Author Archives: Mike Singer

Jamar Taylor – Taking His Talents To South Beach

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Jamar Taylor was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2013 draft – 54th overall. The Dolphins, to put it nicely, need some help at defensive back. They ranked near the bottom of the league in pass defense. Along with signing veteran cornerback Brent Grimes, he and Taylor should make a real solid combo for Miami.

As some of you guys know – I live in Tampa, Florida – about four hours away from Miami. I’ve been a Dolphins fan since I was six. If you don’t follow me on twitter, let’s just say I was pretty excited about the Fins drafting my boy Jamar. If you do follow me on twitter, I’m sorry I had to subject you to my barrage of tweets… I got thrown in “twitter jail” for tweeting so much!

One thing I found extremely funny, was all the Dolphins fans on twitter who acted like they knew who Jamar Taylor was. The only things they really knew were his 40 time (4.39) and that he went to Boise State! But after Boise’s recent success of players in the NFL – people are starting to seriously recognize BSU – ESPECIALLY these DB’s! (Read the article by the extremely smart, savvy, and handsome Heath Dreger – about the success of the BSU DB’s in recent years)

Jarrell Root ,former BSU defensive lineman, currently is a Dolphin. I believe Root is on the practice squad, but don’t quote me on that one. Legedu Naanee was a Dolphins during training camp last year before he got cut.

One thing Dolphins fans are pumped about, in a sort of joking manner, is the initials JT being back in Miami. Jason Taylor is a soon-to-be hall of fame defensive end and current ESPN analyst – and of course has the same initials and last name of Jamar Taylor. Kind of random but I thought I’d just point that out.

All of my Boise State pals are pumped. All of my Dolphins pals are pumped. I’m pumped. Jamar is pumped. This is gonna be awesome!

Enough of my rambling.. Let’s see some of the tweets from the professionals about the new JT and the Fins.

 

 

 

Below is an awesome highlight tape/get your heart burning for football video on Jamar

 

With how much I tweet, it took me forever to find this.. They didn’t trade back to 18 – they just waited till 54.. Check the date.

Before JT got drafted lol

The prototypical cornerback in the NFL is big, fast, strong, good ball skills, and quick hips. JT is the prototypical cornerback and I believe (maybe I have a little bias) that he’s going to be a top ten corner in the NFL!

BTN Offseason Interview Series – Recap

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BTNGraphic

The BTN staff was more than excited to interview a few notable BSU stars of the past few years. We hope our viewers enjoyed them as much as we did! The seven interviews we conducted can all be viewed on this page.

Here are a few highlights from the interviews -

From the Austin Pettis Interview:

BTN: Going from high school to college, and from college to the pros – what were the biggest changes you had you adapt to as a receiver moving up in each level?

AP: Biggest adjustment HS to college as a WR was knowledge of the game. I learned a lot more about the X’s and O’s of football rather than relying on athletic ability. College to the NFL is a much bigger adjustment. Every player you go against is the best of the best. Everyone is the biggest and fastest player so you have to find out what little things you can gain a advantage by.

Interview with Marty Tadman:

BTN: What is your favorite personal moment and team moment during your football career at Boise State?

MT: I have many of these moments..so I’ll just list a few:

Personal Moments:
1. My first play as a true freshman against Tulsa on kickoff return..I got ran over.
2. My first interception against Hawaii my freshman year, it was against Timmy Chang, and my interception gave him the record for most career interceptions I believe.
3. My touchdown against Hawaii, at Hawaii, where I juked my high school rival Colt Brennan and scored.
4. My senior year, just a tackle against southern miss, but probably my best play of my entire life, I juked and slid under 2 pulling lineman, and rose up off the ground to lift the running-back up in the air and land him on his back.
5. my 99 yard interception return against La Tech my junior year.
6. Having sports illustrated name me an All-American my senior year, and doing a 2 page article on my life story and focus on my faith
7.. PROBABLY THE BEST, my 2nd interception in the 2007 fiesta bowl where I scored a touchdown, and my favorite picture was given to me framed, and when I score the touchdown , the picture is of me sliding in the endzone on my knee, pointing to the sky, with Adrian Peterson diving behind me after I scored…so I can tell me kids, I outran a future hall of famer Adrian Peterson…not that they need to know I had a 10 yard start.
Team moments: There are so many amazing moments, but there are 3 that stick out to me above the rest…
1. The 2007 fiesta bowl victory, running on the field, getting the trophies, called on the stage in front of Bronco Nation, the media room, the parade in Boise, and everyday since.
2. My last game against East Carolina in the Hawaii Bowl, we lost, but that last locker room and bus ride with my teammates, is one I’ll never forget.
3. Every away trip on the plane with the guys…playing 8 way Mario Cart on our Nintendo DS, playing poker on the plane for fun, and all the other memories of the guys I played with.
Derrell Acrey:

BTN: Coach Petersen always seemed to get thrown around in rumors of taking a head coaching job somewhere else, but now we know none of them have been true. How did you and other players handle the rumors? Did you ever believe them? What do you have to say to fans that worry about Petersen leaving Boise State in the near future?

DA: We never really worried about it as players. We hear rumors all the time about things associated with football throughout college, and this was no different. So as players, we just tried to make ourselves better on and off the field regardless of who our coach was. Those kinds of things can drive a player crazy thinking about that and not focusing on the task at hand.

My message for the fans would be just relax. Yeah there is always a chance a coach might leave a team but Coach Pete loves the town and the program. I know his goal is to make the Bronco program so great that no coach wants to leave. So keep showing support on and off the field because as a man who pays attention to the little things, I’m sure he sees it.

And Kicker Michael Frisina:

BTN: Coach Petersen seems to be a very straight forward, serious guy. What was one of the funniest things you’ll remember Pete doing?

Frisina: Last year he told Tyler Shoemaker to leave and go home because he was joking around at Coach Pete’s expense at a function of some sort. I don’t know if it was a Varsity B thing or booster dinner or what but Tyler apparently made a joke and Coach Pete pretended to be mad the next day and told him to leave but as he was about to walk out the door he said I’m just kidding sit back down. The whole room lost it and Shoe was so embarrassed because he thought Coach Pete was serious, and so did the rest of the team. That among others was one of Coach Pete’s funnier moments.

 

Please check out all seven of the interviews! From the BTN staff, our sincere gratitude to Austin Pettis, Marty Tadman, Thomas Byrd, Derrell Acrey, Jamar Taylor, and Michael Frisina.

BTN Offseason Interview Series – Michael Frisina

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Boise State fans might not have much room in their heart for a soft spot for a kicker after BSU kickers have made them beat their heads on a wall. This one kicker, however, did what Brotzman and Goodale failed to do – make a game winning field goal with a huge game on the line! Michael Frisina is a class act Boise State Bronco, and this senior will be missed.

Enter the 7th (yes I said 7th) BTN Offseason Interview Series. Check the previous six articles out. Thanks to everyone that has been reading these interviews!

 
BTN: Were there any questions about your size as a kicker going through high school about playing at the Division I level? If any, how did you handle them?

Frisina: No one directly said anything to me but I know people talked about it. Distance was never my strength because of my size so I knew I would have to be deadly accurate, but when need be I could kick the long ball as well.

BTN: After what some Boise State kickers have gone through in the past as far as clutch kicking, was there any added pressure being a kicker for the Broncos?

Frisina: No I don’t think so because I was around last year and am really good friends with Dan Goodale, so I know about some of what he went through. I think pressure is only what you make it so I tried not to focus on it.

BTN: Coach Petersen seems to be a very straight forward, serious guy. What was one of the funniest things you’ll remember Pete doing?

Frisina: Last year he told Tyler Shoemaker to leave and go home because he was joking around at Coach Pete’s expense at a function of some sort. I don’t know if it was a Varsity B thing or booster dinner or what but Tyler apparently made a joke and Coach Pete pretended to be mad the next day and told him to leave but as he was about to walk out the door he said I’m just kidding sit back down. The whole room lost it and Shoe was so embarrassed because he thought Coach Pete was serious, and so did the rest of the team. That among others was one of Coach Pete’s funnier moments.

BTN: What’s next for Michael Frisina?
Frisina: What’s next for me isn’t so clear right now. I am still in school because I didn’t use my redshirt year so I am still in my fourth year of college. I will earn my degree in communications in May but as for now I am trying to get some job experience. I am going to start helping out in recruiting in the football offices but also am trying to learn about the ins and outs of broadcasting by talking to Bob Behler and even spending time with him at games and what not to see how it really works.
BTN: What is your favorite personal moment and team moment during your football career at Boise State?

Frisina: My favorite moment personally was the game winner in the Maaco Bowl. To be able to end a career on a high note like that was so awesome. I had worked so hard to achieve a goal and a dream and to go out like that was something I will remember for the rest of my life. As a team, my favorite moment was Senior Day…both seasons. To see the amount of love and support the fans have for this program was so cool. To be able to witness the last game on The Blue for guys like Kellen Moore, Doug Martin, Shea McClellin, George Iloka, Nate Potter, Billy Winn etc. last year and then the same thing for guys like DJ Harper, Dan Paul, JC Percy, Mike Atkinson and others this year was really special. And then to hear my own name called out and running out of the tunnel one last time was so surreal. And to cap it all off when DJ took the handoff on our first play from scrimmage and went 80 yards to the house untouched that just made it even better.

Boise State Players Receive Their MWC Championship Rings

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huff

So I just got on Instagram and saw this picture from our tight end Holden Huff. (If you were wondering, players can have Instagram, but are not allowed to have Twitter) Holden is quite the character!

The Boise State players posted their MWC Championship rings all over Instagram. They look pretty darn good. Here are a few.

demas

^running back Devan Demas. That one looks purrrrrty.

Ajayi

^running back Jay Ajayi. Here ya got the ring on the wrinkly hand of our stud tailback.

shane

^wide receiver Shane Williams-Rhodes with cornerback Donte Deayon.

The rings look pretty good huh? Not exactly a super news-worthy story, but heck they look great!

 

Boise State adds Florida State to non-conference schedule in 2019-2020

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This was the first tweet that broke the story, but many rumors surfaced the past two weeks. Boise State will play FSU in Tallahassee on September 7th, 2019, while Boise will host FSU on The Blue on September 12th, 2020.

This is obviously a monumental series for the Broncos, but sadly, we will not see this match-up for another 6 years.

   “Scheduling a home-and-home series against a perennial top-25 program like Florida State is another step in growing our football program,” Boise State Director of Athletics Mark Coyle stated.  “Florida State is a team fans talk about when discussing the top collegiate programs in the country and I know Bronco Nation will be excited about hosting a team like Seminoles in Boise.” -Bronco Sports

Coyle, Bronco Nation is very excited. It is very possible that we might see a Boise State-FSU post-season game before the series begins in 2019.

Boise State recently added Virginia to its non-conference slate as well (eh, not bad). FSU (not Fresno people) is a huge addition. What’s next? You could be seeing a Big12 school that’s name starts with an O. Just a rumor for now, but you heard it here folks.

BTN Offseason Interview Series – Jamar Taylor

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BTNGraphic

Enter the 5th interview in this segment of the BTN Offseason Interview Series! We have been pumped here at the BTN to deliver articles with Boise State alumni to our viewers. If you missed the Derrell Acrey, Tommy Smith, Marty Tadman, or Austin Pettis interview(s) – check them out.

Boise State fans are all excited about Jamar Taylor in the draft this April. I got to ask Jamar a few questions in this installment of the BTN Interview Series.

BTN: Pettis, Young, Shoemaker, and Miller – there have been terrific receivers at Boise State the past few years. Who was the toughest cover in practice and why?
JT: They were all a different type of receiver. Titus was fast, great route runner, Pettis was big with soft hands and Matt is very physical with soft hands. I got great work with all them at practice and they all were tough to cover!

BTN: Coach Petersen always seemed to get thrown around in rumors of taking a head coaching job somewhere else, but now we know none of them have been true. How did you and other players handle the rumors? Did you ever believe them? What do you have to say to fans that worry about Petersen leaving Boise State in the near future?

JT: We never worried. We know coach Pete would do what’s best for him and his family. We just focused on our team and the next opponent. I would tell fans to not believe everything they hear. Coach Pete is a first class type of guy and would let everyone know if he ever thought about leaving.

BTN: The year was filled with many ups and downs. When did the team seem to be playing its best ball?

JT: I think we played our best towards the end of season. We just kept getting better game by game and it showed. We were young but it’s the best team I’ve been on. So many hard working guys that never complained about anything and just tried to learn everyday.

BTN: The combine and NFL draft preparation must be of the up most importance at this time. What specifically are you doing to prepare?

JT: Just training for the combine and eating right, film etc. Doing all the things I need to do to prepare myself for the next level. But at the same time correcting my technique from this season so I won’t be sloppy at the combine.

BTN: What is your favorite personal moment and team moment during your football career at Boise State?

JT: My favorite personal moment is when I got a interception my true freshmen here against San Jose. My whole family was there and it was my first college interception. My favorite team moment was everyday at practice or workouts just going to work with a great group of guys everyday for the past 5 years!

Twitter – @Mike_BTN

BTN Question of the Week : Who will be the toughest opponent for Boise State in 2013 and why?

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A few of the BTN‘s followers answered this question as well as  members of the BTN staff – Who will be the toughest opponent for Boise State in 2013 and why?

Boise State slate  -

MWC schedule – Air Force, @ Colorado State, @ Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, @ SDSU, @ Utah State, Wyoming

Out of Conference schedule – @ Washington, @BYU, Southern Miss, UT Martin (lol)

Leave us a comment at the bottom of this article or tweet us @theBTN to let us know your answer!

We’ll go ahead and look at two answers to this question from the BTN staff, take it to twitter, and I’ll dazzle you with my limited intellect.

Managing Editor of the BTN Derek Castle had this to say about the Question of the Week :

“ The toughest opponent on the 2013 schedule for Boise State will be Washington.  The reason?  Emotion.  They will be debuting their newly remodeled stadium, and of course one other thing will be on their mind:  revenge.  The Huskies had a chance to win the 2012 Maaco Bowl and could not pull it off.  Their returning team will be tough, with some of their best players returning, including QB Keith Price, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, wide receiver Kasen Williams, and of course running back Bishop Sankey.  It will be a hostile environment against a pumped-up, experienced team – definitely the toughest game on the schedule.”

The BTN’s newest contributor Tucker Botkin weighs in as well :

“The toughest opponent of the 2013 season will be the opener at the University of Washington up in Seattle. The Huskies will be looking to Christen their brand new stadium against a Broncos team without an established star (Joe Southwick?). Steve Sarkisian’s teams will also be looking for redemption from their Maaco Bowl Las Vegas loss in which they came roaring back from an 18-3 deficit only to–literally–throw the game away on their final drive. It is a loss that has been and will continue to motivate the Huskies through their off-season strength and condition workouts. Running back Bishop Sankey–who averaged nearly 7 yards per carry against the Broncos in December–will be fresh and primed to have another stellar outing. The junior is coming off a 16 TD season and is a load to bring down–does that ring a (Le’Veon) Bell? Additionally, QB Keith Price should be much improved after a roller coaster season in which he still managed to complete 60.9% of passes behind a sub-par offensive line.”

A Le’Veon Bell… Tucker you crack me up bro! Now for some twitter responses -

 

Now I know everyone is just dying for my response (I hope I have at least 10 readers at this point of the article). My answer would be BYU. I truly believe that with Joe having a year of experience under his belt, a veteran receiving core, and the fact that Pete will never lose season openers two seasons in a row – there is no way Boise State will lose to Washington. BYU on the other hand has to be extremely hungry for a signature win as an Independent school, especially over their new-found rival Broncos. Enter Taysom Hill?

Also, with Boise State having conference losses to Nevada (WAC), TCU, and SDSU in recent memory, it is very possible again that the Broncos can be upset by another MWC school. The Broncos will do battle with Utah State (giggles), Nevada, Fresno State, and SDSU. Air Force and New Mexico will be no joke either.

Boise State has a tough conference slate – especially the road games as well as tough OOC games (I’m not looking at you UT Martin).

Leave me a comment if you hate/like me or tweet me @Mike_BTN

BTN Offseason Interview Series – Tommy Smith

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Hey there Bronco Nation! The BTN is pumped to deliver our third interview with some fan favorite Boise State alumni. If you missed the interviews with Austin Pettis or Marty Tadman make sure to give them a read!

The interview below is with Tommy Smith, a terrific linebacker at Boise State for the past few seasons. This senior will be missed a lot!

Leave us a comment at the bottom of the article or tweet us @theBTN and let us know what you think! We have more interviews with other great alumni that we will publish, so don’t miss those either!

BTN: Coming from North Atlanta High School what was it like going back to Georgia in the heart of the SEC and beating the Bulldogs in your former backyard?

TS: It was great! Going back home playing in front of all my family and friends was awesome. Winning made everything worth it because I could go home and not hear all the UGA fans talk about how they beat us in the Georgia Dome.

BTN: What was it like being the model for the début of the Boise State Black Uniforms? Did you get to know about it before the rest of the team? If so how hard was it to keep it a secret?

TS: Being the model for the black uniforms was a great experience. I’ve never done a photo shoot before so getting that opportunity was fun. It was also cool to be the person chosen to model the new uniforms. They looked great! Nike did a great job with putting that together. I got to see the entire uniform 30 minutes before I did my shoot but I did keep it a secret for a couple hours before we showed the team.

BTN: You got to play fullback and linebacker in your time at Boise State, what was your favorite position and how challenging was it to play both sides of the football?

TS: My favorite position is linebacker. Linebacker is a great position to play because you have the tools to play against the run and pass. It’s also one of the hardest positions on the field because you have to know and understand the whole defense. I love being the person that delivers the contact, which made both positions fun to play. In the beginning it was challenging because we implemented new plays on defense and I had to learn the plays on offense while still being all in with academics. After the first game where I took reps on both sides of the ball, I was able to do both and perform to the best of my abilities.

BTN: Coach Petersen always seemed to get thrown around in rumors of taking a head coaching job somewhere else, but now we know none of them have been true. How did you and other players handle the rumors? Did you ever believe them? What do you have to say to fans that worry about Petersen leaving Boise State in the near future?
TS: While in college, I’ve seen a lot of coaches leave their schools. As a player you always worry when your coach’s name is being thrown around but at the end of the day he was faithful to the program and that kept us happy. I honestly can’t speak about the future but coach Pete is a great guy and makes great decisions.
BTN: What is your favorite personal moment and team moment during your football career at Boise State?

TS: My favorite personal moment besides winning in Atlanta may be senior day. Having all my family on the field and supporting me was awesome. I’ll never forget that day. My favorite team moment would have to be the win vs. Virginia Tech. Boise State was known, but the way we played with poise and didn’t flinch when things didn’t seem to go our way showed everyone that we belong on the stage with good football programs.

 

Bronco Related News & Notes

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jpgAfter 2013 recruit WR Jack Austin flipped his commitment from BSU to Cal – Boise State was in need to fill the whole. Tanner Shipley, a distant relative of NFL receivers Jaxon and Jordan Shipley, switched his commitment from BYU to Boise State.

Shipley explains his decision to switch to Boise State.

“Boise State has always been the school I’ve dreamed of playing since I was young so when I got an offer from them I knew I’d probably end up committing.”

Shipley being a Bronco fan since he was young makes his commitment so much better.

A Bleacher Report article lists Boise State’s top five threats in the MWC next season. They rank the best competition in order:

  1. San Diego State
  2. Utah State
  3. San Jose State
  4. Nevada
  5. Air Force

Do you agree or disagree? I found it interesting that San Jose State is so high on their list, and Fresno is not on the list at all. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

In other Mountain West Conference News

With the Mountain West Championship game being scheduled on December 7th, BYU and Hawaii were forced to cancel their series in 2013 and 2014. The two teams were scheduled to play on December 7th.

San Diego State got an official visit from the #1 rated linebacker, Reuben Foster, on January 29th. Jeremy Mauss talks about why he believes Foster is taking the visit:

“However, the reason why he is taking a visit is because his high school teammates two-star wide receiver Christian Cumberlander and three-star offensive tackle Maurice Swain are also taking a visit to the Aztecs. Plus, who wouldn’t want a free trip to San Diego.”

You can read Jeremy’s article here.

This report says that Foster’s decision is now down to three schools and SDSU is not one of them. Bronco Nation, you can breath now.

Despite taking a visit to Mississippi State, 4 star recruit Zack Greenlee is likely staying with Fresno State.

“Fresno State fans probably freaked out when their prized recruit, four-star quarterback Zack Greenlee, took a last minute official visit to Mississippi State over the weekend. However, the news since his weekend visit has been silent, even when checking the subscription recruiting sites, nothing.”

(Jeremy Mauss also reports)

 

BTN Offseason Interview Series – Austin Pettis

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Boise State fans! Below we have our first interview with a terrific Boise State alum in Austin Pettis! It was an absolute honor to be able to communicate with my favorite Broncos player in this capacity. Austin was a tremendous player and continues to play at a high level in the NFL with the Rams.

Leave us a comment or tweet with us @theBTN and let us know what you think! We have more interviews with other great alumni that we will publish, so don’t miss those either!

BTN: Going from high school to college, and from college to the pros – what were the biggest changes you had you adapt to as a receiver moving up in each level?

AP: Biggest adjustment HS to college as a WR was knowledge of the game. I learned a lot more about the X’s and O’s of football rather than relying on athletic ability. College to the NFL is a much bigger adjustment. Every player you go against is the best of the best. Everyone is the biggest and fastest player so you have to find out what little things you can gain a advantage by.

BTN: You and Kellen had such an amazing connection and lit it up at Boise State. What were some factors that played into the great relationship you guys had on the field?

AP: I think Kellen and I had a great connection because there was a lot of trust. It seemed we were always on the same page. If I was seeing an adjustment he was seeing the same thing. We also came in the same class which gave us a lot of work together.

BTN: You made playing the position of receiver look so easy. Explain some of the things that played an important role in your success as a receiver in college that the average fan might not know.

AP: My success in college was mostly due to coaching. It was planted in my brain at a young age to be a sponge and learn from people like coaches. Another major factor has to be my baseball background. I have a baseball family and played for many years as well. My hand eye coordination was developed from a young age catching baseball and transferred over to football. The older i got the more i learned how important little things are.
BTN: Coach Petersen always seemed to get thrown around in rumors of taking a head coaching job. How did you and other players handle the rumors? Did you ever believe them? What do you have to say to fans that worry about Petersen leaving Boise State in the near future?

AP: Coach Petersen is doing a great job at what he does. There are a lot of wins every year out of Boise and now a days its hard to find coaches staying long enough to do that. I think Pete will stay in Boise for a while since he’s built a lot of the program and continues. Hopefully the next few years can be like the few passed.

BTN: What is your favorite personal moment and team moment during your football career at Boise State?

AP: Favorite moment was winning the Fiesta Bowl junior year. That was a fun experience I will not forget.

-Mike Singer / @Mike_BTN