Last home game for UW seniors

SEATTLE — If not for the lure of Major League Baseball and its ultimate weapon of signing bonuses, Cascade High School grad Grady Sizemore could well have been a senior quarterback for the Washington Huskies today.

Aaron Butler could be a starting offensive tackle, but chose to quit school to become a chef.

Donte Nicholson could be starting at safety, but didn’t qualify academically, went to a junior college and is a projected first-round draft choice at Oklahoma.

Dan Dicks, thought by many as the crown jewel of the class’ linemen, had to retire because of a persistent back injury, as did defensive tackle Josh Miller. Injuries also took Junior Coffin, thought by many to be the leading defensive lineman in the class, as well as receiver Justin Robbins.

Academic casualty, career-ending injuries, and other such attrition have pared down the 2004 University of Washington senior class (not including walk-ons) to eight in the eve of their last game at Husky Stadium. Three – offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, fullback Zach Tuiasosopo and tight end Jon Lyon – are out for the season because of injuries. Just one senior, cornerback Sam Cunningham, has started in all nine games this season.

“There aren’t many from my class,” offensive tackle Ryan Brooks said. “You could say I’m the last original offensive lineman from my recruiting class. Khalif moved over (from defense). Dicks couldn’t be with us. Then there were other guys who left because they were injured or didn’t think they belonged. There’s pride you feel in making it through.”

They have faced more rubbish, in the way of coaching changes and scandal – things completely out of their control – than they deserved to.

That they chose to stick it out through graduation speaks volumes for their dedication.

“What was a pretty good-looking class, for whatever reason, has really dwindled,” UW coach Keith Gilbertson said. “The kids who have stayed are such good people. They’ve hung in there. They’ve been thrown a lot of curveballs the last three years. Those who are still standing are a great bunch of guys. Some of them have had four position coaches in four years. That’s not their fault.

“They’ve been dealt a very, very unfair hand and I think they’ve been very gracious about it.”

Safety Jimmy Newell played in the 2001 Rose Bowl and made a tackle in Washington’s victory over Purdue. What could have been better? Then came a truckload of injuries, assorted NCAA violations, Rick Neuheisel’s firing as head coach, more assistant coaches and, to top it off, Newell’s participation in one of the worst UW teams in the school’s 115-year history.

Newell has seen it all.

“Getting spoiled by that Rose Bowl season that first year, you kind of think, ‘Oh, well, that was easy. Three months here and I’ve already got a Rose Bowl. Shoot, I’ll probably get four of those,’ ” Newell said. “Realistically, after winning that first one, you think you’re going to get at least one more. That obviously didn’t happen.”

That would be the last win in a bowl game the class would see, although there were thrilling regular-season victories against Miami, Michigan and some good Washington State teams.

But the Rose Bowl was the highlight in postseason. Following that was a heartbreaking and puzzling collapse against Texas in the Holiday Bowl, in which the Longhorns scored 27 fourth-quarter points and Major Applewhite threw for 473 yards and four TD passes in a 47-43 victory.

Next came Purdue’s revenge, a 34-24 victory in which the Boilermakers wiped out an early 17-0 deficit.

That would be Neuheisel’s last game at Washington. The Huskies finished 6-6 the next season under Keith Gilbertson and were not selected for a bowl.

Then came 2004, a 1-8 record going into the last two games, and a search for a new coaching staff.

“I’ve had three offensive line coaches and a lot of guys have had different coaches every year,” Brooks said. “But you can’t dwell on the past and things you can’t change. If you just keep thinking ‘what if, what if, what if,’ you don’t get anywhere.”

Gilbertson said wideout Charles Frederick has been held out of practice and may well miss the Cal game.

Frederick has been bothered by a pulled hamstring, has missed the last three games and played sparingly since suffering the injury it in the second game.