With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

First off, I'm headed to training on the new video board (I'll try to get some more pictures...) today from 9 am to whenever, so I'm gone a lot, but hopefully it will be working today, all the lights, and everything....I'm giddy. Couple that with a kick-ass announcement for next week (or maybe Friday, or maybe today if training isn't an eight-hour deal), and yes, stuff is getting done here at Idaho State. As for that title....it's from Spiderman in case you missed that....and yes, I'm talking about you, BengalDenners! My tongue is FIRMLY in cheek here guys and girls). However, I've mentioned on there from time to time that recruits read that message board, and players do as well (it's the generation for that kind of thing) so that should always be kept in mind when posting. Well, apparently over there it's been making the rounds that Chad O'Donnell might not be making it to camp. I've always admired how people over there know about what goes on in the weight room and this kid did this and this kid looks like this, and whatnot (maybe they are going to the 7-on-7 skelly drills...I'm not there after being here all day...I get enough 12-hour days in the fall, I don't need them in the summer). Anyways, Chad contacted me with a message, and here it is verbatim:

"Frank,

Hey I know that there are rumors that I am not coming up or anything but that is completely not true!! I will be heading up on August 2nd which is this Sunday. I just had to finish my summer school to transfer and get everything in line for this fall!! Along with my mother just getting breast cancer! Her surgery was this week so I was not able to leave until she was out of surgery and now she is doing great!!

A few little stats...I have been working quite hard in the weight room this summer!! I put up 315lbs 15x on bench press on monday....and hang cleaned 315lbs last week!! Im not coming sloppy!!

See You Soon!!

Chad O'Donnell"

How great is that??? Let's break this down a bit....a kid whose mom has breast cancer surgery, so not only does he stay back to help with that before coming here, he finishes up school, and manages to hit the weight room so he is ready for camp. John Zamberlin has always talked about getting character guys in here that will contribute on the field and be positive community members, ones that the fans and town can be proud of....well, that's exhibit A right there.

Also, again the roster will be up next week once guys get here so I can have it complete with all the walk-ons and such, but I can confirm that we had a photo day for headshots of new guys in town, and for returners that wanted new head shots, and Jordan Scott did get a head shot, along with Isaiah Walker, Keith McGowen, Tubotein Taylor, Kenny Viser, Jake Pele (a big dude), Logann Horrocks, Jarrid Nash (also a big dude), Mark Clampitt, Justin Vae'ena (slightly bigger dude), Mihn Williams (a behemoth of a dude), Isaiah Walker, Shaquille Senegal, and Josh Hill. The others will get theirs the first week of camp.

Also, it looks like the Jeopardy answer of "Idaho" will fit the question of "What state produced the most players on the Idaho State roster this year, California, Idaho, or Washington?" That's a first in my 12 years....

Busy Journal Boys....

Tim Flagstad has been busy, getting a couple of great preseason interviews with Chad Teichert and Allison Gibson just before camp starts....good stuff. Also, the Journal finally has a sports department instead of a sports duo (poor Tim and Kelvin Ang have been going at it as a two-some for months now), as they hired Dan Angell, who comes from the University of Missouri. Here is a sample of a football story he did last season ... Dan sounds like he will have the men's basketball beat, with Kelvin moving to football, and Tim sliding back to women's basketball.