Golden Nuggets: Dykes working with players to restore academic success

One of Sonny Dykes's objectives when he was chosen as our new head coach was to refocus the team on academics after it reached rock bottom under Jeff Tedford. This renewed emphasis on academics has been successful, resulting in football's highest single-semester GPA since Cal started recording these statistics, thanks to Dykes and a council of our own student athletes.

About a month ago, Dykes approached four of his most academically driven players with an idea: a council composed of students and campus faculty members that would draft the football program's academic mission statement.

Nick Forbes, Chris Adcock, Mark Brazinski and [Brennan] Scarlett are all upperclassmen who thrive academically, and they've championed the budding academic council.

The mission statement, known as "The Cal Way," encourages and challenges players to push beyond all expectations - including one's own. Every day is a commitment and a promise to try harder than one did the day before. Complacency is nonexistent.

We've got a lot of Cal news down below, in part because I forgot to include some in Sunday's Golden Nuggets. Oopsies!

Men's Basketball

• Patrick Christopher has been signed to a training camp contract with the Bulls

Men's Tennis

• On the last day of the Harvard Chowder Fest, the Bears tallied four more wins

Men's Soccer

• The no. 5 Bears will play the Colgate and Charleston this weekend

Women's Basketball

• Some preseason love for the Bears

— Cal Basketball (@CalWBBall) September 12, 2013

Field Hockey

• Goalkeeper Courtney Hendrickson is the NorPac West Defensive Player of the Week

Football

• You can vote daily for who you think should win the Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receiver; Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs are both nominated and, at the exact second I'm writing this, are both in the top ten
• You can also vote for Maurice Harris's The Grab as the Geico Play of the Year
• The Postgame takes a look at some Cal loyalty with Cal fans, former football players, and a Calympian
• Glasses Ref and our beloved Pac-12 officiating crews have been receiving some national infamy for a certain call in the Ohio State game
• Former Cleveland Brown Scott Fujita personifies the contrast between Cal and Ohio State (i.e., lots of Cal love in this link)
• Spencer Hagan reflects on his career after a life-changing injury against Ohio State in 2012 that almost resulted in amputation of his leg
• The blitzkrieg of the Bear Raid may be record-breaking
• Through three weeks, Cal is tied with Oregon State for the passing yards per game in the nation; Harper and Treggs are in the top-25 for receiving yards per game
• Bleacher Report has chosen Jared Goff as one of the most underrated QBs
• It's becoming a trend--Goff and kicker Vincenzo D'Amato were nominated for Pac-12 Players of the Week
• Goff is Athlon Sports's Pac-12 Freshman of the Week
• Former Texas Tech first baseman Sonny Dykes threw out the first pitch at yesterday's A's game
• Southern Miss Head Coach Todd Monken thinks Allan Bridgford has been their best offensive player
• Former linebacker Dave Wilkerson will be transferring to Arizona
• Cal is also being represented well in the NFL thanks to certain notable players

— GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) September 16, 2013

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 17, 2013

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 17, 2013