Tag: Pro Dawgs

Washington legend Nate Robinson opens up on kidney failure

Washington Huskies legend Nate Robinson opened up on his battle with kidney failure.

In April 2024, Washington Huskies legend Nate Robinson announced that he had been diagnosed with kidney failure and if he doesn’t receive a kidney donation soon, he doesn’t have long to live. Since then, the Washington and greater Seattle community has rallied behind the Husky Hall of Famer, who opened up on his struggles with Tyler Tynes and Men’s Health.

Robinson discussed that throughout his 11-year NBA career, where he played with eight teams and won three Slam Dunk Contests, he dealt with high blood pressure and was even advised by team doctors to sit games out when it was too high.

“I felt like I was Superman. I never thought I would get sick,” he told Tynes.

Even after his NBA career ended, he continued playing internationally, winning MVP and a league championship in Venezuela. He also tried out for the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 thanks to his football background from his time at Washington and his father, All-Pac-10 running back Jacque Robinson.

Robinson pushed as hard as he could to keep his athletic career going for as long as possible, taking up professional boxing and playing basketball internationally and in the Ice Cube-backed Big3 league.

However, while at a basketball tournament for his son in Philadelphia, he caught the coronavirus and his health took a turn.

“When I got back home to Seattle, I went straight to the hospital,” he said. “It was bad, bro. I was in the hospital for a week. My body, my insides just… stopped working. They told me I might as well start dialysis today. ‘Your kidneys are working too hard; they’re deteriorating as we speak. The only way you will walk out of here alive is if you start dialysis.’ It was the only thing I had left.”

While in search of a new kidney, Robinson has made changes to his diet, exercises where he can, and has devoted as much time as possible to his three children. His oldest, Nahmier, plays cornerback for coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.

Through all the hardships, there’s one thing Robinson hasn’t lost, his impressive leaping ability.

“Man, I can still grab rim! Thank God,” he said. “I haven’t tried to dunk yet. I feel like if I can continue to work, I can get back to it.”

To read Robinson’s full interview with Tyler Tines for Men’s Health, click here.

If you want to register as a potential kidney donor for Robinson, click here.

Jalen McMillan has turned heads at Tampa Bay Buccaneers minicamp

Another Washington Huskies wide receiver has been making waves early in his stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Former Washington wide receivers are making impressions across the NFL ahead of their professional debuts. Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk have seen some glowing reviews following minicamps with the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots respectively, as has Jalen McMillan with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to multiple reports, McMillan has continued to display what Husky fans saw throughout his career in Seattle, reliable hands and fluidity as a route runner.

The third-round pick’s skillset has made an impression on head coach Todd Bowles, who seems excited to get him involved in Tampa Bay’s offense alongside stars Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

“He’s had a nice couple of weeks,” Bowles told members of the media. “He can catch the ball – we know that. He’s a good route runner, he’s a competitor, he’s very intelligent – that impressed me the most. I can’t wait to see him in pads.”

McMillan has mainly been working with the first-team offense, catching passes from quarterback Baker Mayfield and Bowles has plenty of ideas on how to deploy the rookie receiver after he displayed tons of versatility while working with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on Montlake.

“Anytime you can get another ball catcher, route runner, and intelligent receiver,” Bowles said. “He fits in well, no matter where we put him at. He had a lot of versatility in college. He played in the slot, he played ‘Z,’ he played ‘X.’ He’s a very intelligent player. That gives us some advantages.”

Washington alum Brock Huard to be featured in Madden 25

Former Washington Huskies quarterback Brock Huard will be one of the featured announcers in Madden 25.

Whenever gamers fire up their copy of EA Sports’ Madden 25, they’re going to hear the voice of former Washington Huskies quarterback Brock Huard, who calls both college and NFL games with Fox Sports.

In an effort to update the game and keep it competitive with College Football 25, which should outsell Madden in its return, one feature that EA added to both games is multiple broadcast crews for different games. Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis will now rotate with crews of Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen, and Kate Scott and Huard.

It’s a Pac-12 reunion for Scott and Huard, as Scott spent eight years with the Pac-12 Network as a play-by-play broadcaster.

During his time at Washington, Huard passed for 5,742 yards and 51 touchdowns over three seasons, which led to him being selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft. He then spent six seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts, amassing 689 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Ja’Lynn Polk signs rookie deal with New England Patriots

Washington Huskies second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk officially signed his rookie contract with the team.

Former Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk inked his rookie contract with the New England Patriots on Thursday afternoon, becoming the final member of the team’s eight-man draft class to do so.

Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo selected Polk in the second round, with the No. 37 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, and have high hopes for him after he pulled in 69 catches for 1,159 yards and 9 touchdowns with the Huskies in 2023.

“He’s one of those guys that isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. Sometimes you need those receivers to come in there and kind of dig out support, and he does that at a very high level,” Mayo said after the draft. “He’s one of those guys, smooth route-runner, has good hands, can do a lot of different things, and he’s smart. And that’s one thing that we covet around here.”

The terms of Polk’s contract weren’t released by the team, but according to Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, it’s worth up to $9.69 million over four years, with $3.87 million guaranteed.

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Rome Odunze has his sights set on a former teammate’s NFL record

Rome Odunze wants to break his former Husky teammate Puka Nacua’s NFL records in his rookie season.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze have some high expectations around their NFL futures after they were selected as the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks respectively in the 2024 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.

Odunze met with the media on Wednesday and did nothing but add to those expectations while shouting out another former UW receiver, Puka Nacua, who set NFL rookie records for catches and yards in 2023.

“I think it’s very important to set goals and strive for the highest of the high,” Odunze said. “It’s unique in my situation because I went to school with Puka Nacua, so I was following him and got to see what he did so I’m absolutely chasing that.”

Odunze and Nacua only spent the 2020 season together, as the Rams star transferred to BYU following the year to be closer to his family, but Odunze has looked up to Nacua for a long time.

“We knew Puka was like that because he was going he was going against Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon – who, I mean, Trent McDuffie, in my opinion might be the best corner in the league,” Odunze told Ryan Clark on “The Pivot” podcast in April.

“He’s a dog. He was the one that taught us to go smack a D-end or go block a linebacker. So we knew he was him.”

Now, Odunze isn’t just chasing his record, but he’s also chasing greatness with the Bears and wants to etch his name among Chicago’s all-time best receivers.

“I think chasing those records is important because I said this at Washington, I want to leave the Bears organization better than I found it. If I have name on some of those records, I feel like that’s just one facet of me doing so.”

Ja’Lynn Polk has strong day at Patriots minicamp

Second round pick Ja’Lynn Polk has continued to turn heads during his first year with the New England Patriots.

With one second left on the clock in the final day of New England Patriots minicamp, former Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk ran a fade route and made a leaping catch to pull in a touchdown catch from fellow rookie, quarterback Drake Maye.

The two have established a very strong connection, similar to what Polk had with Michael Penix Jr. during their two years together in Seattle.

“The drive before, Drake goes, ‘be ready,’ ” Polk told the media after practice, “So, going in the next drive, I had a fade. We had an option to go a fade or another route, so I heard it in my head, and I heard him in my head, ‘I’m throwing that fade.’ So, in my head, I’m like, ‘Go make a play.’ He trusts us, he trusts the guys around him, so go do what we do and go make a play.”

By all accounts, Polk had a great day of practice while working with both Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. He has some stiff competition as he pushes to make his way into the starting lineup before his first NFL campaign and has made an impression on Jerod Mayo’s coaching staff while working against someone he knows very well, 2023 first-round pick and former Oregon Ducks cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

Even though the season is still three months away, Polk, who is always one of the most mentally prepared players on the field, also discussed his mindset for being relied on to make big plays in clutch moments, even at practice.

“It was one second left, end of the game, I’m putting myself in those situations just like it’s going to be in the season,” Polk said. “And putting myself in those shoes and making a play for my team. All of the receivers in there, making plays, and when the team is going out there on that last drive and counting on you, I want everybody to put that chip on my shoulder to go out there and make that play.”

Former Washington All-American Olin Kreutz lands on College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

Former Washington Huskies All-American Olin Kreutz is on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.

Former Washington Huskies center Olin Kreutz is on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. Known as one of the best offensive linemen in school history, Kreutz used to torment defensive lines and was a savage protector for quarterback Brock Huard. He punched holes and moved opponents for running back Corey Dillon, who set the Pac-10’s single-season rushing and touchdown record in 1996.

The Honolulu, Hawaii native was recruited from St. Louis High School and was teammates with former Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dominic Raiola and Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Chris Fuamatu-Maʻafala. Kreutz is part of a long line of famous alumni from the school, including Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Kreutz played under coach Jim Lambright at Washington from 1995-1997 and declared for the 1998 NFL draft. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round with the No. 64 overall pick.

“One of the things that really impressed you when we recruited him is the fact that he was so physically strong and mentally and emotionally motivated to succeed,” Lambright told the Seattle Times in 2011, “It was a combination of attitude and brute strength.”

During his time on Montlake, Kreutz was named a 1997 consensus first-team All-American and to the All-Pac-10 First Team in both 1996 and 1997. He was also awarded the 1997 Morris Trophy, which is given to the top lineman in the Pac-10, along with the Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award at Washington’s annual postseason banquet.

Kreutz went on to the play for 13 seasons in the NFL, twelve with the Chicago Bears and one with the New Orleans Saints. He was named a first team All-Pro in 2006, second team All-Pro in 2005, and to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.

Voting is open now for the CFB Hall of Fame and the inductees will be honored on December 10 in Las Vegas at the 66th annual National Football Foundation Awards Dinner.

Matt Eberfleus tabs Rome Odunze as mincamp’s most impressive player

It hasn’t taken long for Washington Huskies star Rome Odunze to impress his NFL peers.

Former Washington Huskies star Rome Odunze missed multiple weeks of Chicago Bears minicamp with hamstring tightness, but the time off didn’t seem to set him back at all. As the Bears host their mandatory minicamp, head coach Matt Eberfleus highlighted Odunze as the biggest standout from the workouts.

“Rome really impressed us in terms of his ability to grab concepts and really execute out there,” Eberfleus said following Thursday’s practice.

Odunze has been utilized with the first-team offense, where by all accounts he has already formed an exciting connection with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, but Eberfleus has also tried him out as a punt returner in an attempt to give the former All-American the ball in as many ways as possible.

He returned just 3 punts over his four seasons on Montlake but took one back for an 83-yard touchdown against the California Golden Bears.

One of the biggest additions Chicago made in the offseason was trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers. The 11-year veteran has been a guide for Odunze’s NFL transition on and off the field and told the media that he has been just as impressed as the coaching staff with the No. 9 overall pick.

“Rome looks great. He’s the guy who stepped in and he’s been with the [first-team] right off the bat,” Allen told the media. “He knows what he’s doing, his responsibilities, and that’s huge. First coming in, we haven’t even got to training camp, and he already knows where to go, where to line up, where to be at, so that’s huge.”

Fautanu inks rookie contract with Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Washington Huskies alumnus Troy Fautanu, their first-round pick, to his rookie contract.

Former Washington Huskies left tackle Troy Fautanu had his dreams come true after he was selected with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft by his favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Monday, those dreams continued to become reality when he signed his rookie contract with the team.

“It couldn’t have gone any better. I grew up a Troy Polamalu fan,” Fautanu said in a press release. “I wore No. 43 pretty much my whole life until I switched to the offensive line and couldn’t wear it. Just growing up, being a fan of the Steelers, I know a lot about the team and the history. I am super excited, and it couldn’t have been any better. It’s with the team I grew up loving.”

“I was a little crybaby. I’m not going to lie,” Fautanu said about being selected by Pittsburgh. “It was very nerve-wracking up to that point. I am just happy things happened the way they did, and I was able to get drafted by a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

“We’re really excited about Troy,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “The tape was just really, really impressive, not only in terms of his talents, but really I think his talents were really highlighted by the way that Washington utilized his talents schematically. You saw everything that you wanted to see. You saw him out in space in the perimeter game, be it crack toss or wide receiver screens. He was great in the run game. He was great as a drop-back pass protector.”

“His commitment to the game, his passion for the game really was evident in communicating with him. His passion is real. It is a calling card, coupled with his tremendous athletic talent. I just think his relationship with the game is a pure one. He’s a competitor. He loves football. He loves the things that come with football, based on talking to those around him, the preparation things, the training, practice. He’s a black and gold type of a guy.”

The details of Fautanu’s contract haven’t been released and Pittsburgh has some high hopes for the rookie, who could step in as their starting left tackle this year across from the team’s 2023 first-round pick, right tackle Broderick Jones.

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Will Simpson is making waves with the Oakland A’s

Former Washington Huskies star Will Simpson has been one of the Oakland A’s best prospects to begin the 2024 season.

Former Washington Huskies star Will Simpson has done nothing but hit since beginning his professional career, picking up right where he left off after leaving Montlake. He batted .335 with 18 home runs during his final year in Seattle before being selected in round No. 15 by the Oakland Athletics, where he continued to hit.

After posting a .322 in Low-A to end 2023, he was promoted to Oakland’s High-A affiliate, the Lansing Lugnuts to begin the 2024 season. Through the club’s first 42 games, he holds a .299 batting average and a .926 OPS thanks to his team-high 34 walks and 19 extra-base hits, 4 of which are home runs.

Simpson also has 32 runs batted in and has impressed Oakland’s front office with his athleticism and defensive versatility, playing first and third base this year.

“He understands the game,” A’s director of player development Ed Sprague told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos. “The new ways of analytics and everything about how to approach it. How pitchers attack hitters based on the stuff they do. He’s really advanced in that aspect of it. He’s a pretty solid defender at first in spite of his size. We’re excited to have him.”

As he continues to hit, some members of Oakland’s coaching staff have even compared him to former MLB All-Star Garrett Cooper.

“Will has been a revelation in the Midwest League,” A’s assistant general manager Billy Owens told Gallegos. “He’s a big man with underrated athleticism. He barrels baseballs with real power.”