Hercules Mata’afa claps back at The Rock

Back in December, Hercules Mata’afa was named the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year by the Polynesian Hall of Fame. It’s a great honor for the third-year Coug, and as we wrote yesterday, it’ll be interesting to see where he lands on the field in the NFL.

This honor comes will all sorts of perks, not the least of which is a shoutout from The Rock:

Now, that video clearly seems to show The Rock was handed that piece of paper 15 seconds before the video was taken, but a shoutout is a shoutout.

The Rock himself replied to that tweet, and, well:

Former Miami Hurricane Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appears to have forgotten the 2015 Sun Bowl. He probably got frustrated when CBS scheduled a basketball game right up against the Sun Bowl kickoff and turned it off before Jamal Morrow scampered into the end zone.

Point: Herc.

Tyler Hilinski

Tyler Hilinski’s memorial service was yesterday, as friends and family paid their respects to the Washington State quarterback.

WSU chartered flights for Hilinski’s teammates and coaches to travel to the memorial service in La Verne, Calif. Former Cougs were also in attendance, including Gabe Marks, Tyler Baker, River Cracraft and more, per CougFan.

It’s been almost two weeks since Hilinski’s shocking death, and it still doesn’t seem real.

Tyler Hilinski remembered by Washington State teammates, family at memorial service
Nearly 800 people gathered in the gymnasium at Damien High School in La Verne, California, as Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski was remembered for his kindness, infectious laugh and knack for making others happy.

Funeral service an outpouring of love for Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski | CougFan.com
'I can't wait to have a son and name him after you. I hope he grows up to be just like you'

Basketball

The Cougs are in Seattle today for a 5 p.m. matchup with the Washington Huskies. You can see the carnage game on ESPNU.

Perseverance pays for Washington State walk-on Steven Shpreyregin | The Spokesman-Review
Proximity to the University of Washington’s Seattle campus nurtured Shpreyregin’s early affection for the Huskies, but the WSU senior has worked awfully hard to be a Cougar.

Beer

I’m filling in for PJ so I had to include the beer section, right? So, the best beer I had this week? I’ll go with Bootjack IPA from Icicle Brewing Company. A relative got me a customized six pack of beers from across the state for Christmas, and I took out the Bootjack this weekend.