Eagles happy to focus on football, not sanctions
The gloomy winter of discontent officially ended for Eastern Washington University’s football team Tuesday afternoon when the Eagles opened spring drills in brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures.
Gone, it seemed, were the murky clouds that have hovered over the program since mid-February, when the NCAA slapped the school with three years of probation and a one-year ban on postseason play because of rules violations that occurred during a four-year span under former head coach Paul Wulff.
Back were beaming smiles, spreading across the faces of players returning from last year’s 6-5 team and eager to make sure the ban on postseason play – if it sticks – will hurt as much as the NCAA hopes it will.
“It’s just one of those things where if we had another 6-5 season, that penalty wouldn’t affect us anyway,” said quarterback Matt Nichols, who will be a senior next fall. “It won’t be a penalty unless we make it a penalty. We just have to take care of business and prove we’re worthy of playing in the postseason.”
Eastern has formally appealed the postseason ban, and most of the 60 or so players – including 15 returning starters and 23 other letterwinners – who took part in Tuesday’s practice are holding out hope it will be overturned.
If not, they still plan to give Eagles fans something to cherish next fall.
“The initial shock made it hard,” wideout Tony Davis, a classmate and favorite target of Nichols, said of the ban. “But when it comes down to it, we’re all competitors. That’s what we do, and that’s what we’ll keep doing.
“Hopefully, we can prove that we belong in the postseason playoffs, even if we don’t get in.”
Defensive back Lonnie Hosley, another senior to be, echoed Davis’ comments.
“It was disappointing to hear about (the ban) at first,” he said. “But we’re all pretty strong-headed, and we’re anxious to get back out here, start playing football again and getting on to bigger and better things next year.”
Shortly after the NCAA announced its penalties, there were reports of some Football Bowl Division schools poking around to see if any EWU players might be interesting in transferring. But none bit, and Tuesday several reconfirmed their loyalty to the Eagles program and second-year coach Beau Baldwin.
“There were a few players that it really was weighing on their minds,” Nichols said of the idea of transferring. “But, ultimately, we all kind of decided that this is where we started. This is the place that gave us a chance when a lot of bigger schools overlooked us when we were in high school, and I think it’s only right for us to stay here and finish out our careers together.”
Wideout Brynsen Brown, who will also be a senior next fall, said all the concern over players leaving EWU should be a thing of the past.
“That’s over,” he said. “Everyone is happy where they are. I know I didn’t want to leave. This is my family. I’ve been here four years, going on five, so why would I want to leave something I’ve put my whole time in?”
Baldwin is hoping that getting his players back on the field and focused on football again will prove therapeutic.
“Our guys are excited about that,” he said. “They’ve done an amazing job of just being resilient to things that were out of their control.”
Quick kicks
The Eagles will practice two days in just helmets, jerseys and shorts before donning pads. … Brown will be held out of spring drills indefinitely while recovering from arthroscopic surgery that was performed on his left shoulder this winter. … Nichols dropped 20 pounds over the winter in what he said was an effort to increase his speed and stamina. … The annual Red-White Game will be held at Woodward Field on at 2 p.m. on April 25.