s loss to Pittsburgh.

“But we sure would like to give Ryan the opportunity (Saturday) to showcase his talents and show everybody else that there are two quarterbacks from the high school who are pretty good college quarterbacks.”

, DataTimes