Fast Break

Football

Meyer will play in NFL Europe

The roar of the crowd convinced Erik Meyer not to give up on his dream of playing professional football.

The former Eastern Washington University Payton Award-winning quarterback is headed for NFL Europe where he will play for the Cologne Centurians.

“When I got back from (Fall Instruction League) with the (San Francisco) Giants, I took a month off to see what I was going to do,” Meyer said from his home in LaMirada, Calif. “I decided when I went to a San Diego Chargers game and saw how crazy the fans were. It reminded me of that feeling.”

Meyer leaves for training camp in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday and expects to leave for Germany in early April.

He’ll be competing against Quinton Porter of Boston College, who is under contract with the Houston Texans, and Paul Pinegar, a free agent from Boston College.

Meyer went to training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals last summer but was released after two preseason games.

“I guess it just wasn’t the right fit for me,” Meyer said.

When he didn’t get picked up, the former high school pitcher signed on with the Giants, though he still wanted to play football.

The six NFL Europe teams play a double round-robin beginning April 14.

The top teams play in the World Bowl XV championship June 23.

Meyer said he’s in excellent shape.

“I’m going to give it a solid go. … Then maybe I’ll try baseball one more time, but it’s going to work out so it’s all football,” Meyer said.

College basketball

Bennett, Low, Stuckey honored

Washington State head coach Tony Bennett was named the coach of the year in District 9, stretching up and down the West Coast, by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

That same group honored two players – WSU’s Derrick Low and Eastern Washington’s Rodney Stuckey – with all-district status.

Bennett has also won his first national coach of the year award from Basketball Times.