Heir apparent to Marshawn Lynch (though Dasarte Yarnway may have something to say about that), Trajuan Briggs has set himself up for success both on and off the field.
On why he enrolled early at Cal:
"I came here early for football, for the chance to play, but also be on top of my academics. Even if I choose to leave early, I’ll leave with a degree."On why he switched his commitment from USC to Cal:
"I felt it in my spirit. It started out as just a house visit with Coach Tedford and Coach Gould, just to catch up. They changed my mind. I honestly deep down wanted to do it, but it was so late that I just felt like I couldn’t do that."I remember telling Coach Gould that night, ‘ I’m sorry, good luck with the season.’ My mother told me that I’m always doing something to make other people happy. Why don’t you make a decision to make yourself happy? I started thinking about it. If I was going to do something to make me happy, I would come to Cal. I called Coach Gould around 6:30 the next morning. He was about to get on the plane. If he hadn’t answered that phone, I’d be at Southern Cal right now."
On what happened on his visit to Cal
"I came up that morning. I told him I wanted to come and he got me a ticket. I took an official visit by myself. I felt like after being here two or three days, I could call this place home. I loved the palyers. It was so down to earth. I felt like I didn’t have to put on a front or be super-serious about anything. They know when it’s about business and when it’s not."On how Tedford and Gould "changed his mind."
"Talking to Coach Tedford and Coach Gould, I honesty realized deep down that I had a way stronger relationshiyp with Cal than SC, even being a commit there. Me and Coach Gould would talk on the phone for hours. The running backs coach at SC, we never talked on the phone. If we did, it would be a flat conversation. I started wondering if I could really talk to this man for the next four years."The coaches here just speak to you, about life and anything. I really learned that relationship is a big deal in anything you do. That’s what really changed my mind. I noticed that my mother and my grandmother loved them, they really enjoyed their company. It felt good inside."
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On how often he’s heard the comparisons to Marshawn Lynch:
"A lot. I was walking down the street one time. I have a sweatshirt that says ‘Beast.’ This guy was like, ‘Marshawn Lynch.?’ I was like, ‘No.’ Everybody says I’m just like Marshawn Lynch. Those are some big shoes to fill. He’s bigger than me. Honestly, I feel there is some comparison of the physical running. I feel like we probably have that physical brut running. There are some comparisons."
After the jump Scout says 2010 will be the Year of the Vereen, the women's bball team rallies past Oregon to book a trip home for the round of 16, rugby routs Central Washington, and a Cal catcher has been performing very well.
Cal Football
- Scout has a preview of what to expect from Shane Vereen in 2010. Not surprisingly, Vereen will become the leader of Cal's offense.
- The women's team advanced to the round of 16 with a 71-57 win over Oregon. Down by thirteen in the first half, they rallied back and stymied the Oregon offense. At the post-game press conference the players talked about the difficulty of keeping up with the fast-paced Oregon offense. After some adjustments, Boyle was very pleased with her team's second-half performance.
- After hammering UBC, Cal used a very young lineup to rout Central Washington by a final score of 50-0.
- Sophomore catcher Chadd Krist has lived up to the potential his coaches saw in him, as he demonstrates exceptional defense behind the plate and sits in second in many offensive categories.