Jeshua Anderson quits team to focus on track

by Jeff Nusser on Sep 16, 2009 3:03 PM PDT in Cougar Football Comment 16 comments

Some more big news out of WSU. It looks like Jeshua Anderson has decided to forgo his football career to concentrate on track full-time, which means he’s made the choice, two weeks into the season, to pull away from football. After spending a couple weeks mending a hamstring strain – something that also plagued him during track season – Anderson was stepping up, having caught four passes for 66 yards, a 16.5 average. Talking with Anderson earlier in the year, he said he thought a lot over the summer about dedicating himself to track, but after talking with his family, he decided to play another season. It seems like he’s changed his mind.

I understand Anderson has a hugely bright career in front of him in the world of track -- he's nearly world class there, while he's a mediocre college receiver -- but man, no matter what Anderson's reasoning, this sure looks like him jumping off a sinking ship.

Honestly, I started to wonder about him a bit on Saturday. I saw lots of head shaking when balls weren't thrown his way, and you have to wonder if he just reached a point where the risk to his track career of playing football -- especially with the nagging hamstring injury -- became too much considering this is a team heading nowhere.

Whatever his reason, I wish he just wouldn't have put everyone through this song and dance in the first place. What would have made the risk worth it? Four wins? Six wins? Eight wins? I don't want to pass judgment too soon, but when you make a commitment to a team, there's only one way breaking a commitment to your teammates can possibly appear.

We knew there was no chance Anderson was coming back next year, so I guess this just gives the team a chance -- stop me if you've heard this one before -- to give some younger guys a look.

Sigh.

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I hear ya Nuss

I don’t blame him one bit, in the sense that he has a lot more at risk on the field than a lot of players. I want to be mad at Anderson for leaving, but I just can’t do it.

I think this single event speaks volumes to Wulff’s career in Pullman. You saw the lack of motivation last year. Is this where it starts this year. I just don’t know what to think anymore. I just can’t understand anything that is happening on that team. I just …. Aargh!!! I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Ugh

by HitKing69 on Sep 16, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

"I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Ugh"

Perfection. Exactly how I feel.

I don’t blame Anderson for the choice, but I do blame him for quitting. If this was in the realm of possibility, he never should have started the year.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Sep 16, 2009 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My thinking

He bought into the hope for this season being a potentially rewarding one. Once the Hawaii game all but erased that hope, he decided to step aside and protect his legs for the sport he really loves.

by Grady. on Sep 16, 2009 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Saturday is critical now

Either we see some hope for the future, or the continued snowballing of the Wulff era… Seriously – how sad is it when you can’t even sell one of your better players on finishing out the season? It’s not the decision that’s suprising, it’s the timing. Of course I’m sure Jeshua doesn’t want to get hurt in a quest for 1-2 wins.

Anyway, we’re going to learn a lot about our program this weekend, and I fear it may not be good.

by Grady. on Sep 16, 2009 5:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

But that's what I'm wondering

Was it worth it to get hurt on a quest for 3 wins? Or five wins? Because that’s where most people thought this team was topping out even before the season started. I guess I just don’t see what would have happened to change his mind, unless there was an injury scare we don’t know about.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Sep 16, 2009 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Looking at preseason player quotes

I think a lot of guys thought that 5 to 6 wins wasn’t a complete pipe dream. It sure seems like it now, and with Wulff trying to blow it up already for the future (e.g. Lobster starting, Tuel playing), I guess Jeshua wants to start his future early too.

But, c’mon, Wulff. You seriously couldn’t have talked him out of it? It’s not like players routinely shred their ACLs out there. Of course when you see a guy like Simone get clocked like that, maybe you rethink things.

by Grady. on Sep 16, 2009 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Especially when his QB walked him right into it

Same thing with Stormo. Poor guys.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Sep 16, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not sure how you can pin this one on him

Care to expand on your thought process?

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Sep 16, 2009 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

After last season and this season so far, he probably got tired of losing. Period. And he didn't want to hurt his body for a team he was tired of being on.

by Sexonsux on Sep 16, 2009 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

my thoughts

I’m guess Wulff had a heart-to-heart with quite a few different upperclassmen explaining to them we are officially building for the future, again. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wulff or Levenseller (with the input from Sloan or whoever is coaching track), pushed Jeshua into this decision.

I just don’t see Jeshua spending all that time fighting back from his hamstring injury to up and quit 2 games into the season – unless he was prompted with an early out offer by Wulff and co.

Sidenote- if you read the comments on Brand X by “coug fans” you would think he’s not worth a scholarship and/or doesn’t have two arms or two legs. Its humorous and sad when grown men throw 20 year old kids under the bus, especially for something completely out of their control. The guy has won 2 NCAA championships for our alma mater and we want to light him up for anything and everything he does wrong on the football field.

by LeaveItToWeaver on Sep 16, 2009 6:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good Luck Jeshua

I wish Jeshua all the best and expect that we will all be cheering him on in the next Olympics. He will make us proud just as Lagat has. But you have to wonder when good athletes who are good people are quitting the football program what is going on. As a fan, I can only speculate, but after the debacle on Saturday, he may not be the last to leave. I hope I’m wrong.

by PDXCoug on Sep 16, 2009 11:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This reminds me of Mountlake Terrace football.

There is just no reason for the good athletes to play on the football team.

by Jo-Jo on Sep 17, 2009 9:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's funny how MTHS prepared some of us

It is a constant refrain on this site and I’m just glad I understand the references. Watching that team was brutal, but I wasn’t going to go play football. I guess if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

by HitKing69 on Sep 17, 2009 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs