"Not Spearing, I repeat Not Spearing via lotttrophy.com

We thought we should go senior by senior and take a gander at their Cal career.  Some photos.  Some videos.  Some stats.  And if HydroTech has any personal stories of his time with the team, he'd share them.  We did Nate Longshore months ago, because Twist screwed up the scheduling.  Also, he's so dreamy!  And we just did Alex Mack. And, then, Will Ta'ufo'ou.  And then Jordan Kay.  And then Anthony Felder. And then we did Rulon Davis. Then, we did Tom Schneider. And then we did Cameron Morrah.

Today, we do PAIN TRAIN!

Avinash:  Now here's a guy who Ron Jaworski gushes about being a "man's football player". Zack is so firmly entrenched in the identity and culture of football by the way he pumps himself up and carries himself in the arena of play. He talks, he acts, then he struts. Pretty much the sort of player the media will embrace if he makes it big-time. 

TwistNHook:  There are a lot of great Pain Train moments.  But I think the ASU Carpenter hit of 2008 was my favorite.

Enraged at Carpenter's trash talking and some mistreatment of his parents in Arizona State the year before, the Pain Train was choo-choo-choosing to get at Carpenter by any means necessary.  And on one play, he finally brought it all together (link in image). 

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Yellow Fever:  I think I liked Pain Train's hit on Erik Ainge better.  He folded the guy like an accordion!  Which isn't to take anything anything away from him eating Rudy Carpenter alive either.

HydroTech:  Those were the hits of the season.

Follett delivered the hit of the season in 2007 against Ainge of Tennessee, and the hit of the season in 2008 against Rudy of ASU.

TwistNHook:  Well, my favorite part about Pain Train is that he is always playing at 100%.  Sometimes, his aggressiveness shot him in the foot, but generally it led him to make spectacular plays.

Lets look at his numbers

I think Felder had more tackles than him last year.  But I believe he led the team in unassisted tackles.  Also, sacks.  And 23 tackles for loss?!?!  THATS HUGE!  Also, 5 forced fumbles.  A force to be reckoned with. 

via www.elfwood.com

TwistNHook:  Also, here's a few interesting notes about Pain Train

Mom also said, "Zack was a kid who always had a ball in his hand. He excelled in baseball but he thought it was boring. He wants to hit someone. He played every sport like a football player. When he was 7 or 8, he hit the ball hard, an in the park home run, and he hit the catcher so hard that he went flying across home plate. Zack got kicked out of the game."

And, most interestingly.

Zack and fellow linebacker Greg Van Hoesen have combined to make lifesize cutouts of the players. Zack does the wood work, cutting out plywood with a jigsaw and then Van Hoesen brings them to life with his painting skills. Naomi has a 6-foot-2 cut out of her son at the top of their stairs at home. She said everytime she goes up stairs, it’s like her son is there. "When Zack goes anything, he puts his focus into it. Those cutouts look so great. And Greg is a true artist. What a beautful job."

Zack said he would like to cut out a Marshawn Lynch likeness where he is stiff-arming the Oregon player. He would get Van Hoesen to paint it and they could sell it at auction. Anyone interested in buying one?

I would buy that IMMEDIATELY!  Even if Mrs. TwistNHook would never let it within 30 miles of our apartment. 

HydroTech:  One memory that I haven't heard anyone talk about is when Follett dyed his hair in a tiger pattern.  Some people started calling him "Ziger." 

Zack was definitely a big time leader on the field in 2008 and I can't help but think that the meltdown of 2007 encouraged him to step up and be that emotional leader for the team.  Remember after the 2007 when he vowed that he wouldn't let the team lose, meltdown, and get emotionally down again?  He was right.  He sure didn't let the team lose its swagger.

Avinash:  He has a youtube video of his fish tank. The dude loves salt water fish tanks.

Plus a still frame video of himself buying Guinness

TwistNHook:  Here are the photos of Follett as Ziger from the 2007 FanFest:

Avinash:  Yeah, that's definitely enmeshed in his football character. I could see him recreating that Ziger in the pros.

HydroTech:  Yeah, I agree.  Those three sacks are the most memorable moments of his career.

TwistNHook:  And now, thanks to CGB reader Spazzy McGee, we have some thoughts about the Pain Train from the Pain Train himself:

via imgs.sfgate.com

OH MAKE NO MISTAKE, PAIN TRAIN IS NOT LEAVING BERKELEY.  PAIN TRAIN IS *SPARING* BERKELEY.  PAIN TRAIN REMEMBERS THE FIRST TIME HE BROUGHT HIS PAIN UPON BERKELEY.  HE TRIED TO OFFER A VAGRANT HIS LEFTOVER PAD THAI BUT THE VAGRANT DEMANDED COMPENSATION FOR BEER INSTEAD.  ALCOHOLISM WRECKS FAMILIES, SO PAIN TRAIN WRECKED THE VAGRANT, WITH A TITANIC HELMET CRUSH BLOW TO THE COLON. 

DO YOU RECALL THE FENCES AROUND THE TREE SITTERS?  THEY WERE NOT BUILT TO PROTECT PEDESTRIANS, THEY WERE PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE TREE SITTERS FROM PAIN TRAIN.  OTHERWISE, PAIN TRAIN WOULD HAVE REMOVED THE TREES WITH HIS BARE, SHARP TEETH.  *ringtone chimes, playing I'm On a Boat ft. T-Pain.*  PARDON ME, PAIN TRAIN IS RECEIVING A TELEPHONE CALL.  

OH HELLO THERE, DUMPSTER MUFFIN.  WHAT'S THAT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO USE SILK OR COTTON SHEETS ON THE GUEST BED? AND YOU'RE TIRED OF YOUR JOB?  WELL, PERHAPS YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE YOU JOINED YOUR LITTLE PROTEST.  THEN THE JUDGE WOULDN'T HAVE SENTENCED YOU TO BE MY BUTLER FOR LIFE.  I REALIZE YOU THINK THAT'S UNFAIR, BUT WE WILL TALK ABOUT IT LATER, I'M CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW RIGHT NOW.  NO, I HAVE TO GO, NO, YOU CAN'T SIT ON THE OAK CABINET, IT'S AN ANTIQUE FROM THE ESTATE OF SIR THOMAS CALHOUN.  NO, LIKE I SAID, YOU C--NO!  NO!  DO NOT ANTAGONIZE PAIN TRAIN FURTHER.  PAIN TRAIN JUST MAY EXTRACT YOUR ARMPIT HAIRS ONE BY ONE JUST LIKE HE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO REMOVE THE OAKS ONE BY ONE. 

JUST LIKE HE REMOVED PRETTYBOY QUARTERBACKS ONE BY ONE.  FOR FOUR YEARS.  ERIK AINGE STILL HAS A TRAIN SHAPED IMPRINT ON HIS EIGHTH AND NINTH VERTEBRAE.  LET IT BE KNOWN: TOM BRADY WILL WISH HE TORE BOTH HIS ACL'S AND BE OUT FOR HIS CAREER, BECAUSE PAIN TRAIN IS ABOUT TO TEAR TOM BRADY'S SOUL WITH THE AMOUNT OF PAIN HE WILL IMPART. DO YOU HEAR THAT, NFL QB'S?  PAIN TRAIN IS ATTENDING YOUR POTLUCK.  AND HE IS BRINGING ONLY PAIN.