Alumni Of NW Prep Ball Fill PSU Roster
Sort of a fun Sunday piece of reading. We are dedicated to not just the current players but to the Alumni too. In the past we have covered hundreds of local kids from 9th and 10th grade on up and all the way to signing day. Unlike many networks however we don't stop there. We are always in touch with our NW boys when we can be about how they are doing in College and in life in general. It takes a little more work sure but boy is it great to see them going on past Football and college as well as it is to see how they are doing on the College grid iron.
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Here is a look at some of the stand out kids we saw at practice at PSU Friday and the NW PREP Alumni we have covered.
It was out good fortune to squeeze out an hour of Friday afternoon in the Portland, Oregon sun.. yes I said SUN… and head down to the park blocks at Portland State University. We had partly gone down to see the "Miracle Man" running back Steven Long. His 4 day recovery from a Brain Tumor had us all fired up.
While there with Steven we began to have a stream of athletes come up and say hello. All guys that we had covered during their Friday Night experiences And it sort of hit me a little bit that the work we do makes a difference and that they appreciate seeing we are still there to support them. As I left the practice I realized we had some good pictures of some of these young men and had a chance to see them in battle so why not mention them and remind you all that they are still out there.
So here goes. A look at some of the Portland State Vikings who we covered for you all in High School:
Click Here to view this Link.Alex Toureen #83- Junior- Click Here to view this Link. The former Cottage Grove, Oregon standout at WR is up to his Junior Season now and is poised for a break out year. He started several games last season for the Viks and looked great while doing it. This season he should be a potent weapon as the kid can go vertical with the best of them and is a gifted play maker.
He looked superb at practice Friday and as always had a level of intensity about him. Something Alex was never short on. Great seeing him go at it live and you can bet we will be there when he scores his first TD this season.
Click Here to view this Link.Chevy Walker #27- Freshmen-Click Here to view this Link. Eastside Catholic in Bellevue, Washington was the home of this prolific athlete who played as many as 5 positions during his High School Career. Chevy was a fan favorite and one of ours too. He is one of the many kids from the Seattle- Tacoma Metro Plex who are making the post High School commitment to play at PSU.
Chevy was taking reps in the green #27 which means D-Fense; should get time in at Corner and on Special teams and a kid we know will make his presence known whenever he is on the field. Great speed and hands and just Fun to Watch!
Click Here to view this Link. Kieran McDonagh- #4 SophomoreClick Here to view this Link. Great story here for the 6'2″- 245 pounder from Vancouver, Washington's Skyview HS. He led the Skyhawks to the State Title Game and went to PSU and became the first True Freshmen to start for the Viks at QB since the 1950′s. He generated a ton of press as a Frosh firing off almost 2600 yards and being named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award.
He will battle for the starting spot this year as PSU is loaded with QB's. He looked poised at practice and ready to make another run in 2013. Awesome job Kieran. We still remember the Lunch we shared where you shared your dreams and hopes for this as a Junior!
Click Here to view this Link.Jamarr Graves- #81- FreshemenClick Here to view this Link. Mr Graves terrorized opponents in 2012 as a Grant General out of NE Portland's Grant High School. One of several Generals making the pledge to PSU he red-shirted last year and given his 6'3″- 195 pounds of whip-steel and his ability to go deep he should see the field this year. Here we caught him making a nice TD catch; something we hope we see a lot of from the kid who has all the potential in the world.
He looked ready at practice and said school was going good and that he was glad he selected PSU and stayed close where his family could watch him play!
Click Here to view this Link.Cornelius Edison #77Click Here to view this Link. - Junior - University Place, Washington is home to Curtis High School and is where Cornelius Edison spent a few years pancaking people on Friday Night. At 6'3″- 285 lbs he came into the Vikings as a guy who many felt could play DT or OG/Center. The coaches battled over this guy and Coach Brad Davis brought him on to the offensive line. He has never looked back.
As a Sophomore he started every game and played virtually every down. He has been one of our favorite guys to watch as he is not only a super talented player but a really great young man with a zest for life and fire in the belly. He earned All Big Sky Honorable Mention last season and we see very bright things ahead for this guy!
Click Here to view this Link.Sadat Sulleyman- Sophomore- #42Click Here to view this Link. Seen here with his PSU Academic Adviser Sadat (Spanaway Lake, Washington) has quite a back story. While hard for us in America to believe we need to understand what happens to kids like Sadat who is from Ghana. I won't go into it here and you can read his Odyssey right hereClick Here to view this Link. but this 6'2″- 250 lb Defensive End is going to make his presence known this year. His incredible story includes childhood struggles that included slavery. Believe me when I say this guy has what it takes to go all the way. We became friends in the Summer of 2010 when he tore up the Camp Circuit and everyone told us he was a lost cause. Through some help he made it to PSU and we can never thank Coach Burton and his staff enough for throwing this young man a lifeline. In the end he will prove to be a guy who the Vikings will come to rely on as much as he relies on them. One of the best stories and best kids we have covered and we remain close to this day.
Click Here to view this Link.Hayden Plinke - #19 - SophomoreClick Here to view this Link. Ok so don't miss this story. The 6'4″- 255 lb stud is a big time addition to the Vikings. The Glencoe High School (Hillsboro, Oregon) Tight End - H Back has transferred to PSU from Bosie State where he played last season as a true freshmen. No point in getting into details about how he got here but he is in the Big Sky now. And that is a very good thing!
One of the most amazing athletes to come out of Oregon in a few years he is going to be able to spread out, block, catch, and run. A kid this big and agile is going to be something to see. We covered him first in High School and became great friends. Boy is he going to be fun to watch.
Click Here to view this Link. Zack Ka'ahanui - #53- Senior Click Here to view this Link. This guy hits close to home because he is actually my God Son. It has been my great pleasure these many years to know and to have coached and covered this tremendous young man from Portland's Central Catholic High School. Many a meal we have shared and stories abound. Pound for pound this is one of the most gifted kids we have ever been around.
Zack is the son of Coach Toots Ka' ahanui who is finishing a long Coaching career at LaSalle Prep High School in Milwaukie, Oregon and is a former Boise State Bronco from the great State of Oahu-Hawaii. Zack will show what he can do this season in the trenches as a Defensive Tackle and should help lead the Viks! We are so happy he made his way home to PSU so we can watch him finish out his college career here. Let's Go Zack!
Click Here to view this Link.Cam Keizur - #68- FreshmenClick Here to view this Link. One of the real surprises of the day for us was to see 6'4″- 310 lb Cam Keizur working out with the 1′s. The walk on red shirt freshmen looks to be close to landing a spot in the starting rotation. That is something we knew could /would happen but to see it happening this soon is awesome. A massive powerhouse kids form West Linn High School (Or) Cam has transformed himself into a muscular and more nimble linemen. He should be a terrific guard and boy did he look great in practice not only from a size standpoint and a technique standpoint but the intensity was palpable. He took a piece of everyone that crossed his path. Not yet on scholarship like most of these kids he is making it really hard for the staff not to make one available for him. Watch this story develop. Another athlete who became family friends through our experiences. Way to go Cam!
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Nicholas "Rocky" Rothstein - #43- Sophomore: On the defensive side of the ball just blowing up one play after the next was Jesuit High School's Nick Rothstein. We call him Rocky and that is because this young man started out his football career going with us to the Tim Walsh PSU Football Camps. I can not remember how many games he won for us at Westview High School as a youth player but it was a whole lot. So many years ago we stood on this same field at the Stott Center and battled other youth teams and won with Nicholas as our QB. Sigh-
His red shirt was burnt to a crisp last season as he made the starting lineup and played some great games at Safety. This pure athlete is going to have a very nice run while at PSU. And we are glad to know we will be around to see it. Good stuff Rocky! Let's keep it going. PSU is lucky to have a kid like this.
Click Here to view this Link.Paris Penn- #15 - FreshmenClick Here to view this Link. The dilemma at PSU is going to be how to get this guy into the mix. He was red shirted last season and that gives him 4 years left. The Grant HS native comes to PSU with Graves as a 1-2 punch that proved he has what it takes to start. He and McDonagh will battle for the starters spot no doubt. He is fast and has a laser for an arm. A perfect pistol QB.
Paris looked amazing at practice and made several plays when there was no play to be made. An amazing athlete and a terrific leader this is a guy you want on the field. Coach Burton has his hands full deciding what to do here. Paris is someone we covered from the start and we love him!
Click Here to view this Link.John Wolfe- #73- Sophomore Click Here to view this Link. We first met John as a 5th grader. A massive one at that. The 6'3″- 290 pound grinder from Sam Barlow High School (Gresham, Or) was a regular at the Brian Derby Football Camps and the PSU Vikings Camp. We spent a lot of time with the Wolfe family and the local kid is coming off an injury year and looked really good at practice. He will work his way into the rotation as a guard and should help the Vikings O-Line.
There is a lot to like about John and his personality is maybe the best thing of all. He is full of energy and a positive influence wherever he goes. We wish John a great season ahead and hope he is able to stay 100% healthy so he can get after it this season!
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Adam Futter- #88- Freshmen Adam on the right here is a load at the TE spot. The 6'4″- 240 Lb tight end should see the field this year and had a great career at Pendleton High School (Pendleton, Oregon) out in the Eastern part of the State.
We thought he looked good in practice and his intensity was clear. His hands are excellent and he is a solid blocker. Overall he will get faster and is just one of those guys you want on the field. He made news this week as Steven Long's room mate who jumped in and helped when Long had a seizure and was sent to the hospital. Good luck to Adam this season. Another Eastside kid proving talent comes from all over the NW.
Click Here to view this Link.Darnell Adams #82- SophomoreClick Here to view this Link. Darnell was a surprise to the fans and coaches to in 2012. Not to us. He payed in 9 games as a true freshmen and caught some nice passes. The Newberg, Oregon native brings a QB's knowledge and the pure speed and hands you want in the passing lanes into 2013.
The Vikings are going to find a way to take care of this kid and get him into a position to make plays. Darnell was someone we covered early and often. He was the leader of a sub-par team and never got full credit for what he did in HS. We see nothing but amazing things in his future and he stood out at practice no doubt!
We could not begin to cover all the guys we have followed but believe us- we will. All of these Great NW kids are having an Impact at the Vikings program and we hope to see them all in action this year in Portland!
Other kids from the NW to watch at PSU:
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About the AuthorDirk Knudsen
Dirk is a lifelong resident of the Pacific NW; athlete and Merit scholar. He runs camps, clinics, and has been a sports writer and analyst for nearly a decade now; mostly with Rivals.com as the editor of OregonPreps and WashingtonPreps.com. Dirk is the founder of NWPR & BrainChampions.org; a charity for injured athletes suffering from Brain Trauma / Concussion. He is a father of three and
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NW Regional Analyst Rivals.com - Editor OregonPreps.com & WashingtonPreps.com