While I try to find a few natural doses of "15-hour energy" to propel me to the finish of an entire high school football preview for the county and begin to hit up the local fields for action some drool over and some yawn about, there are plenty of bigger, more substantial stories that get lost in the shuffle.
Good thing I'm not the only one who cares about what goes on down in the 'Dale, especially the college. If you live somewhere other than under a rock (or Waldron for that matter) you already know that Tom Korte is making Charger crazies proud. He picked off a Colt Brennan pass and returned it 47 yards during the Pittsburgh Steelers second preseason game.
Here is the full-text of a delightful and insightful post by Brian VanOchten of the Grand Rapids Free Press. I also took the liberty to keep other useful snippets on several other GLIAC players chasing the same dream as TK.
Catholic Central's Tom Korte intercepts a pass during Steelers' preseason loss to Washington
Tom Korte is living the NFL dream as a free-agent linebacker attempting to earn a roster spot with the Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers.So far, so good.
The former Catholic Central High School standout had an interception for the Steelers in a 17-13 defeat at Washington on Saturday night in preseason action.
He stepped in front of Washington quarterback Colt Brennan's pass at the Pittsburgh 5-yard line with 4:13 left in the fourth quarter and returned it 27 yards.
"A lot of young guys were out there," Korte said of the third-team defense. "I was just reading the quarterback's eyes and I made a good break on the ball.
"It was a good play for me. I needed that. I was just in the right place at the right time."
Korte, 23, hopes that Pittsburgh is the right place for him.
The 6-foot, 239-pound undrafted rookie from Hillsdale College is fighting for a spot on a team loaded with defensive stars such as veteran linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley and safety Troy Polamalu.
"It's a tight race. It's really going to come down to who makes the plays on special teams," Korte said of claiming one of the final spots on the 53-man roster. "I'm just trying to play my hardest. Hopefully, the breaks will continue to come my way."
He had two tackles, including one solo, against Washington.
He also contributed one special teams tackle while helping the Steelers earn a 20-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in their Aug. 13 preseason opener.
"It's just a dream come true to be in camp with a team like the Steelers," Korte said. "I'm just trying to keep living that dream every day."
Here's how other GLIAC players fared in Week 2 of the preseason:
Joe Berger, Michigan Tech, Miami Dolphins
The fifth-year offensive lineman from Michigan Tech helped the Dolphins prevail, 27-17, against Carolina on Saturday night. The backup guard/center recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter to preserve Miami's final scoring drive. He also played as a reserve for the Dolphins in a 12-9 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 17 in the preseason opener.
Brandon Carr, Grand Valley State, Kansas City Chiefs
The second-year starting cornerback did not record a tackle in Friday's preseason contest against the Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs lost, 17-13.
Eric Fowler, Grand Valley State, Detroit Lions
The second-year wide receiver caught three passes for 23 yards in a 27-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Saturday night. He is third on the Lions in receiving with four catches for 44 yards in the preseason.
Todd Herremans, Saginaw Valley State, Philadelphia Eagles
The fifth-year starting left guard from Saginaw Valley State missed his second consecutive preseason game with a foot injury. He is not expected to play this weekend.
Derrick Jones, Grand Valley State, Buffalo Bills
The free-agent defensive tackle played as a reserve but did not record a tackle Saturday in a 31-21 loss to the host Green Bay Packers. He has one tackle in three preseason games.
Also:
Free-agent offensive lineman Brandon Barnes (Grand Valley State) was waived Aug. 17 by the Indianapolis Colts.
Here is a bit of a scouting report on St. Joes, who the Chargers play in four days..(albeit it from the school Web site, so consider the bias)
and
Thanks to A-Lo here is this as well:
St. Joe's provides the following links for visiting fans:
Tickets
Maps/Directions
Lodging/Dining guide (two words: roller rink)
Fan Guidelines (You crazy Hillsdale fans better watch it!)
I'll have plenty of original content to put on here before the end of the week. But until then, I'm glad I'm just lost, not lost and alone.
0 comments:
Post a Comment