Robinson discusses experience at Manning QB camp
By Scott Wright
Let me be completely open with you: I’m a big Indy Colts fan and candidate for president in the Peyton Manning Fan Club. In addition, a 15-minute interview with Archie Manning ranks as the No. 1 moment interviewing a famous person in my journalism career. So I’m hugely envious of Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson.
For the second straight summer, he made a trip to the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La., this year serving as a camp coach along with Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning.
Here’s a Q&A from OKState.com on the experience at the camp.
Okstate.com: So what was a typical day like at the Manning Camp?
Zac Robinson: The first day, we got there in the morning and in the afternoon, the college guys threw with Peyton and Eli. The other days, we’d wake up at 7:30 and coach kids. My station was the deep ball. We would have lunch, then another afternoon session, then we’d have dinner and come back for a little seven-on-seven. My team was 4-0 and won. Manning Camp champs. Another night we did something called “Air it Out” where we’d throw to the receivers.
OSU: Who were some of the other quarterbacks there?
ZR: Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Jevan Snead from Ole Miss. He was my roommate. T.J. Yates from North Carolina and Jonathan Crompton from Tennessee. There were more, but those were some of the guys that immediately jump out.
OSU: Did you get any time to visit with any of the Mannings?
ZR: I did get to talk to Peyton and Eli. I spoke to Eli for about 45 minutes the first night. Those guys brought us in to answer any questions that we had. They talked about the NFL and what to expect when you get there. That whole session was a great part of the camp because they really want to help you as a college quarterback and teach you some things both on the field and off the field.
OSU: What did you take from those sessions and from the camp in general?
ZR: They said the biggest thing is to just enjoy your senior year because it’s the last time you are going to play college ball and have that camaraderie with your teammates. Don’t even think about the NFL at this point. Just enjoy what you have because it’s a great thing.
OSU: What did they know about you as a quarterback going into the camp?
ZR: They watched a bunch of our games last season. Archie Manning in particular kept up with me because I worked their camp last summer too. He sent text messages to me before a few of the games last season wishing us well. They knew that I am an athletic quarterback who can throw it too.
OSU: Describe what it was like to be around those other quarterbacks who worked camp, some of whom are on teams that you’ll face this year:
ZR: It’s good to be around those guys. Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and I actually hung out together out at the camp. It’s fun to sit around and talk to those guys about their experiences and kind of compare notes because we are all in a similar situation and we all face the same teams in the Big 12. It’s good to get their input.
Let the OSU-Georgia trash talk begin
By Scott Wright
There’s a story on Rivals.com in which college football writer Olin Buchanan lists teams he believes might be overrated going into 2009 and some that might be underrated.
He lists Oklahoma State first on possibly overrated teams, and ironically, he has Georgia, the Cowboys’ first opponent on Sept. 5, as the first team in the possibly underrated section.
But more interestingly, here’s what a Georgia blogger with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says about the situation. Cowboy fans looking for extra motivation for facing the Dawgs should be sure to read the comment section.
Guthrie’s Foster among reporting OSU freshmen
By Scott Wright
Guthrie star athlete Donte’ Foster was among a group of true freshmen to report to Oklahoma State for summer school classes, and to begin taking part in summer workouts with the football team earlier this week.
Foster, who had several NCAA Division I scholarship offers in basketball, but only a few in football, is walking on as a receiver for the 2009 season with the possibility of gaining a scholarship later in his career.
Many schools, OSU included, chose not to recruit Foster much in football, because of a belief that he was only interested in playing basketball. But the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder was a standout player on the football field for Guthrie.
The Cowboys began recruiting him late in the recruiting year — initially as a defensive back — but never offered a scholarship. After some attrition at wide receiver, the Cowboys approached Foster about playing there, which was also his primary position in high school.
