Ex-Wizard Roger Mason Jr. content to avoid drama
By Mike Wise | Washington Post
Saturday, January 2, 2010; D04

So, your siblings -- Frank, Adrienne and Lauren -- they all graduated from college and are doing very well in their respective professions?

"Yes," Roger Mason Jr. said.

And no one in your family relies on you for financial support?"

"No."

And your parents, they would be ultra-supportive even if you didn't play in the NBA?"

"Definitely."

Be honest: No baby-mama drama of any kind? I mean even Tom Brady has an out-of-wedlock kid.

"Of course not."

And you expect people to believe you actually wanted to be a doctor, like your late father, and you didn't give up that dream until college recruiters started beating your door down?

"That's the truth. Really."

Poor Roger Mason Jr.

No controversy, no criminal complaints, no lingering resentment even for his hometown team who let him go. His life story should be titled "A Ballplayer Without Baggage" -- with a foreword written by Grant Hill or Antawn Jamison. He will never be on the front page of the New York Post or be the subject of a "Dateline NBC" exclusive.

All those kids he sponsors at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School in Washington, who wrote essays about the value of hard work last summer and who will Skype with their favorite NBA player this year thanks to Mason's donations, get an evolved athlete with a keen social conscience pretty much to themselves.

In a "Text Like Tiger" world bingeing on scandal and canceling sappy sitcoms, he's a grown-up Huxtable kid. We, the media, might undervalue him more than the Wizards did.

"The drama has never done anything for me," said the 29-year-old guard for the San Antonio Spurs, who make their annual pilgrimage to Verizon Center Saturday night to play Mason's old team. "It's not about that. If I can use the little celebrity I do have to help others, great. But I don't need the off-court drama to help with publicity."

Whenever a former Wizard returns to Washington with an important role on a bona fide playoff team, the lament usually begins, "Why did they let him go?" -- which Mason hears often now.

Maybe not the way Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace used to hear that regret. But when the entire Big-Shot-Rog package is considered -- what a veteran role player would have meant to a rudderless 10-20 team at this exact moment -- Washington's own should hear it more than the others.

Seriously.

Except for Hamilton, jettisoned for basically not passing the ball to Michael Jordan enough, 'Sheed and C-Webb were too busy being young knuckleheads here. And Big Ben was still physically developing. If you buy the argument that Rip was never going to be able to star as long as Michael was around, none was yet ready to be what they became. The timing was off.

But Roger Mason was ready. The timing was perfect. He was coming off his most important year in 2008, finding his stroke from beyond the arc like he never had as an NBA player, knocking down crucial three-pointers at the end of tight games for the Wizards, filling in perfectly in a banged-up back court.

And unlike the bigger names, he never developed a complex about starting or starring. Having been the guy in college at Virginia, he believed in himself enough to know it was possible. But after a torn labrum and surgery suffered in pre-draft camp sent him to the second round of the draft -- and after stops in Greece and Israel -- his sole goal was to carve out a niche for himself in a league that had yet to create one for him. So being a veteran role player never made him antsy or insecure, as if his career had passed him by.

"For a few years, all I wanted was a chance, any job in the NBA," Mason said. "When that's your mind-set, you'll be a part of anything they ask you to be a part of. That's still my mind-set. I mean, obviously I want to play and be given the opportunity in big spots. But the more I go in with a survival mind-set, it feels like the bigger my role becomes. Rather than stress over not playing and complaining, I became obsessed with getting prepared for whatever second or minute I did play."

His past isn't without obstacle; Mason merely never used it as an excuse.

Roger Mason Sr., a well-connected physician in the District who once headed Howard University Hospital's ophthalmology department, died of kidney failure when Roger Jr. was 11 years old.

"It was devastating for him and the kids, but it wasn't going to be a crutch for us why our world fell apart," Marsha Mason-Wonsley, Mason's mother, said. "It's difficult. It's hard. But other families go through it all the time. And so we did what we always do: We moved forward."

When Mason was 14, Marsha married Otis Wonsley, John Riggins's former backup for her son's favorite team. Wonsley began taking his stepson to training camp, "where I heard plenty of good Riggins and Joe Gibbs stories," Mason said. "I distinctly remember meeting Brian Mitchell when I was in middle school. It was incredible."

"Like any kid, you're rebellious at first when your father passes and someone else comes along," he added. "But over time, it was great to have Otis in our lives. He had so much experience as far as being a professional athlete. He taught me so much."

As Mason continues speaking, the refrain keeps going on in your head: Why did they let him go? Not so much for basketball reasons, but the mere notion that a person of deep character and deeper roots like Roger Mason could help bring stability to an all-over-the-map locker room.

A guy from an overachieving Silver Spring family with no apparent dysfunction, who started his high school career not at an athletic powerhouse but instead Sidwell Friends, where he was classmates with Chelsea Clinton.

A guy who plies his trade for whatever team lets him play, who would never volunteer to anyone that his foundation gave three Baltimore families, through child protective services, generous gift certificates to Wal-Mart during the holidays. Because, as his mother said, "it's not bad news about an athlete, so these days who would even write about it?"

What franchise in search of its soul could possibly need a player and a person like that? Hmmm.

 

Quiet Achiever: How Matt Schaub Has Kept Houston Alive by Ryan Cook
Ryan Cook Contributor

Silent but deadly. Those three words have never proved truer for Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub who is looking to possibly boost his team into the playoffs this weekend with a win over New England.

Originally starting his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Schaub was one of the few players that had a 50/50 shot at making a proper career in the NFL. After being signed to the Houston Texans in March of 2007, Schaub hasn't looked back.

Most NFL fans know the Texans are one of the very best young, up-and-coming teams in the NFL. The franchise is celebrating its seventh birthday this year, and most players in its locker room could turn around and applaud Schaub for his hard work in making his team what it is today.

This is all well and good, but the more impressive stat is that Schaub has played every game this year, and has posted great stats in doing so. He has thrown for 4,467 yards on the season along with 27 touchdown passes, which are great numbers from this three-year veteran of the Houston Texans.

Schaub's abilities have come a long way from what they used to be. Looking up the teams with the best passing games in the NFL this season, you'd be surprised to see the Houston Texans ranked second behind none other than the Indianapolis Colts.

As shaky and sluggish as the Texans have been at times, they have still done enough to maintain an 8-7 record, and can pray and hope everything goes their way next week in the AFC.

"It's a huge game for us and it's a chance for us to get to 9-7, which we haven't been able to do. Obviously there's a lot [riding] on the game. It's a playoff game in our mind, a must-win game to stay in the hunt," Schaub said in a press conference.

Superstar wide receiver Andre Johnson also commented on Schaub's high-caliber performance and said how glad he is that Schaub is among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL this year.

"He's taken a lot of criticism, but I think, this year, by what he's done, he's kind of shut some people up," Johnson said. "In this league, it's about being consistent. So, he has to come back and hopefully have a similar year like he had this year, and hopefully we can go out and win more games and he'll get the recognition he deserves."

For the Manning, Favre, and Brees fans out there who are questioning Schaub's true performance, keep in mind Schaub's previous seasons have been plagued with injuries, and to cap it all off, he has had to deal with numerous offensive line changes and tight end movements.

Along with other quarterbacks in the league such as Aaron Rodgers, Josh Freeman, and Matt Ryan, Schaub has proven that he deserves to be mentioned in the top younger generation of quarterbacks in the NFL.

Entering a new decade, there is no telling how far Schaub will go. Super Bowl or bust? Who knows. His future, along with the Texans, looks promising though.
 

Posted on Sun, Jan. 03, 2010
West tops East in Offense-Defense All-American Bowl
By Ian Guerin
For The Sun News

Between the stacked talent level in the backfield and windy conditions, there was little doubt the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl was going to be determined by running backs.

Courtesy of one of those tailbacks, the West beat the East 35-0 Saturday at Doug Shaw Stadium, the West's first victory in the four-year history of the event.

West Rowan (N.C.) running back Kevin Parks ran for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries, proving too much for the East squad.

"I wasn't going to take it as an all-star game," said Parks, who was actually a late addition to the game. "Every time I step out on the field, I have the mentality, my state of mind is to kill, the kill mode. I play hard. And I don't play around like some of these other guys, maybe."

Parks, a Virginia commitment and the third-leading rusher in the nation during his career at West Rowan, scored on a 42-yard scamper with just more than 5 minutes left in the second quarter. On the play, Parks ran into a wall beyond the line of scrimmage, only to cut left and turn on the jets.

By the time he reached the end zone, no East player was within eight yards of the 5-foot-7, 190-pound tailback.

Parks then added a 3-yard scoring run just minutes into the second half, extending the West's lead to three touchdowns. His last score, an 11-yarder in the last two minutes of the game, came after he had already sealed game MVP honors.

Much of the reliance on tailbacks had to do with the howling wind at Doug Shaw. Quarterbacks from both sides were forced to wear gloves and struggled early to fight their passes through the conditions.

That left the running games and, for the most part, the West looked like it had the better prepared schemes.

It translated early in the game, when after Brennan Clay had 44 yards in his first two carries, quarterback Terrance Broadway faked a handoff and took it eight yards for the game's first score just 3:36 into the first quarter.

That score, along with Parks' first touchdown run, gave the West a 14-0 lead at half.

Parks and Co. extended that lead early in the third, taking advantage of the East squad's second turnover of the day.

East quarterback Dylan Favre took over the first possession of the second half. But on a third-down play, Favre's pass was batted back by West defensive end Kareem Martin (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.). The ball fell into the hands of a diving Darius Waters, giving the ball back to the West team on the opposing 17-yard line.

Four plays later, Parks punched in his second touchdown.

After a Case McCoy touchdown pass to Lakota West (Ohio) tight end Alex Smith, the West's defense made the victory stand.

"We had great [defensive] line play," Martin said. "All week, [the West coaching staff] have been teaching us about hand placement and getting back in the backfield. It's really been helping us out."

West players cherished finally getting their side into the win column against the previously unbeaten East squad. And it mattered little that the West's most influential player came was a player from North Carolina.

"We didn't really have to pass the ball much on our side," McCoy said, noting Parks' performance. "He's going to walk away with an MVP trophy. So it's all gonna be good.

"He's rushed for more yards than anyone I've ever heard of in high school football. He's an unbelievable player."
 

Reid set to join Virginia staff
By Jay Jenkins
Published: January 3, 2010
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When the final whistle sounds today in Miami after the Dolphins and Steelers chase for a playoff berth that appears doubtful, linebackers coach Jim Reid will say his goodbyes.

A former head coach at Richmond and VMI, Reid has agreed to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Virginia for new head coach Mike London. An announcement could be made by Monday.

Currently the outside linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins, Reid’s hiring adds yet another piece to the assistant coaching puzzle for London.

It remains uncertain, however, where London will turn in regards to his offensive coordinator.

It was widely believed that former Virginia offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was the top option to gain full autonomy with the Cavaliers’ offense, but he has not agreed to join London’s staff to date and could be waiting for a promotion with the Atlanta Falcons, his current employer.

Reid, 60, was named the head coach at Massachusetts in 1986 and served as the program’s head coach for six seasons. After serving as the defensive coordinator at Richmond and then Boston College in the three years that followed, Reid was named head coach at Richmond, where he went 48-53-1 in nine seasons.

After stops as an assistant at Syracuse and Bucknell, Reid took over the reins at VMI in 2006 and went 3-19 in two seasons as the Keydets’ head coach.
 

Would Shawn Moore Be a Good Hire for Virginia Football?
Ben Gibson
Featured Columnist

One legendary Cavalier, Anthony Poindexter, is already on staff.

Now it appears Virginia head coach Mike London is looking to pick up one more.

The Roanoke Times announced that London went up to Maryland earlier this week to interview Shawn Moore, former Virginia quarterback and Heisman candidate during the pinnacle of the George Welsh era, to either become a Quarterback or Wide Receiver Coach for his alma mater.

Moore, alongside top wide receiver Herman Moore, helped propel Virginia to the No. 1 ranking in the country during the 1990 season. Along the way, Moore set just about every school record in the process and finished fourth in the Heisman balloting, the best finish of any ACC player in conference history at the time. He was also the most efficient passer in the country, more so than eventual Heisman winner Ty Detmer.

However, Moore's career ended rather tragically for Cavalier fans. An injury to the quarterback against Maryland broke down the Virginia offense and a team once 7-0 finished 8-3 after a second half collapse against Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl.

Moore went on to play three games in the NFL, never really the same after his injury and is now at St. Albans School in Washington D.C. as a high school football coach.

That is where things start to get interesting for Virginia fans.

After all, no one can really blame Mike London for wanting to connect back to the glory years. Shawn Moore is a name instantly recognizable to Virginia fans and he still brings back wonderful memories that could help re-energize the apathetic program.

Besides, who hasn't wanted "Moore" offense from Virginia these past few seasons?

However, is it really wise to bring in a new staff member with zero collegiate experience and no recruiting background? Virginia is in dire need of success and rolling the dice with Moore seems rather risky.

Poindexter was a risk for Al Groh, but he was brought along gradually. The great safety came in with zero coaching experience when he became a graduate assistant, only to be promoted to Running Back Coach. After some strong turnover, Poindexter headed the defensive secondary this season with mixed results.

While he has not been an unbelievable success, he has certainly not failed either. More importantly, his passion and energy of the sidelines has convinced many Virginia fans that he should represent their University. However, turning around this team will take more than fist bumps.

In truth, if Moore were to become part of the Virginia staff, his success (and his reception by fans) is much more dependent on who will eventually get the title of offensive coordinator.

It is no surprise that Mike London has his eyes on former Virginia offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. The current quarterbacks coach with the Atlanta Falcons helped turn around the Virginia program in just two seasons during Groh's first years.

Of course, it seems clear that Musgrave is a much bigger fan of NFL and seems unlikely to leave unless he is forced out by the Falcons. Granted, Atlanta has not met expectations this season, but Matt Ryan still appears to be a franchise quarterback and Musgrave's job appears to be safe.

This puts London in a tough situation. Offense has been a touchy subject in Virginia for years now. Without a proven quarterback, running back, or even a consistent wide receiver, the turnaround will not be swift. A homerun hire would buy him precious time, but those offensive geniuses do not exactly grow on trees.

In truth, London needs one thing and one thing only. It is the issue that brought down Groh and something that every top football program has.

Continuity.

In nine seasons at Virginia, Groh had four offensive coordinators, five defensive coordinators, and 10 starting quarterbacks.

In contrast, the past nine seasons, rival coach Frank Beamer has had one offensive coordinator, one defensive coordinator, and five starting quarterbacks.

That's not to say that those assistant coaches are free from criticism or blame. Both Brian Stinespring and Bud Foster have ruffled feathers with Hokie fans from time to time over that span.

Nevertheless, head coaches that hold on to their top assistants maintain success. They also maintain recruiting ties, something that London is desperately trying to achieve as the new head coach at Virginia.

Considering that the program is once again going through change and transition, London has to make sure that the decisions stick. That way his team can be successful in both the short and the long term.

Rebuilding the Virginia football team will not be an easy process and the Shawn Moore decision will not be one either. If Moore is hired, his success or failure will be closely monitored.

We all remember Moore as a quarterback. A strong-armed kid who was not afraid to throw it deep and made big plays when it mattered most. Moore has worked in quarterback camps for years and he certainly knows a thing or two about the position. Can he translate his game to a young apprentice?

It is one of the many challenges facing Virginia this offseason and one of the first decisions that will make a significant impact on the program.

Cavs pull away on the road
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: January 3, 2010
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In Boulder, Colo., Virginia used a late second-half push to dispatch Colorado 74-59 in its final non-conference road game of the regular season.

Senior guard Monica Wright scored 24 points in the contest at the Coors Event Center before fouling out late for the Cavaliers (10-3), moving into sole possession of second place in program history in scoring in the process as she nears Dawn Staley for the top scoring spot. Wright entered the game tied with former center Heather Burge with 2,135 points.

The game came days after Wright went to the funeral of her grandmother, something that had her arriving in Colorado separate from the team.

“I think she has learned how to focus,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. “Moni has had a tough time. It was a hard time for her. Fortunately, I think the distance from when it actually happened to now was a good distance and she was able to process it get back into what she needs to do.”

Wright had help — Whitny Edwards chipped in with 14 points and nine rebounds and rookie center Simone Egwu scored nine points.

It was in the final minutes that Virginia sealed the victory against the Buffaloes (9-3), who had been undefeated at home entering the game.

Virginia secured the victory in the second half with rookie guard China Crosby out with a knee injury. While it does not appear to be a season-ending injury, Crosby was not on the floor at the Cavaliers took an 11-point lead with an alley-oop-style layup with just over 11 minutes left.

Colorado answered, cutting its deficit to 52-50, but Wright scored five unanswered points, helping seal the win.

Virginia returns to action Monday at home against St. Bonaventure at 7 p.m.