Weeden Doesn’t Act His Age
Quarterback Brandon Weeden (3) walks onto the field before OSU's first practice of the season on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. on Friday, August 5, 2011. Photo by Zach Gray
By John Helsley
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Brandon Weeden is a sportswriter’s dream.
Interviews with the Cowboys quarterback are engaging and enjoyable, with Weeden always good for thoughtful and insightful answers, with honest emotion at a premium and clichés at a minimum.
If only OSU would have Weeden hold a Media 101 class for all its athletes.
And, yes, part of Weeden’s media skills are a product of his age.
Just don’t bring up Weeden’s age.
That’s the one topic that shuts him down.
He’s been there (hesitantly), done that. And he’s done with it.
Inside the locker room, taking jabs from teammates, Weeden is cool with that kind of fun. But when reporters probe about his upcoming 28th birthday, or how difficult it must be fitting in with “the kids,” it’s the one thing that noticeably irritates.
Weeden is overly patient and tolerable of all sorts of silly questions ranging from strategy to his relationship with new coordinator Todd Monken.
But poke around about his age, which someone inevitably does, even with that part of the story over-tapped old news…
It happened again a few weeks ago, with an out-of-market reporter going the old-man route.
“I fit in pretty well. I joke that before I was a starter, 95 percent of the guys on the team had no idea how old I was,” Weeden said, trying to snuff the line of questioning. “I fit in fairly well in the locker room, like to joke. Even to this day, I don’t think I stand out because of my age.”
Ah, but the reporter was persistent: “Are you self-conscious about your age?”
Weeden: “Nah, not at all. Even my first year, I was 23, there were other guys who were 23. I get that question a lot from you guys. I mean, no one even thinks about it until it’s brought up.”
Still going…
Reporter: “Change your hair style to look younger?”
Weeden: “I’ve had the same hair style since I was in high school. I’m just ready for all the age questions… it all gets pretty monotonous.”
Reporter, still not getting it: “I bet you haven’t got this question, thought about retiring?”
Weeden: “Retire? When they kick me out the door.”
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Lots of atheletes would love to be as prolific as Weeden at age 28. Landary is a nice kid but Weeden could be his mentor. Weeden has seen and done that…he is married and has no boy girl issues. He knows that his main responsiblity is to be a leader. Right now I see him as the best quarterback in the nation. I know…Luck and others but none have I heard of or seen that can throw the ball like Weeden….deep, short, or in coverage he can throw the ball with accuracy and just the right touch to allow his receiver to catch the ball. I expect him to have gotten better at the game this year in reading defenses and calling plays. The guy is smart and has the right athletics to be the great player that he is.