Oregon State’s Spring Football Game

College football is always one of the most exciting sports to witness in the United States, regardless of it being played during the fall or in the spring. Normally, spring games are when teams get back in shape and practice so they’ll be ready in the fall for the regular season.This past Saturday was the spring football game for the Oregon State Beavers football team, playing at their respective school’s stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. Though many of the participants in the game turned out to be freshmen trying to impress the coaches and make the fall team, veteran players such as junior starting quarterback Sean Mannion, running back Terron Ward and running back Storm Woods were in full force at the game.

Although Mannion is currently the starting quarterback for the team, there are others who were practicing for the position also. The backups included both Brent VanderVeen and Luke Del Rio, who are both competing for the No. 2 spot behind Mannion, proved to be far more experienced than freshman Kyle Kempt, who also tried out for the position. Del Rio is actually a transfer student from the University of Alabama and many critics have stated that he is likely to take the first backup spot on the roster this upcoming season. He was behind center for most of the second-team snaps, had nine completions out of seventeen throws and even scored a touchdown, while managing to avoid getting sacked in the process. Interestingly enough, his father Jack Del Rio, the current defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, was present at the game watching his son practice.

Other players of note at the game included Brandin Cooks, a former wide receiver for the team who has entered into the NFL draft. A large part of the practice also dealt with how the team would be able to replace the star wideout once he was selected by an NFL team in the draft. Cooks was the winner of the Fred Biletnikoff Award from this past season.

The game wasn’t just for current Oregon State players and coaches, even some veterans like Atlanta Falcons current running back Steven Jackson were present, though he was in the broadcast booth observing the game from a distance.