Sports Betting Professor

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — From almost the moment they arrived in college together, West Virginia teammates Noel Devine and Jock Sanders shared a motto: Three and out.



They repeated that phrase to each other all the time, reminding themselves that after three years on campus, they’d both be bolting for the NFL. During the buildup to the Gator Bowl in January, the plan remained the same.



“Our mindset was to have a good bowl game, go out with a bang and rack up a bunch of yards,” Sanders said. “And then we’re gone.”



But a funny thing happened on their way out of town. The two best friends realized they weren’t quite ready to leave college and start their professional careers. Two city kids from Florida had found a home in the hills of West Virginia. Three and out turned into stay for four.



And their return — which West Virginia coach Bill Stewart called his best recruiting coup of the offseason — injects major hope into this year for the Mountaineers, who have more starters back (18) than any other Big East team.



“They’re our two bell cows,” Stewart said. “They get everything started.”



Stewart awarded different colored jerseys to each player during the winter conditioning program based upon each individual’s effort. A gold jersey meant the player was working at a championship level. Blue signified solid if not spectacular performance. A brown jersey — well, you can probably figure out what brown stood for. Devine and Sanders were pure gold the entire offseason.



Those two seemed like an unlikely pair of senior leaders earlier in their career. Devine endured a difficult upbringing and faced questions about his character in high school. Sanders has landed in the doghouse a couple of times in college, including a suspension last spring and summer following a DUI arrest near campus. But both have grown up.



“It’s all about trust,” Stewart says. “They trust us, and we trust them. They’ve matured a lot. It just takes time.”



Of the two, Devine’s return to college registered as the bigger surprise. One of the most dynamic runners in the country, he averaged 6.1 yards per carry on his way to 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. His background also seemed to suggest that he was ready to collect an NFL paycheck. Both his parents died of AIDS before he turned 12 years old, and he has fathered three children.



Devine looked into his NFL prospects after the Gator Bowl, but in the end he said he didn’t feel like he was ready to handle a professional lifestyle just yet.



“Coming from where I come from, you just want to be the best and be able to help your community,” Devine said. “That’s why I always said, ‘Three and out.’ But I learned it’s not all about that.”



Sanders started thinking the same way, especially after a lackluster Gator Bowl showing in a loss to Florida State. The receiver/running back/return man registered a career-best 72 catches last season, one of the highest totals in West Virginia history. Still, he wants more.



“To me, 72 catches is average,” he said. “I want to be a 100-plus guy this year.”



Each player’s decision to return became easier when both settled on it. Though Sanders and Devine didn’t meet until after high school, they formed an easy and immediate bond based on common backgrounds. Both grew up in Florida cities — Devine is from Fort Myers, Sanders from St. Petersburg. They’ve both been doubted because of their size — Devine is listed at 5-foot-8, while Sanders is 5-7.



They’re nearly interchangeable on the field, with Sanders occasionally filling in for Devine at tailback. Off the field, they’re inseparable.



“We have a brotherly bond,” Devine said. “I told him, ‘I can’t picture myself here without you. I can’t imagine not being at the [NFL] combine together, pushing each other.’”



They’ve also found an unlikely home in Morgantown, which is worlds away from the inner cities in which they were raised. Devine knew plenty of hardship growing up and once witnessed a friend get shot and killed in front of him. In Morgantown, he and Sanders like to walk to the top of a hill and appreciate the changing colors of the trees in spring and fall.



“We got away from something we thought was good but really wasn’t,” Devine said. “There was so much negativity around the areas where we come from. Going back home now, you find yourself being kind of lost. Here, it’s calmer and there’s less going on. That’s when you can really get your mind right.”



Devine wants to provide an example to other kids who grow up in tough areas and show them what they can accomplish. He and Sanders are both on track to graduate in December, which is something they never imagined achieving with their three-and-out plan. The stay-for-four revision could produce better results for both them and West Virginia.



“This is the best decision we could have made,” Sanders said.

We’ve talked about how Daniel Snyder has taken a less intrusive approach since Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen have taken over, but the Redskins owner made some pointed comments during an appearance at a club charity function Saturday. It turns out that Shanahan’s not the only one frustrated with Albert Haynesworth’s no-show to the team’s “voluntary” offseason workouts.



“Yeah, I’m disappointed he’s not here. Absolutely,” said Snyder. “We’re expecting our players to lead by example, and we’re expecting our players to understand that they’re Redskins and they need to be there.”



To borrow a line from T.O.’s former publicist, the unflappable Kim Etheredge, Haynesworth has $32 million reasons to be at Redskins Park this offseason. That’s how much guaranteed money he’s been paid by Snyder over the past 15 months. Haynesworth and Shanahan have basically engaged in a public standoff over the last couple months. And I think it’s important to Shanahan that his players see him prevail.



That’s why it still would not surprise me to see Haynesworth traded sometime before the season. Even if he shows up at next month’s mandatory minicamp as expected, it’s going to be a distraction. I’m sure defensive coordinator Jim Haslett hates the fact that he’ll have to spoonfeed the new defense to Haynesworth while the rest of his unit is weeks ahead in the transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing what type of shape Haynesworth’s in after all the work he’s put in with that trainer in Nashville. Have we gotten the name of that trainer yet?



Haynesworth is either the most stubborn player in the league — or the most ungrateful. And judging by the words coming out of Redskins Park, he’s losing his battle with Shanahan. Everyone else in the organization has vowed allegiance to Shanahan. And if Haynesworth has any supporters, they’re wisely keeping it to themselves.



By the way, I’m on vacation for the next week. But we’ll have daily Beastlines and commentary from the excellent Matt Williamson to keep things rolling. Enjoy the time off — from me.

Colorado State announced that head football coach Steve Fairchild would award the Keli S. McGregor Memorial Football Scholarship to a walk-on player, honoring former Colorado State football player Keli McGregor, who unexpectedly passed away April 20.



McGregor, who was the president of the Colorado Rockies when he died, joined the CSU football team as a walk-on in 1981 and earned a scholarship in 1982. He earned All-American honors as a senior in 1984. The Denver Broncos selected McGregor in the fourth round of the 1985 draft.



According to a release by the school:

An endowment, this scholarship fund perennially will inspire CSU football players in to follow his example, work ethic, dedication and diligence, both on the gridiron and in the classroom.

The recipient of the first McGregor scholarship will be announced at the Green & Gold Gala in Denver on May 22. One player will have the scholarship until he graduates; it will not be awarded annually.



The Colorado State football team also will honor McGregor by affixing his number 88 to every football helmet in 2010 and will hold Keli McGregor Day at the Rams Sept. 25 home football game against Idaho.

Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters has been through conference expansion before and knows the effect it can have on college football. While he doesn’t think his conference will be affected by expansion, he gives a unique perspective about the hottest topic in sports.



Here’s Part II of my conversation with commissioner Waters:



Why do you think expansion talk is all starting to happen now? Why has it become the hot thing to do within the last four or five months?



WW: In the words of Deep Throat: Follow the money. It’s not rocket science. These are becoming very expensive propositions and the reasons why you may see the Big Ten and the SEC do something may be entirely different than what the next group does, which may be entirely different from what the next group does.



Is everybody really waiting on the Big Ten? I know that seems to be the popular theory, but the Pac-10 shouldn’t have to wait on the Big Ten because their areas don’t cross over.



WW: Well, that’s when you start looking at the personality of commissioners. Ultimately, it’s going to be commissioners working with presidents and again are you proactive or are you reactive? There are leagues right now that could be very proactive that are not publicly, at least, in the conversation but they may be privately working like hell.



Which leagues are we talking about?





WW: I don’t know enough to confirm it.



In the long run, who do you think this has more of an effect on? The automatic qualifiers or the nonautomatic qualifiers?



WW: I think the automatic qualifiers because of the shifting of teams from one conference to another.



Do you think the non-AQs will survive after this?



WW: Sure.



But how different do you think the landscape will be and what will the opportunities for those teams to play in the BCS be?



WW: We don’t know yet. If [Big Ten commissioner] Jim [Delany] goes to 12, you may see precious little change. If Jim goes to 16 and those dominoes start moving, you may see a lot of change. But nothing happens at the bottom. It happens at the top. It goes downhill. It’s the plumbing theory. It all flows down.



If the Big Ten went to 16 and the other conferences followed suit, the BCS would obviously have to change, right?



WW: I think that’s part of what will trigger the next round. If Jim goes to 16 then he’s not going to be happy with the rule that says you cant have but two teams in the BCS. I wouldn’t if I were him. And you know what? He’s right. With 16 quality institutions, that’s a pretty hard pill to swallow.



When do you think this will all come to a hilt?



WW: It’s the annual June story. We’ll keep talking about it for the next three months, four months and then it will get old and we’ll move on to something else.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson, who was in Las Cruces, N.M., on Thursday for the WAC softball tournament, gave his thoughts on conference expansion.



North Texas athletic director Rick Villarreal had his contract extended through 2015.



Ted Hutton of the Sun Sentinel continues to explore possibilities of Florida Atlantic leaving the Sun Belt Conference.



Boise State’s guarantee game against Ole Miss provides a good model for Hawaii, which is looking for similarly lucrative contracts.

UNLV football assistant coach Ty Gregorak was formally charged with a felony count of trespass of an automobile with intent to commit a crime and a misdemeanor theft count by the Boulder, Colo., District Attorney’s office in Boulder, Colo., on Thursday.



The news prompted UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood to tell Gregorak that he could resign or wait until his contract was up on June 30. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Gregorak has not yet resigned.



Gregorak was arrested in Boulder, Colo., last Friday after police said he took a loaded handgun and wallet from a bouncer at a downtown strip club.



Gregorak was turned away from the Nitro Club on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall after bouncer Joseph Benedetto determined Gregorak was too intoxicated to enter the club. Gregorak went to the bouncer’s car in a nearby parking garage, broke into it and took a wallet from the center console and a loaded .45-caliber Glock 36 handgun from the glove compartment.



Later that day, Gregorak went to Benedetto’s home to return the stolen items and apologize. Benedetto accepted the apology but took down the license plate number of Gregorak’s rental car and called the police.



Gregorak, who is the Rebels’ linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator, is a former Colorado football player and was in town for personal reasons.

BETWEEN MEETINGS IN BRISTOL — We pointed out this Chicago Tribune story Friday morning, but the issue of Soldier Field’s turf deserves a bit more discussion.



As we’ve noted before, there has been an ongoing discussion about the stadium’s annual transition from grass at the beginning of the season to frozen dirt by the end. Causes include rough Chicago falls and multiple uses of the field. This was an issue long before 2010, but new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s precision scheme would seem to add urgency to establishing some stable footing on the field.



The issue could be resolved by replacing the grass with artificial turf, but the Bears’ reluctance stems from the possibility of a safety drop-off.



I think most of us would choose to play football on grass rather than turf. But that’s not the question in Chicago. The real question is this: Do you prefer to play half of a season on grass and half on dirt, or an entire season on turf? In other words, what are the safety issues of playing on dirt?



We can’t rule out this issue being one of business as well. The Chicago Park District runs Soldier Field and pays for multiple re-soddings during the year. In the long run, it would be cheaper for them to install artificial turf once. The Bears don’t have an economic incentive to make the transition.



That’s what I have to say about this and I’m sticking to it.

Expansion has been a hot topic for the last several months and everyone is focused on power players such as the Big Ten and Big 12. But what about the teams at the bottom? Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters is keeping a close watch on expansion, but has little fear of losing any of his 12 teams, which gives him a unique opportunity to sit back and watch everything unfold.



Waters took some time to visit with me this week and give me his candid thoughts on expansion and what it could mean to college football. The interview is broken up into two parts and the second will be posted later this afternoon.

AP Photo/Bill HaberSun Belt commissioner Wright Waters isn’t worried about losing teams to expansion.

When the conference commissioners all met a couple weeks ago, did Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany say anything about a timetable for expansion?



Wright Waters: No. The only thing Jim said is, ‘This is not a one-year decision. This is a 100-year decision. We’re not bringing somebody into the league for one year or five years or 10 years. We’re bringing them in for 100 years.’ So, I think he’ll be slow and deliberate. I think that he will say to whoever those teams are to take as much time as they need to say goodbye before they come here.



Well, what are your thoughts about expansion?



WW: You can take five people off the street and they’ll have different opinions and one of them might be right. At the end of the day there are really only two or two-and-a-half conferences that are in charge of their own fate and that’s the SEC and the Big Ten. The SEC’s not going to raid the Big Ten and the Big Ten’s not going to raid the SEC. And maybe the Pac-10. Nobody’s going to raid the Pac-10. But the Pac-10 has so few options just because of the number of schools that are out there. But beyond that, we’re all just dominoes waiting our turn. And the only thing you can do is think of all the different scenarios and how you would react. Kind of do it in your mind and try to stay in enhancement mode and not get into survival mode because once you get into survival mode you start making bad decisions.



What’s an example of a bad decision?



WW: Like taking institutions that don’t help you athletically or don’t fit geographically, but you keep the doors open and then you’ve got to live with those people forever and ever.



When you look at non-AQ conferences, everyone’s talking about the Mountain West being a player in this, maybe the WAC because they have some more prominent teams, but as you keep going down the line, it seems like some of your teams, at least from what I’ve been reading, could have Conference USA knocking on their door or one of the other conferences to fill in the gaps. What do you think of that?



WW: You don’t know because first of all what happens to Conference USA? If you fall below the continuity of membership requirements (eight teams) you have no league because you have no automatic qualifiers. So, the thing institutions have to be prepared to do is not look at what conference’s were last year, but what conference’s are going to be five years from now. Could the Big 12 lose their AQ? Maybe. Could the Big East lose their AQ? Maybe. You’ve got to look at the makeup of what new conferences will be not what the makeup of old conferences were.



I assume every conference has a backup plan or a list of backup schools that you profile to fit into your membership. Does the Sun Belt have something like that?



WW: Yes and no. Again, it depends on whether you’re in enhancement mode or survival mode. We’re a 12-team league right now. We are absolutely in enhancement mode. We are in a mode where we’re thinking, ‘How do we improve the quality of the 12 schools we have?’ There’s no advantage to us right now to expand. If we expand all we do is increase the division of resources. So, right now we’re not engaged in that. Do I know what’s around me? Yeah. I keep up with those things. But if 16 becomes the new norm and that becomes a qualification to compete then yeah, we’ve got to get out of enhancement mode and get into survival mode.

Each Wednesday, the good folks from Scouts Inc. take a look at some of the most compelling stories of the offseason. This week, Jeremy Green analyzed the Washington Redskins’ transition to a 3-4 defensive scheme. Become an Insider today and you can read the entire story. But in case you’re not prepared to make that commitment, here’s an excerpt from Green’s story:

“Outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Andre Carter both can play standing up. They are explosive players in their first few steps off the line and can get after the quarterback. This defense should give leading tackler London Fletcher a lot more room to roam. This defense is designed to create a lot of pressure off the edges and that will take pressure off the back end of the defense.”

I agree that Orakpo will flourish as an outside linebacker but I’m not convinced about Carter and Fletcher. Last week, I talked to Fletcher about making the transition. He’s not going to be covered up as much in a 3-4, so I’m not sure how he’ll have “a lot more room to roam.”

Shortly after California’s final spring practice ended, the Bears erupted in cheers in the locker room. But it wasn’t for themselves. Or even about an ending. It was about a surprising beginning.



Their former teammate, defensive end Tyson Alualu, was picked 10th overall in the NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Boom! He was a millionaire.



Cameron Jordan was among those cheering. He said he wasn’t surprised the player who manned the opposite end of the line from him over the past two seasons was selected 10th overall. Nor, he said, did he consider that he was only a year away from finding where he might fall on draft day.



“I didn’t even think about that part,” the 6-foot-4, 282-pound senior defensive end said. “I was just happy and excited for him.”



Jordan has the talent to become a first-round pick. Presently, he likely will be projected, much like Alualu was last May, as a second- or third-round selection.



He’s flashed plenty of tantalizing ability, earning honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors the past two seasons. He had 48 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks last fall. He also had five quarterback hurries, which suggests a lot of “what might have been.” Not unlike Cal’s 2009 season.



Last fall, Jordan looked like a potential All-Pac-10 selection, just as the Bears looked like a top-10 team and a threat to unseat USC atop the conference. More than a few Cal fans reacted angrily when Jordan was left off the Pac-10 blog’s ranking of the conference’s top 30 players.



Why did the Bears — and Jordan — fall short?



“There were multitude of reasons,” Jordan said. “It seemed like after that first loss some guys were rattled and didn’t really come back.”



That would be the visit to Oregon, where the Bears swaggered into Autzen Stadium ranked sixth in the nation and staggered out 42-3 losers.



As for the mediocre defense in 2009 — which was mostly mediocre in 2009, despite eight returning starters from a unit that ranked among the nation’s top-30 teams in nearly every statistical category — Jordan said “some of it had to do with a lack of adjustments.”



That’s fairly general, but there was unhappiness with Cal’s scheme last year. This led coach Jeff Tedford to say repeatedly during the offseason that the Bears would be more aggressive when attacking the quarterback.



New coordinator Clancy Pendergast will run more stunts and blitzes out of the Bears 3-4 front, which could benefit Jordan, who faced a lot of double teams last fall.



“Hopefully, it will free me up to get in the backfield more often,” Jordan said. “I got a lot more one-on-ones this spring, and that only makes my day.”



Jordan reportedly had a good spring. Here’s what Pendergast said about him in a Q&A with the Pac-10 blog: “He’s been very receptive. He pays attention to detail. He’s very interested. When you have a guy like that, with his potential skill set, he can have an opportunity to make plays. So he’s bought into the system and he’s doing the different things that we are asking him to do within the scheme. So far so good.”



Jordan has good bloodlines. His father, Steve, played at Brown and then 13 years in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, earning six invitations to the Pro Bowl. A gifted athlete, the young Jordan has always been a strong pass rusher, with good speed for his size. He’s fallen short a bit with his strength in run support.



That might be changing. Jordan said he focused on that area.



“I’m more confident in my run game,” he said. “It’s been getting better every year. My freshman and sophomore year, I knew I wasn’t a great run stopper. Pass rush yes. My junior year, I was a little bit more confident. Now, I’d like to say I’m one of the better guys on the unit against the run. I’m already confident in my pass rush abilities.”



The next step, he said, is being so confident in his ability to defeat blocks that he focuses his attention on reading the action in the backfield: “Sometimes I get too focused on the man in front of me instead of what play can actually happen in the backfield.”



Cal doesn’t figure to get much preseason attention. Most projections will dump the Bears into the conference’s muddled middle. That probably means Jordan, too, won’t get too much preseason hype.



He seems fine with that.



“Coming in under the radar, there’s no pressure on us. No one is looking at us,” he said. “If we are under the radar, all we have to worry about is what we can do as a team, not what everybody else thinks we can do.”



It’s possible that by doing just that, the Bears might end up cheering in December — and again in the spring when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell calls Jordan’s name.