ACU at the PGA

The PGA Championship, one of professional golf's four major tournaments, begins Thursday in shades of Purple and White. I'll be one of three ACU alumni among the national media covering the championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota near Minneapolis.

2009 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Lance Barrow ('77, left) will produce the television broadcast for CBS Sports. I'll anchor the Par 3 Coverage for CBS and DIRECTV. And if you follow the championship in print or online, chances are you'll be reading the work of Associated Press Golf Writer Doug Ferguson ('83).

ACU is well represented on the course, as well, with Jeev Singh (right), who redefined Abilene Christian as "The Singh-ing College" when he won an individual national championship and led the Wildcats to a team title in 1993. And Chad Campbell, who lost a playoff at The Masters in April, is the brother of current ACU golf coach Mike Campbell.

How about this for a perfect purple storm? The championship comes down to a playoff between Jeev and Chad which ends on a par 3 hole. Lance produces the telecast for CBS Sports, Grant anchors it on DIRECTV, and Doug Ferguson writes the recap.

Who would be the winner? That's easy: ACU.

Saturday Update: Dropped Jaws, Popped Shoulders, and Returned Kicks

In case the story Lance posted below didn't convince you that Bernard Scott is making an impact at Bengals Training Camp, here's another nugget from Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer:

"I like him a lot. I think he's going to be really good. I think he's a really good change of pace for us, especially with a big bruiser like Cedric who stays in between the tackles. But Bernard's got a lot of speed. I don't know if he's as fast as Cedric, but he's explosive and quick. I'd say he's been the star so far of all the rookies. He's made the most plays. He's dropped the most jaws."

It wasn't others' jaws but Bernard's shoulder that kept him out of Friday's team scrimmage. Late Thursday, he had to have his shoulder popped back in after getting hit in practice. But his cousin, WR Clyde Gates, said at ACU's team lunch today that he'd spoken to Bernard and that it isn't serious.

Meanwhile, the team from the City of Big Shoulders will have a very purple-tinted kick return team this season. News out of Chicago Bears' Training Camp is that Devin Hester, who returned the opening kickoff in Super Bowl 41 for a touchdown against the Colts but gradually relinquished those responsibilities to Danieal Manning last season, will still return punts but will not return kickoffs at all in 2009.

That means Danieal's the Man, and that's good news for Bears fans. Manning leads all active NFL players who have a minimum of 40 returns with a 28.2 yard average on kickoff returns. Last season, despite taking over for Hester midway through the season, Manning led the NFL in number of 30+ yard returns, including an 83-yarder for a touchdown on the opening kickoff against New Orleans on Dec. 11.

Have fun with both of these videos:

First, the call from the NFL Network guys.

Then this one from someone in the stands. (I think this guy is a Bears fan. Could be wrong.)

Turns out Manning could be joined by fellow former Wildcat Johnny Knox, who's also taking reps on kickoff returns. Coach Thomsen today said the scribes covering the Bears disagreed over the order of the team's fastest players. One group ranked them Hester, Knox, Manning. The dissenting opinion had the order as Manning, Knox, Hester.

Is this any fun or what?

Back on The Hill, the team practiced this morning for 2 hours, their only on-field session today. They'll spend the rest of their Saturday in the weight room and watching film. They're back on the field Sunday afternoon.

Not to be outdone by the guy he handed the ball off to a bunch last year, QB Zach Stewart had his own jaw-dropper this morning. Some of the coaches were still buzzing about one particular 12-yard out route. Zach absorbed the heat of an on-coming pass rush and zinged a bullet that hit Rutgers transfer WR Dennis Campbell in the hands. It wasn't just the speed and accuracy of the throw but the fact that Zach has only worked with Campbell a couple of days.

This isn't these coaches' first rodeo. And some, like new RB coach Keith Wagner, who came in like Chris Thomsen to play one year under Bob Strader back in 1993, have NFL and other professional experience. I didn't see the pass, but I did see some of them actually high five each other when talking about it two hours later at lunch. That's about all I needed to know.

Zach's coming off surgery to repair the labrum on his throwing (right) shoulder the week after the playoff loss to Northwest Missouri State and couldn't throw 'til June. Coaches love his arm strength - enough obviously to high five each other - but also his ability to improv and make plays.

The key concern is how he'll respond to getting popped a few times. That's a concern he now shares in common with his old backfield teammate.

Palmer likes what he sees in B. Scott

Fans in Cincinnati are about to find out what those of use who watched Bernard Scott have known for the last two years: this guy can play at the NFL level.

Apparently his quarterback, Carson Palmer, has already figured it out, anointing the former Wildcat the best Bengals' rookie of the first week of training camp.

Here's the story from the Bengals' Web site on Friday:

1.  PREPARE FOR THE B. SCOTT BLITZ

Fans will come into the gates talking about rookie defensive end Michael Johnson and they'll leave buzzing about rookie running back Bernard Scott.

Scott has already been anointed the best rookie of the first week of camp by none other than quarterback Carson Palmer. The kid has jets and a knack for getting outside. He's 5-10, 200 pounds and has already been compared to Titans running back Chris Johnson by at least one teammate after Johnson's Rookie of the Year season last year.

But Scott's not worried about showing his balls skills Friday. "That's pretty natural," he said.

"I just need to show them in a game situation I know what I'm doing," Scott said. "That I can pick up a blitz and I can adapt to the speed of the game. I've been holding my own (in blitz pickup) but I think I can get in better position."

Scott says he's going to concentrate on his hand placement and making sure the blitzers don't get their hands inside his.

#3, Part 2

ACU SID Lance Fleming reports from Day 2 of Training Camp that Bernard Scott's other brother Daryl - RB Daryl Richardson - is the spittin' image of his big bro. No pressure there.

Should be worth a touchdown or two as a decoy alone. Run Daryl out there wearing #3 and send opposing coaches scrambling for their game programs.

Even better, Lance says, is that he looks like Bernard when he runs, too. At least in practice. Justin Johnson, the transfer from Oklahoma, also looks the part of a D1 back.

Meanwhile, Bernard continues his first full week of camp with the Bengals. Here are some cool pics from the Associated Press. While you're on that page, enter "Johnny Knox" in the search bar at the top of the page and see ACU's other NFL rookie at Bears camp.

Other news and notes:
* Former ACU quarterback Billy Malone is back with the Wildcats, this time in a coaching capacity. After a tryout with Buffalo earlier this summer, Malone returned to Abilene where he will coach tight ends as he works toward finishing his degree (he's six hours short of graduating).
* Several players on this year's roster have close relatives who have played for the Wildcats, including Richardson, whose brother, Scott, is the Wildcats' all-time leading rusher and is in camp with the Bengals.

Others with ACU connections:
*Walk-ons Jackson Richburg and Case Wilson are the sons of Monte Richburg and Mark Wilson, respectively. Mark Wilson was an all-America defensive back in the early 1980s and is back in coaching having joined the staff of former Wildcat Bob Shipley at Brownwood.

*Offensive assistant Brock Sherwood's younger brother, Austin, is also on the roster.

*There's OL Brock Niederhofer, son of Ol' Dan.

*And WR Kolby Freytag, son of Kirk. (That's Kolby with a K.)

*WR Chance McCoy's father is former Wildcat Brad McCoy, who is currently the head coach at Graham. His older brother is currently penciled in as the starting quarterback at Texas: Colt McCoy. You may have heard of him.

Other names you might recognize:

*Baylor transfer V.J. McElroy is the son of former Oakland Raider defensive back Vann McElroy.

*Clark Harrell is the brother of former Texas Tech quarterback and current Saskatchewan Roughrider (CFL) Graham Harrell.

Let's hope all of these guys make names for themselves this season.

'Twas the Night Before Camp...

Sophomore DB Drew Cuffee just popped into my office for a visit. I can report with some certainty that he has NOT been sitting on his couch in Arlington eating Cheetos all summer.

Wow.

There's no way to prove what I'm about to say - short of doing real research - but I'd venture to guess Cuffee - did I mention he's a defensive back? and did I really just utilize a second dash in the same sentence? - is bigger than anyone who played for ACU up until about 1970. I picked that date because I think I can probably outrun the pre-1970 players who might take offense at my suggestion.

You know what they say, "Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes...after that you can do whatever you want because you're a mile away from him and you've got his shoes." (Just to be safe, I hope I'm at least a mile away from any former players who are reading this.)

Seriously, it's amazing how much bigger, stronger, and faster the average player is today - at all levels and in nearly every sport. Doesn't mean they're better, but they are, by and extra extra large, bigger. When they're bigger and better, they're Tony Washington.

Coach T and his staff have a lot of work to do between now and the season opener against Northwest Missouri State three weeks from Thursday. But then so does every other coach, including Mel Tjeerdsma at Northwest.

The great Bum Phillips was always quoted as saying what made Don Shula such a good coach was that "He could take his'n and beat your'n or take your'n and beat his'n." Every coach would say he could get better in his Xs and Os, but Coach T is already among the best in the business at the other stuff it takes to be a good football coach, like convincing young men of every imaginable profile and background that the next few years of their lives would be best spent on a Hill far away from where many of them live. And then doing everything in his power to see that it happens, on and more importantly (to him) off the field.

As much as the 'Cats lost from last year's 11-1 team, there is a ton of talent still here - and that's just the O line. The 7 guys who'll see the bulk of the playing time in the trenches probably total 2000 lbs, bookended by tackles Trevis Turner (right) and Tony Washington (left), the human stimulus package who's sparking the local economy by drawing drooling NFL scouts to Abilene in droves. (Bet you weren't expecting to see "Washington" and "stimulus package" used positively in the same sentence.)

There ought to be plenty of room to run for whichever 'Cat carries the rock. Identifying exactly who should do that most often is among the major issues the coaching staff will deal with over the next couple of weeks. Since last season ended, a lot of promising names have been bandied about as potential ball carriers. But those guys have to make their grades and get to camp before they can take the field. Count on two things from whoever's in the backfield:

1. He'll be good.
2. He won't make us forget about Bernard Scott anytime soon.

But remember, two years ago this week, few of us had ever heard of Bernard. Now, he's camping with the Cincinnati Bengals, hoping to make a name for himself in the NFL.

There's also the small matter of determining who'll be handing it off to the mystery back or chucking it downfield. You'd figure Zach Stewart, by virtue of his 2-0 record as a starter last season when Billy Malone went down with a busted thumb toward the end of the WT game, would be the odds-on favorite. But there's no gambling at Bushwood, sir, or ACU. And Clark Harrell - who's older brother, Graham, only threw for about 4 zillion yards at Tech the last few years - had a terrific spring and will compete with Stewart to start under center.

Whoever's in the game will likely be called upon at least a couple of times per quarter to throw it as far as he can downfield where Edmund "Clyde" Gates will be slowing down to catch it. ACU players don't have their names on the back of their jerseys. With Gates it wouldn't matter anyway. There's not a d-back in the Lone Star Conference who could read it from that far back.

The defense will be big, fast, and - most importantly - deep. Aston Whiteside's just a sophomore but already the reigning LSC South Lineman of the Year and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Tony Harp from his safety post will quarterback the defense.

Couple of questions for you with Training Camp upon us:

1. What's your prediction for ACU this season? Give me a record and whether or not they make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.

2. How much Training Camp coverage do you want to see? Weekly, daily, multiple times a day? Video, too?

3. Should I agree to the challenge from Coach T and Tony Harp to suit up with the Wildcats during a day of Training Camp to see what it's like? They thought it would make a great package for our first episode of The Chris Thomsen Show, which debuts Aug. 22 on KRBC Channel 9 here in Abilene and will be available for viewing online, too. And by "great," of course, they mean abject misery for me.

4. How much would you be willing to shell out to go see all three former ACU players currently on NFL rosters play on the same field? It's happening Oct. 25 when Danieal Manning and Johnny Knox of the Chicago Bears visit Bernard Scott in Cincinnati. I can tell you an interested group is already forming.

Answer these questions here in the comment area or find me on campus.

The Cheetos are on me. Or at least they will be when we're done.