February/March 2019
IN THIS ISSUE From the Athletic Director’s Desk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 10 from 1,000 — Hec Ed's greatest moments. . . . . . . . . . 4 10 Questions With ... Evanni Roberson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Baseball, softball are World Series dreamin' again. . . . 18 Former Husky Phil Green takes the fight to ALS. . . . . . 24 The Shot ... The Grandaddy of Them All . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
GoHUSKIES
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GOHUSKIES VOLUME 12 / ISSUE 5 / FEB./MAR. 2019
For Information on Advertising, Please Call Scott Boone at (206) 221-3071. GoHuskies Magazine is published seven times a year by Learfield IMG College, in conjunction with the University of Washington Athletic Department.
GOHUSKIES MAGAZINE Learfield IMG College 3910 Montlake Boulevard – Box 354070 Seattle, WA 98195
All material produced in this publication is the property of Learfield IMG College and shall not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission from Learfield IMG College and the University of Washington Athletic Department. Please send all address changes to the attention of Tyee Club at University of Washington; Box 354070; 202 Graves Building; Seattle, WA 98195-4070 or by email at huskies@uw.edu.
EDITOR Brian Beaky WRITERS Mason Kelley, Mark Moschetti PHOTOGRAPHERS Matthew Lipsen, Don Jedlovec, Jonathan Moore, Red Box Photography, UW Athletics
FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S DESK
A
s the calendar flips to 2019, we need to take a moment to reflect and celebrate the successes of our amazing student-athletes, staff and coaches – what a fall it was on Montlake! Our beloved Husky football program put an exclamation point on 2018 with an appearance in its first Rose Bowl since 2001 after winning its second Pac-12 Championship in three seasons. It was incredible to see Husky Nation paint Pasadena purple! Volleyball made a late-season push and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in seven years. Men’s soccer found itself in the NCAA Tournament again, and under the direction of first-year head coaches Andy and Maurica Powell, our cross country programs combined for the highest finish in school history after the men placed sixth and women ninth at the NCAA Championships. The UW’s impressive fall yielded an eighth-place finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup fall standings. Our on-field performances are a great benchmark to measure the success of our department, but what sets the UW apart is that a big piece of our story is built on the foundation of academic excellence. We continue to achieve new heights in this area as well — 21 of our 22 programs posted a team GPA of at least 3.0 for the fall quarter, while our department GPA was 3.22, each figure breaking previous records. Our gymnastics team’s 3.55 (!) team GPA highlighted a group of four programs (beach volleyball, women’s cross country and men’s soccer) with a
Jennifer Cohen
3.40 or better. In addition, we had 139 studentathletes named to the Dean’s List. I am always in awe of our incredible student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff and their commitment to improve every day. We truly are preparing our student-athletes for life and are continuously reminded that none of this would be possible without the support of you, Husky Nation. We can’t wait to partner with you to see what we can accomplish this year! GO DAWGS!
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GoHUSKIES
FIRST TO
1000 The greatest GAMES, and greatest MOMENTS, of Hec Ed's first 1,000
WINS
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GAMES MOMENTS
T
1000 WINS BY BRIAN BEAKY EDITOR • GOHUSKIES MAGAZINE
heir names evoke black-and-white images of eras gone by — the Polo Grounds, Forbes Field, Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, Tiger Stadium, Fenway Park. These were America's hallowed grounds in the spring and summer of 1927, as construction began on an indoor sports arena in the shadow of the recently-built (1920) Husky Stadium in Seattle. In December — barely two months after Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig led the "Murderer's Row" Yankees to 110 wins and just their second-ever World Series title — the doors of the University of Washington Arena (as it was then called) were thrown open for the first time. The original floors were dirt, to accommodate the seven different UW teams — including football, track and field, and others — who used the facility for practices or games. To play a basketball game, two-by-fours were laid over the dirt, and the wooden basketball floor was laid on top, creating some interesting bounces. In addition to the iconic windows, skylights let light in from above — at least, that is, until one fell in a windstorm during the 1938 state high school championships. Just over 91 years later, nearly all of those great stadiums are gone, relegated to those black-and-white images in our mind. The University of Washington Arena, however — renamed Hec EdPAGE 6
mundson Pavilion in 1938 to honor the recently-retired coach, and re-christened Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion following its renovation in 1999 — continues not only to stand, but to thrive. On Jan. 19, Hec Ed played host to its 1,000th men's basketball win, becoming the first Division-I arena in America to reach that milestone. The ghosts in The Sixth Man, shot at Hec Ed in 1996, may have just been movie magic, but the ghosts that inhabit the building are very real — you can feel them in the century-old bricks that form the building's unassuming facade; you can see them in the light that falls through the windows on a sunny winter afternoon; you can sense them awakening as the energy begins to flow through the stands when the Huskies make a run. They are the legends of players and coaches past, the echoes of great games and memorable moments, the memories made and shared with friends and family throughout the decades. They are a part of us, and we are a part of them, making memories and legends to be felt — and summoned — by generations to come. Over the next 10 pages, we'll awaken some of those ghosts as we recall the most memorable moments from Hec Ed's first 1,000 wins (and, yes, one memorable defeat). And trust that we'll carry them with us for the next 1,000 to come. GoHUSKIES
DEC. 27, 1927
Washington 34 • Illinois 23 Two days after Christmas, a crowd of thousands packed into the new University of Washington Arena to see what all the fuss was about. Oh, they wanted to see the arena, alright, but also Hec Edmundson's Huskies — fresh off their best season in years, and riding a sixgame winning streak, the Huskies were the talk of the town as 1927 slipped towards 1928. Washington had spent the preseason beating up on the likes of Queen Anne and the Seattle YMCA, but to dedicate the new arena, a Big Ten team, Illinois, was brought in for a three-game series. UW captain Alfie James scored the first basket in the dedication game, and the Huskies never looked back, winning 34-23. A win by the Illini the following night would be the last by a Husky opponent in the arena for two months, a span of 10-straight Husky wins. By the end of the 1927-28 season, Washington already had 11 wins in its new home arena. The record count had officially begun.
JAN. 10, 1953
Washington 82 • #18 Idaho 58 There were great players in Hec Ed's first 25 years, but none as great as the one who arrived on campus in 1949. Bob Houbregs made an immediate impact on the Husky squad, leading Washington to two NCAA Championship appearances and breaking nearly every scoring record in the books with a seemingly unstoppable hook shot. Never was that shot on greater display than on a Saturday in January, 1953, when 18th-ranked Idaho came across the Cascades to battle the sixth-ranked Huskies in a pair of games on back-to-back days. After pulling out a close win on Friday night, the Huskies followed Houbregs to an 82-58 win the following day, with Houbregs practically outscoring the visiting Vandals single-handed. Houbregs' 49 points — without the benefit of a shot clock or three-point line — remain the most ever scored by a Husky men's player, while his 846 points in 1953 are also a UW record; indeed, even with modern rules to promote scoring, no player has come with 100 points of Houbregs' total in the 65 years since. Two months later, Houbregs would lead the Huskies to their first Final Four — adding 45- and 42-point games during the NCAA Tournament — en route to consensus All-America honors and the Helms Foundation NCAA Player of the Year award.
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FEB. 22, 1975
Washington 103 • #2 UCLA 81 The UW entered this late-season tilt with UCLA having lost just once in its last seven games. UCLA, meanwhile, had been beaten just 11 times in the previous nine years, a span during which John Wooden's teams won 255 games and seven NCAA championships. Washington, in fact, hadn't beaten UCLA since 1963, a stretch of 25-straight losses that included more games decided by 20-plus points (nine) than by single digits (six). Today, though, would be different. The Huskies sent a buzz through the sold-out crowd by jumping out to an early lead; a 16-4 run to start the second half extended the lead to 20 points, and took that buzz from a murmur to a frenzy. Reserve Larry Jackson scored 27 points and added 14 rebounds, Clarence Ramsey scored 22 points, Larry Pounds added 18, James Edwards tallied 14 and Lars Hansen had 11, as Chester Dorsey flew around dishing out 15 assists. When the final horn sounded, the Huskies hadn't just beaten the Bruins, they'd demolished them — a 103-81 win that was UCLA's worst defeat in 13 years, the second-most points ever allowed by a Wooden team, and
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GAMES MOMENTS
1000 WINS the third-worst defeat of the legend's 27-year career. It would also, it would turn out, be his last. Wooden's Bruins responded to the loss with eight straight wins, including a 92-85 victory over Kentucky in the NCAA title game, after which the "Wizard of Westwood" announced his retirement.
FEB. 22, 1979
Washington 69 • #1 UCLA 68 Four years to the day after ending UCLA's 25-game series winning streak with one of the most emphatic upsets in program history, the Huskies did it again, though this time it went down to the wire. Washington, which had won just one of its previous six games, held the Bruins to just 68 points — well below their season average — to claim a 69-68 victory, its first-ever against a No. 1-ranked opponent. Ten of those points were scored by junior Lorenzo Romar, who wasn't quite done upsetting top-ranked opponents. But, that's a story for another section — for now, it's worth noting that after ending the Bruins' decade-plus of series dominance in 1975, Washington turned Hec Ed into a house of horrors for the visiting Bruins, going 8-5 at home against UCLA from 1975-86, including six upsets of top-10 UCLA squads.
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GAMES MOMENTS
1000 WINS
MAR. 6, 2004
JAN. 29, 2004
Go ahead, ask any Washington fan what game stands out most prominently in their memory — we're willing to bet this is the first one that will come to mind. Having won eight of 10 games since the program-defining win against Arizona in January, Washington had set its sights squarely on the next giant in its path — undefeated and No. 1-ranked Stanford. Two nights prior, the Cardinal had nearly gone down to WSU, before rallying in the final seconds for the win. Husky players — who remained in the locker room after their victory over Cal to watch the end of the Stanford game before coming out for postgame interviews — could be heard cheering Stanford's victory; they wanted this glory all to themselves. The official record says that 10,086 fans packed into Hec Ed on that Saturday afternoon, but there were easily hundreds more. Every aisle and stairwell was jammed with fans willing to stand for the entire game if it meant being a part of history. And, it did. Washington outhustled and outplayed the Cardinal on both ends of the court, combining stifling defense with up-tempo offense to win, 75-62. "Everybody ran on the floor," recalls guard Tre Simmons. "I couldn’t breathe, it was so exciting. It was like being 20 feet underwater, trying to swim back to survival. When [this arena] is rocking, it’s rocking."
Washington 96 • # 9 Arizona 83 While an overtime win at Oregon State two weeks prior may have been the one that officially turned the season around, there is no question that this Thursday night game against Arizona was the one that ultimately declared to the nation — Husky basketball is back. The 2003 season had ended with just 10 wins; at just 7-8 entering the game, it didn't seem that 2004 would be much better. That is, at least, until Nate Robinson became Nate Robinson. Washington played the Wildcats tight through the game's first 30 minutes, and trailed by one point, 65-64, with just under 10 minutes left. It was at that point that senior Curtis Allen lobbed the ball from the three-point line to the rim on the opposite side, the 5-foot-9 Robinson soared high to slam it home, and the fans in Hec Ed exploded. "The guys on the bench said they saw my face on the rim," Robinson said afterward. "All the joy, all the excitement that went into the game, all the passion — that dunk symbolized the game." Not only that — it symbolized an entire era of Washington basketball that was just about to begin. Starting with this win — in which Robinson scored 31 points — the Huskies would come to be defined for their high energy and incredible athleticism, led by players like Robinson and Brandon Roy. And, most importantly for the run to 1,000 wins, the Huskies wouldn't lose again at Hec Ed until December of 2005 — a stretch of 32 wins that may mark the best the Huskies have ever been.
MY
FAVORITE MEMORY
I will always remember when we beat No. 1 Stanford and everyone stormed the court. The Dawg Pack camped out the night before and we went out and were playing video games with them; it was one of those memories student-athletes dream of. It was lit during the game, standingroom-only in Hec Ed, probably the most packed it's been. Then we won, and it was just crazy. — Nate Robinson
Washington 75 • #1 Stanford, 62
DEC. 4, 2005 #
18 Washington 99 • # 6 Gonzaga 95
The cross-state rivalry with Gonzaga hadn't been too kind to the Huskies entering the 2005 season. The two schools started playing annually in 1997, just in time for the 'Zags to make the leap from a tiny Jesuit school in the middle of nowhere, to one of college basketball's most dominant programs. Gonzaga beat Washington seven straight times from 1998-2004, but entering the 2005 matchup, a talented roster and recent history of upsets had Husky fans feeling confident. Losing streaks against Arizona and Stanford had been ended the previous year; now, it was Gonzaga's turn. And this time, it was the "other guys'" turn to shine. With Gonzaga holding star scorer Brandon Roy to just 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, Washington's secondary scorers stepped up, with Jamaal Williams scoring 22, Justin Dentmon 17 and Bobby Jones 15. The Bulldogs — led by a stunning 43-point effort from national player of the year candidate Adam Morrison — took the lead midway through the second half, but Dentmon carried the Huskies home, scoring 13 points in the final 13 minutes to seal the win, and end the streak.
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GoHUSKIES
SPIRIT IN THE STANDS SUPPORT ACROSS THE STATE When Boeing supports what our employees are passionate about, it builds strong partnerships and stronger ties throughout our communities. That’s why we’re proud to be the title sponsor of the 2019 Boeing Apple Cup Series and celebrate two historic Washington universities.
DEC. 31, 2005
1000 WINS
Arizona 96 • #7 Washington 95 (2 OT) For a loss to be among the greatest games in Hec Ed history, it has to be a doozy — and this is one that no one in attendance, or watching on TV, will soon forget. The Huskies jumped out to a 13-point lead at halftime, and seemed well on their way to a 32nd-straight home win. Arizona, however, hit four three-pointers in the first 90 seconds of the second period, and led by three points with just 15 seconds remaining, before senior Brandon Roy hit a step-back three to send the game to overtime. Late in the first overtime, Washington again trailed Arizona by three — this time, with just five seconds to go the length of the court. No problem — the Huskies again put the ball in Roy's hands, and for the second time in the span of 15 minutes, the senior ducked between two defenders and drained a three-pointer as time expired to keep the Huskies alive. Roy, who scored 35 points in the game, may well have made it threefor-three had he not fouled out with just under a minute remaining and Arizona leading by one. This time, it was freshman Ryan Appleby's turn to launch a potential game-winner, but his effort missed and, just like that, Washington's epic home winning streak — started against these same Wildcats nearly two years before — was over. But, what a way to go.
DID YOU KNOW
?
Just five months after his inauguration, President John F. Kennedy gave the commencement speech in Hec Ed to the University of Washington's graduating class of 1961.
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MAR. 7, 2009 #
16 Washington 67 • Washington State 60
The games we remember generally fall into one of three categories — upsets, last-second heroics, or incredible individual performances. This one has none of those, but is the only game that ever brought coach Lorenzo Romar to tears. This was the day the Huskies won the Pac-10 title. Senior Jon Brockman, playing his final home game, tied a career high with 18 rebounds and Quincy Pondexter added 16 as Washington won, 67-60, to clinch its firstever outright conference title. When the final horn blew, Husky players danced on the scorer's table as fans surged the court. Romar and Brockman embraced, tears welling in the coach's eyes. At halftime, Romar had pulled out a pair of scissors in the locker room — a reminder of what was at stake. As the court cleared of fans, the Huskies one-by-one climbed a ladder and used those scissors to cut down the nets — with Brockman going first. "My favorite memory in Hec Ed was climbing the ladder to cut down the nets, surrounded by the greatest fans in college basketball," Brockman recalls. "That was an unbelievable feeling."
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1000 WINS
FEB. 3, 2018
Washington 78 • #9 Arizona 75 Coming off a nine-win season, expectations were modest for Mike Hopkins' first season — just right the ship, and flash some potential, and the fans would be happy. Hopkins and the Huskies, though, had other ideas. An early-season upset of No. 2 Kansas sent notice that this wouldn't be a rebuilding season; by the time this game rolled around, Washington was 15-6 and angling for a postseason berth. Similar to the 2005 game that ended Washington's home winning streak, the Huskies jumped on the Wildcats early, leading by as many as 14 points in the first half. By the end of regulation, though, Arizona had clawed all the way back to tie the game at 75-all with 21 seconds left. Unlike that other game, though, this one wasn't going to overtime — Washington worked the ball around to sharpshooter Jaylen Nowell for the game-winner, but his shot was blocked ... right to Dominic Green, who scooped it up and just barely got it off before the buzzer, exploding with the crowd around him as it sailed through the hoop for the win.
MY
FAVORITE MEMORY
...was senior night on College Gameday. It is a game I’ll always cherish in my heart forever. Four of the best years in my life were celebrated in a big win over UCLA on the national stage. I will forever bleed purple and gold. — Quincy Pondexter
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GoHUSKIES
10 QUESTIONS WITH... GYMDAWG EVANNI ROBERSON What’s your favorite gymnastics memory? “My favorite gymnastics memory would have to be my freshman year, when we made it to the National Championship for the first time in 18 years.”
Why did you start gymnastics? “I started gymnastics because I was a wild child and I was jumping off of things, climbing on things and whipping around as I started to walk, so my mom put me in gymnastics classes. ”
Why do you love gymnastics? “What I love about gymnastics is all of the relationships I make with my teammates. I build lifelong best friends. ”
What are your hobbies outside of gymnastics? “I really just like to relax and hang out with my teammates that I live with — Maya Washington, Michaela Nelson, Madison Copiak and Kristyn Hoffa. I watch a lot of TV and sometimes I go home and hang out with my family. ”
What are you watching on Netflix? “I love docuseries, so I like "My Strange Addiction", "Dr. Phil" and "Intervention".”
What is something you want to learn? “I’ve taken ASL for a few years and I’d love to learn the whole language and become fluent in it.”
What is your favorite part of UW or Seattle? “My favorite part of Seattle is all of the things there are to do. I can drive 20 minutes and be in the city, or drive 10 minutes and be home in the suburbs and relax. I can find middle ground, too.”
Where do you want to travel? “I’d love to travel to Greece; I think that would be fun.”
Where do you see yourself in five years? “In five years, I hope to see myself teaching in the classroom or teaching in education policy.”
What does it mean to be a GymDawg? “What it means to me to be a GymDawg is a lot of hard work, a lot of teamwork, always being a team player and always being there for the team and putting the team before myself. Everything I do, I leave it on the floor for my girls. ”
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SWING NG
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GoHUSKIES
Fresh off dual World Series trips, Washington’s baseball and softball teams have their eyes on the postseason once again BY MARK MOSCHETTI FOR GO HUSKIES THE MAGAZINE
325 n their own diamond last spring, University of Washington softball players had a lot on their minds — such as earning a second-consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series. But, that group of Huskies was keenly aware of what was happening on the UW’s other diamond — the “Diamond on Montlake.” It was there where coach Lindsey Meggs was leading his baseball team to the school’s firstever trip to Omaha, Neb., and the College World Series. “That was the coolest thing in the world,” says returning softball star Sis Bates. “We were at our hotel (at their Series in Oklahoma City) when the baseball team was playing to go. We were all watching and got the chills – we were so excited for them.” Washington catcher Nick Kahle knew he and his teammates were part of something special after the Huskies made a scintillating late-season surge — 10 wins in their last 12 games leading up to Omaha. “Two sports being pretty similar, both in the final eight — that was pretty cool,” Kahle says. “They work hard and we see them working out and doing all of that. Seeing them get
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to the World Series as well as us getting there was awesome.” Neither Meggs, entering his 10th season, nor Tarr, going into her 15th, is ready to make any bold predictions about a return trip — at least not yet — as both are blending numerous newcomers (10 for baseball, nine for softball) with their corps of veterans. “We have really good balance," Meggs says. "We have some older guys who obviously have played in Omaha and have been through some things. Then, we have some young guys who are ready to take the next step and can really explode in terms of the work they’ve done.” Likewise, Tarr has a group of players who have been through all that goes with playing on the national stage. She will be leaning upon them to educate the younger Huskies, not so much on what it feels like to be there — but rather, what it takes just to get there. “We knew coming in this would be a year where we get to re-teach some of our values,” Tarr says. “We’re young just in identity. But, we’re definitely deep in the pitching we return.”
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Senior TARAN ALVELO is one of UW's three returning All-Americans, including fellow hurler Gabbie Plain.
MORE ALL-AMERICANS THAN ANYONE
I
ndeed, if there’s one spot where depth and experience matter most, it’s in the pitching circle. The Huskies return not one but two All-Americans in senior right-hander Taran Alvelo and sophomore righty Gabbie Plain. Alvelo went 23-5 with 242 strikeouts — the most by a UW pitcher since 2010 — and a 1.30 earned run average. Plain was 22-5 with 181 Ks and a 1.01 ERA. She became just the fourth UW freshman to win 20 or more games. “Taran is on a mission her senior year to do all that she can to lead us to where we can go,” Tarr says. “And, it definitely helps to have someone like Gabbie coming back after a stellar freshman year and showing the world who she is.” Joining them will be sophomore left-hander Pat Moore, a transfer from DePaul. She went 12-6 with 158 strikeouts, a 2.11 ERA, and was named Big East Pitcher of the Year. Eager to crouch behind the plate again is redshirt junior Morganne Flores. As a sophomore in 2017, she started all 64 games at catcher, and led the team (as well as the Pacific-12 Conference) with 74 RBIs on the way to second-team all-region honors. But, she missed all of last year with a knee injury. Junior shortstop Sis Bates makes it three returning All-Americans for Washington — the only team in the nation with three active 2018 recipients of that honor. In addition to her first-team All-American, All-Region and All Pac-12 honors, Bates was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year with her .978 fielding percentage (just four errors on 177 chances). She can slug the ball, too, with a team-high .389 batting average, five homers and 15 doubles. Other returning regular starters from the 52-10 team are sophomore infielder Noelle Hee and junior second baseman Taryn Attlee. Looking to blend in with all of that experience are eight freshmen, the most since 10 came aboard in 2001. Some of them potentially could start — but, so can a lot of other players. “We could make a right handed-heavy lineup with power; we could make a small-ball lineup with speed; we could do a combination thereof,” Tarr says. It’s all with the same thing in mind. “We’re not returning the same team that finished third at the College World Series,” Tarr says. “Our goals are the same. The way we’re going to go about it is different.”
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EAGER FOR AN ENCORE
F
or all of the tangibles the Huskies have back from their 35-26 season and trip to Omaha — four All Pac-12 players, three of their top-five hitters, one starting pitcher — it’s some intangibles that stand out for Meggs. “There’s a little bit of confidence brewing and feeling like we’ve reached one of our goals,” was one of the first things Meggs said during a preseason media day. “We’d love to get back out on the field and get better and see how far we can go.” That All Pac-12 foursome includes two of Washington’s leading hitters in fifth-year senior Joe Wainhouse and senior Mason Cerrillo. Wainhouse missed most of 2017 with an injury, but came back in a big way last season, earning All-Region as well as All Pac12 honors. He played 58 of the 61 games, starting 57 at designated hitter, and pitched twice, coming out of the bullpen. Wainhouse batted .306 with team-leading totals of 19 home runs and 61 RBIs. Of those 19 homers, 13 came in the final 20 games.
GoHUSKIES
Cerrillo started 55 games (42 in left, 13 at first base). His .341 batting average was second-highest on the squad. Included among his team-high 42 hits was a 4-for-8 performance in the two World Series games. Junior catcher Nick Kahle also was an allconference choice. He was the only Husky to start all 61 games — and he got on base in 54. His six homers all came after May 12, coinciding with Washington’s run of 10 wins in 12 games that propelled them to Omaha. Kahle caught 536 of a possible 553 innings, and was on the Johnny Bench Award watch list. And, he has those intangibles. “Nick gives us not just the numbers and the production, he gives us confidence back there,” Meggs says. “His strength is his demeanor, and he’s really professional.” One of the pitchers Kahle will be catching is All Pac-12 honorable mention pick Jordan Jones. The junior right-hander started 18 of his 19 appearances, compiling a 6-4 record with a 3.98 earned-run average and 83 strikeouts in 104 innings. He pitched in the Oregon State series, against Cal State Fullerton in the Super Regionals, and in Omaha. Other top returning pitchers for the Huskies are three sophomore righties: Stevie
JOE WAINHOUSE was one of the
nation's top sluggers over the final month of the Huskies’ 2018 World Series run, jacking 13 of his team-leading 19 home runs in the season's final 20 games.
Emanuels (8-2, 4.37 ERA), Josh Burgmann (2-2, 3.19) and Dylan Lamb (1-0, 3.95). All three came out of the bullpen in 2018. Meggs will be counting on everyone — and on the intangibles, especially in conference play. “We expect every weekend in the Pac12 to be a dogfight, a cage match,” he says. “Chemistry and a willingness to be unselfish – that’s what separates people on Sundays from the top half of the league to the bottom half of the league.”
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THE
Longest Yard
UW national champion PHIL GREEN has never been one to back down from a challenge — an attitude he’s currently applying towards the battle against ALS
E
BY MASON KELLEY
verything Phil Green has achieved in his life, he was able to accomplish because he was willing to ask for what he wanted before finding a way to make it happen. He was a walk-on at Washington who joined a national championship football program, because he asked for a tryout and made the team. “I could have just played intramural sports, but I asked,” he says. “I showed up, I did it, and now I have two Rose Bowl rings and a national championship ring.” He became an executive at Sony in his late 20s, because he sought out the right people, asked the right questions and made the most of his opportunity. And now, after being diagnosed with ALS in August, the 49-year-old is still asking questions, seeking out the right people, and the appropriate organizations, to ensure he can make a difference in raising awareness for the disease. “I didn’t know what ALS was,” Green says. “I did the Ice Bucket Challenge, but I didn’t really understand what ALS was and what it did to people, and I consider myself to be an intelligent person. “I don’t know why I have it and it sucks, because there’s no cure.” PAGE 24
Now that he has been diagnosed, “I want to inform people. This is what’s going on with people who have this disease.” Green doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself. He wakes up each day determined to do at least one thing to make someone else’s day better. He works to be the best father to his four children – Arianne (16), Hunter (15), Parker (11) and Whitney (8) – the best husband to his wife (Jennifer) and the best advocate for the ALS community.
H
e is determined to continue to live his life the same way he has since he was a high school senior in Anchorage, Alaska, on his way to the University of Washington. Back then, he wanted to play soccer at Washington. He took it upon himself to reach out to the coaching staff, but the Huskies’ roster was already filled for the year. “I’ll just go to school, make relationships with the program and if I feel like there’s an opportunity for me next year, I’ll try out,” he recalls of his mindset at the time. GoHUSKIES
Green kept moving forward. He made sure he got “Feel what?” he responded. the most out of his first few years at Washington. He looked down and saw it right away. It started “I got consumed with what was going on in to spread, first into his forearms, biceps, shoulders school, having fun and all that stuff,” he says. “I and chest, before moving to his abs, legs and calves. forgot about playing soccer. I played a bunch of inGreen tried to get the twitching to stop. He quit tramural sports, dominated.” drinking coffee, cut out all alcohol. He took vitaHe played flag football and soccer and won mins. Nothing worked. championships. In fact, his photo still hangs in the “This isn’t normal,” he thought to himself. IMA building. He decided to see a neurologist and began to After dominating IMA soccer Eventually, though, one of Green’s best friends, have tests done at two different hospitals. Diagand flag football games, friends Jarrett Mentink — he is married to ROOT Sports nosing ALS is a process of elimination. It takes time. encouraged Phil Green to try walking broadcaster and former Washington softball Green began to accept what he believed would be his on to the Huskies' football team in standout Angie Mentink — began to get frustrated diagnosis before it became official on Aug. 29. 1991 — a team dominated by with Green wasting his talents competing in intra“You mentally prepare for that months before All-Americans and NFL prospects. mural competitions. the official diagnosis,” he says. “I was already mov“What are you doing?” Mentink asked. “You’re like the most ridicu- ing forward mentally. How can I turn this really negative thing, which lous athlete and you’re playing intramural soccer and football with us? can crush you if you let it, and turn it into something positive?” You should be playing in college somewhere. You need to figure out Green has never been afraid to try something new, and he treated how to play soccer [or] football. I’m tired of you just wasting this tal- his diagnosis as his latest challenge. ent.” “Who walks onto, arguably, the best football team ever and thinks, Former Husky kicker Channing Wyles just happened to also play ‘I can earn playing time on this team?’” he says. “I’m not really afraid to intramural soccer. After one of the games, Green decided to inquire try something. Or, maybe I’m just so naïve to think I can do something.” about how he would go about kicking for the Huskies. One thing is certain, Green has the mental makeup to turn his cur“Would you mind going and seeing if I have a chance?” he asked. rent situation into a positive, as much as that is possible while dealing They went into Husky Stadium and Green showed off a college- with the progressive disease. caliber kicking leg. After his diagnosis, he started making phone calls. Wyles offered to make introductions and, at the start of the 1991 “I immediately began networking in the ALS community,” he says. season, Green was a walk-on kicker. “I found people I wanted to surround myself with, because I liked what “I remember coming down for camp and thinking, ‘I’m going to win they were doing.” this job,’ Green says, looking back. He reached out to Steve Gleason. He contacted Augie’s Quest, He ended up as the program’s third-string kicker. After the season, founded by Augie Nieto. while training, the coaching staff took notice of Green’s performance. “I reached out to them,” he says. “I wanted to get involved. They “I was focused on getting stronger, faster, doing matt drills,” he immediately embraced me and my family into their family.” said. “For a kicker position group, I’m off the charts, benching threeThen he met Brian Wallach, a lawyer in Chicago who is starting the fifty, running a four-five forty.” I AM ALS initiative, a patient-driven force to affect change in the ALS Randy Hart, the Huskies’ defensive line coach, tried to get Green to community. switch to defensive end, but there wasn’t enough time to put on the 20 “I want to increase the momentum for what we’re trying to do here,” pounds Green needed to add before his final season, so he ended up play- Green says. ing free safety, competing alongside Tommie Smith and Shane Pahukoa. Spreading awareness and raising money has become Green’s job. He “I had these guys who were Rose Bowl elite showing me how to approaches each day by focusing on maintaining the balance between play free safety,” Green says. “It was awesome. For me, it was the working to help the cause and ensuring his family gets plenty of dad time. right choice. I had no chance of playing. But for me, I didn’t care.” “I have my family I want to focus on,” he says. “How do I spend meaningful time with them and have them remember me in a way that feels fter he finished playing football, Green wasn’t ready to give up good? When I get to that point when I’m in a wheelchair and I can’t speak competition. He decided to play professional soccer. anymore, I don’t want them to remember their time with me in that way. “I played semipro for two years,” he says. “I tried out for the MLS, I want them remembering the things we did while I was still able to.” didn’t make it.” Green is also working toward starting his own foundation that will By the time he was 26, he made a decision. try to raise funds he will then distribute to worthy causes within the “I’m done,” he told himself. It’s time to focus on building a career. ALS community. That will be my new competition.” “My goal is to make a difference,” he says. “That’s what I’m trying He got into technology and landed a job with Sony in San Diego, Ca- to do every day.” lif. He was in his late 20s, starting a family and enjoying life. Then, he When he gets out of bed, he is motivated by a simple question: Am decided he wanted to take his kids to Husky games. So, 14 years ago, I making a difference? he moved back to Seattle. “Can I make a difference someone’s life? ALS? My kids?” Green says. Years passed. Life was good. The family decided to head back to “If everybody took that approach, woke up every day and asked, 'How California. However, before the move, Jennifer noticed her husband’s can I help someone today?' If everyone did that, the world would be a triceps were twitching. better place.” “Do you feel that?” she asked. Continued on page 26 Not only did Green not feel anything, he hadn’t even noticed it.
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In Green’s two seasons on the UW squad — one as a backup kicker, and another as a safety behind Tommie Smith and Shane Pahukoa — the team won back-to-back Rose Bowls, and the 1991 National Championship.
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here are days he wakes up and feels so good he thinks, “Maybe I don’t have it.” Then, he starts to get dressed. He can no longer button a shirt and tying shoes isn’t worth the energy, so he wears slip-ons. But, the realization of limitations takes time. For a Tyee event in Los Angeles before the Rose Bowl, Green made the hour drive from his home with his purple button-down shirt hung up behind him; he didn't want to wrinkle it before the event. He parked the car, then realized he wouldn’t be able to put on the shirt without help. He found a parking attendant. “This is going to sound weird, but would you mind helping me button my shirt?” Green asked. “That is kind of weird,” the attendant replied, “but I’ll help you.” Later that night, Green was going for sushi with a friend. “Can you use chopsticks?” the friend asked. “Yeah, I can use chopsticks," Green replied."I lived in Japan for two years.” It didn’t dawn on Green that his hands would prevent him from gripping the chopsticks. “Sometimes I forget this is real and it’s happening to me,” he says. “Sometimes I forget I have limitations.” Those limitations aren’t discouraging for Green, they are simply realities he has to accept while making adjustments accordingly, so he can make a difference. “I pull whatever lever, make whatever phone call,” he says. “I try to make a difference with my small contribution.” When Augie’s Quest needed a host for an event, he called his Washington teammate Joel McHale. “I haven’t talked to you in 20-some years,” Green says. “This is what’s going on with me. If you’re available, would you be interested in being the entertainment on this date.” McHale said he would try. As Green has done his whole life, he continues to ask for what he needs. It got him a roster spot on a national championship football program. And, it’s helping raise awareness and funds for the ALS community. “That’s one thing I’ve learned,” he says. “Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid to ask. They might say yes.”
To learn more about ALS and the — I Am ALS Foundation — visit
iamals.org PAGE 26
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Photographs by RED BOX PICTURES
PURPLE ROSES
Washington painted Pasadena purple on New Year’s Day as the Huskies returned to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 2000 season.
To purchase Husky Athletics photography, visit www.HUSKIESPHOTOSTORE.com
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