San Diego – Fred Oglesby never wanted a fancy “director of sports medicine” title. For 31 years he was an old-school head athletic trainer who taped ankles, dating to current Colorado State athletic director Mark Driscoll’s career as a Rams quarterback.
“He scraped me off the field more than once,” Driscoll said.
Along with the CSU seniors, Oglesby went to his final practice Tuesday and officially retires Jan. 31.
“It’s time. I had a good go,” Oglesby said.
Former CSU quarterback Anthoney Hill (1991-94), one of several ex-Rams attending practice, still recalls how Oglesby terrorized arriving freshmen. If cuss words could heal knees, ankles and shoulders, no CSU player would have ever missed a game because of an injury.
But the curmudgeon had a soft side, and he grew to hate the toll the game took on young athletes.
“The game has gotten more violent as the kids get bigger, strong, faster,” he said.
Early Santa
For many players, the best part of going to a bowl game is the tradition of bowls heaping gifts on participating teams.
CSU and Navy players received iPod minis from the Poinsettia Bowl.
“Best bowl gift ever,” CSU senior quarterback Justin Holland said.
During the presentation by bowl officials Sunday, they gave CSU coach Sonny Lubick a crystal football, figuring correctly he wouldn’t know what to do with the digital music gizmo.
Lubick, a technophobe who does well to answer a cellphone, said, “What’s an iPod?”
To the zoo
A group of CSU senior defensive players had a “Tonight Show” type of private audience at the San Diego Zoo with an anteater, porcupine and baby alligator. Delroy Parke, a lineman, was afraid the porcupine would throw a quill. Safety Miles Kochevar asked if the zoo fed the anteater bags of ants. (No. Something like anteater chow.) They joined the rest of the team and staff for a free day at the zoo, starring a baby panda bear.
Poinsettia Bowl executive director Bruce Binkowski said the Rams drew the zoo tour while Navy took the SeaWorld tour based on a coin flip.
Footnotes
Hill and E.J. Watson help coach at La Jolla High School, which is sending Mike Maracle, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound outside linebacker, to Fort Collins. Watson said Maracle reminds him of ex-Rams and current Pittsburgh Steeler Clark Haggans. “He’s in constant motion,” Watson said. … Former CSU offensive coordinator Dave Lay watched practice with his ex- players. … CSU has sold 5,200 of its allotment of 10,000 tickets. Driscoll said he won’t know the bottom line until the expenses are calculated. “It looks good we’ll cover expenses,” he said. Overall bowl ticket sales have reached 42,000, with Navy accounting for nearly half.
