Roberts wins QB lottery
PULLMAN – Peter Roberts missed football. It was that simple.
“This was a chance for me to put those pads back on and go out there and throw the ball around,” the 6-foot-1, 190-pound freshman said Tuesday after being chosen as Washington State’s scout team quarterback, beating out 27 other aspirants who tried out Monday.
Roberts was an All-Kingco second-team quarterback at Woodinville High last season, throwing for 1,571 yards and eight touchdowns. A three-year letterman, Roberts completed 51 percent of his passes his last two years for the Falcons.
After throwing only a few passes in his first Cougars practice, he was forced to face about a dozen media members. He seemed a little overwhelmed at his new-found fame.
He admits people asked him Tuesday if he was the Peter Roberts. He met former Pittsburgh Steelers great Mean Joe Greene, now a Steelers’ scout, in the coaches’ offices. And he’s received a lot of text messages.
“Ever since (being picked), my phone has been blowing up from friends back home,” he said, admitting he didn’t sleep well the previous night. “It’s been a great day.”
Roberts, who came to WSU mainly to study architecture, knows he’s building memories with his new role.
“I was walking down the hall and saw a couple of coaches standing there and I said, ‘You kidding me? No way,’ ” Roberts said of his first reaction to seeing his name as the chosen one at 9 a.m. Tuesday. “When I saw the name on the paper I said, ‘Wow. It actually happened.’ ”
Now that he’s back in uniform – No. 13 – Roberts doesn’t want to be Rudy or the guy in “Invincible.” He just wants to be part of the Cougars.
“Ever since that last football game, I’ve missed it like crazy,” he said. “That was the biggest drive for me, to actually get a second chance.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s scout team. You’re still on the team.”
Notes
The first time WSU went to punt Saturday against UCLA, the officials put a Bruins ball in play. It was nearly flat, according to long snapper Zach Enyeart. Enyeart said when he asked the umpire about it, he was told to “deal with it.” Reid Forrest got off a 39-yard punt. … Kevin Lopina was back, taking part in non-contact drills and running the passing offense. The quarterback is still a couple of weeks away from contact, according to WSU coach Paul Wulff, who hopes he’ll be back completely at practice after the bye week. Whether he steps right back into the starting role is still to be determined, Wulff said. … With strong winds in the forecast, the Cougars practiced in their indoor facility. Wulff said the wind can play havoc with verbal instructions, making it tough to run practice. … Redshirting offensive lineman Tyson Pencer had shoulder surgery last week and is expected to take at least limited part in spring practice. … Transfer wide receiver Jeffrey Solomon (EWU) took part in his first practice, albeit in a yellow non-contact jersey. He will be eligible next season.