Golden Nuggets: Wharton Juggles Football, Family, and School And Does It Well

I have returned! I have spent the last nine weeks in Europe as a celebration for graduating from both Cal and Academy of Art this decade. I was still doing the Nuggets but with two weeks left to go my laptop would not boot up. While I still have to get that fixed, it was not the laptop I use at home, so Golden Nuggets can resume as normal now that I’m home.

I’ll still end my next few posts with “Go Bears!” in languages of countries I visited but didn’t get to do either because my laptop was broken or I was only in that country on a day I didn’t do the Nuggets. Points if you know what language they are!

Football

• Vic Wharton has been hard at work at school and the football field, and he is also having his second child in a month. Learn more about him and his family from the San Francisco Chronicle.

It’s fitting that Wharton seemed to make his biggest plays when Cal needed them most, because he has made a habit of thriving amid major life changes.

“It’s been great to be able to overcome all of this adversity,” he said. “… I think I’ve shown that I’m going to continue to fight.”

He’s already overcome grueling hip-surgery rehabilitation and the culture shock that accompanied his transfer from Tennessee to Berkeley. Now, he’s juggling being a full-time parent, full-time student and full-time athlete.

“When I get home, I’m on daddy duty,” said Wharton, who is expecting a daughter with his fiancee, Allie DeSanto, next month.

Wharton said he watches video of his games with his son on his iPad, and they play catch up to about 7 yards — though the onus is mostly on Wharton to throw the ball in the perfect spot for a completed pass.

• Weber State’s Andrew Vollert has a chip on his shoulder as he was snubbed by many FBS schools, including one of his favorites - Cal. Expect him to try and prove the Bears wrong. (Though, the previous Cal coaching admin not favoring tight ends doesn’t sound surprising at all).
• Ryan Gorcey interviews Ross Bowers and notes the respect and praise he has received from his teammates and coaches.

Bowers's throw to Wharton came on the play following a vicious hit from defensive end Jalen Dalton, a hit which earned Dalton an ejection for targeting. As Bowers stepped up to deliver the ball to Wharton, he again took contact -- courtesy of two North Carolina defenders.

"That just shows a lot about how he was," said offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin. "You don't know that about a QB in college, until they play, because you don't do that in practice. It's the one position where it takes getting in a game to really find out how they're going to react to live bullets. That was something."

• Gorcey also wrote about the Cal punting game in the win over UNC.
• Cal is ninth in ESPN’s Pac-12 Power rankings. I think that’s what I gave them in our rankings, so...
• Remember that football great Ken Wiedemann will be honored at halftime of the Weber State game along with the rest of the 2017 Cal Athletics Hall of Fame class.

"It is a truly humbling and unexpected honor for me," Wiedemann said. "I was able to be a part of some great Cal teams with excellent coaches and outstanding teammates. I could not have done it without them. I am also thrilled to be a part of a wonderful Hall of Fame class that includes the great Jason Kidd, one of the greatest point guards of all time. That will be a very special night for me, my family and those close to me."

• Trace Travers breaks down the 4th and 1 play with Bowers and McMorris.
• Here’s some video from Trace and Rivals/Golden Bear Report.
• Tim DeRuyter:

• Justin Wilcox:

• Ross Bowers:

• Beau Baldwin:

Misc.

• Derek Olson, a long time AVP beach volleyball player, has joined the beach volleyball coaching staff!
• Recently departed Cal track and field legend Monte Upshaw continues to be honored by the people who knew and loved him. RIP.

Choď Medveďov!