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Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m., ESPN)
The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap (Friday, 10 p.m., ESPN Radio)
The “Smurf Turf” and the Statute of Liberty game-winning play in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl are just a couple of the unique and iconic images associated with the Boise State football team. This year, however, head coach Chris Petersen finds himself in a whole new ball game. The Broncos are ranked 3rd in the AP preseason poll, the highest ranking in school history. The recruits at Boise State are often overlooked by other schools, its schedule is commonly considered one of the weaker ones among top programs, but such a high preseason ranking puts them, for the first time in program history, in serious preseason BCS Championship discussions. Unlike other powerhouses like Alabama or Ohio State, Boise State has been criticized for a lack of strength in schedule, which increases the pressure for them to win every game to keep their BCS Championship hopes alive. Reporter Steve Delsohn examines the rise of the Boise State football program as they prepare for their most anticipated season yet.
Excerpts:
Delsohn: “You guys are ranked number five in the coaches’ poll. How much do you guys care about all of that stuff?”
Petersen: “Oh, I care. I care that it’s that high. I wish we weren’t. And I know that we need to be ranked that high to give us a chance down the road, but I just continue to worry about the bull’s eye growing, and that with all of the hype that it can have an effect on our program, and on our team and our kids.”
Delsohn: “You could be getting paid significantly more money at other schools. Why are you still at Boise State?”
Petersen: “I’m still amazed that I make as much money as I do. I mean, in some ways, it’s embarrassing. You know, it really is. Especially with some of the things that are going on in the economy, but I’ve never been one that’s real excited about moving and chasing. It’s not just the coach that’s moving, the family’s got as much at stake in the place that they live as well.”
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m., ESPN)
At 5-foot-5 and 130 pounds, Natalie Randolph is not your typical football coach. But last week, she made her debut at Coolidge High in Washington D.C., as the only female head coach in America of a boys high school football team. Randolph played six seasons of women’s professional football, but she also has a masters degree in education, and her principal says she was the only coaching applicant to stress academics over football. Outside the Lines was granted exclusive access during her coaching debut last week. Reporter Mark Schwarz takes us inside both the classroom and the locker room to meet Natalie Randolph.
Excerpts:
Randolph: “I wouldn’t have been able to teach without having played football first I don’t think. I’m shy! I was very shy! I was painfully shy!”
Randolph on inheriting a program in which star players were once permitted to play despite poor grades: “Football is not what’s important here. I really think more kids need to learn how to use football rather than letting football use them.”
Team captain Daniel West: “She could care less about if we won a game! She just wanted me to do something with my life. I didn’t feel like we were using each other. I felt like we were corroborating with each other.”
College GameDay (9 a.m. Saturday, ESPNU, 10 a.m.-noon, ESPN).
Urban Meyer opens up to reporter Tom Rinaldi about his offseason, his health, and why he resigned.
College GameDay (9 a.m. Saturday, ESPNU, 10 a.m.-noon, ESPN).
Reporter Erin Andrews sits down with Garrett Gilbert, the new quarterback at Texas, who looks back at his play in the BCS Championship game after Colt McCoy’s injury.
The Abdullah Brothers Fast During NFL Training Camp
SportsCenter (all editions, Sunday, ESPN)
Husain and Hamza Abdullah are two brothers who both play in the NFL (Vikings and Cardinals) and are both fasting during Ramadan. This means they do not eat or drink – even water – during daylight hours, which is particularly brutal since Ramadan happens to fall during training camp this year. It is also somewhat risky; neither player was an absolute lock to make his respective team if he didn’t perform well during this month.
NASCAR Now (9 a.m. Sunday, ESPN2)
NASCAR drivers talk about what racing veteran Mark Martin means to them both on the track and off.
