FORT COLLINS — Just steps outside the locker room, the crowd — split between Colorado State green and gold and University of Colorado black and gold — rocked.
Inside the locker room before last season’s Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, freshman CSU center Weston Richburg’s stomach rolled. And twisted. And churned. It was moments before he sprinted onto the field for his first collegiate game.
“I just felt like I was going to throw up,” Richburg said, grinning. “So I just went to the bathroom and took care of it. It was crazy, but it’s a great feeling.”
He had never had that sensation before, but it quickly became a staple of his first season.
“It would be timed up real well,” Richburg said. “Every week, seven or eight minutes before we went out, head to the bathroom, get it out and let’s go.”
Now, a year later, Richburg stands outside CSU’s McGraw Athletic Center on a hot day being asked if he expects a repeat of the pregame ritual. He said he’s not sure, but there is one thing he is fairly certain of: This season should run a lot more smoothly than last.
At 302 pounds, he is 15 pounds heavier than he was a year ago. And with 12 games under his belt, much wiser.
“He’s one that I just don’t even have to worry about,” Rams offensive coordinator Pat Meyer said. “I don’t even think about him a whole lot because I know that he’s going to get the job done.”
“He’s even better this year”
Fortunately for CSU coach Steve Fairchild, he had options a year ago. Starting a true freshman at center was not what he wanted to do. He already had done that with his quarterback, Pete Thomas. At center? There’s too much to know. And, with five spots along the offensive line, there was opportunity to get Richburg’s feet wet without completely throwing him into the fire.
“That’s almost equally as difficult as the quarterback thing,” Fairchild said. “So we let him, a very talented player, let him play at guard. And when we felt like he earned his stripes a little bit in a few games, we bumped him in as our starting center.”
Richburg started three games at guard before being moved to center, and despite growing pains, he shined. He only allowed one sack and no QB pressures, and flattened dozens of defenders on the way to recording a team-high 54 knockdown blocks.
“People don’t understand how hard it is to be a center,” Thomas said. “Different fronts, different blitzes. And it’s up to the center to make the right calls and get the whole line in the right play or the right protection. He did a great job. He’s even better this year.”
Fairchild drew the parallel of Richburg and Thomas.
“You could say the same thing of Weston that you said of Pete last March,” Fairchild said. “A year ago he was ‘What is that?’ This year it’s ‘Yeah, this is what I do, this is how I do it.’ You can just see it.”
Tough trio from tough town
Tiny Bushland, Texas, is in the northwest corner of the state, 13 miles west of Amarillo but a nine-hour drive from Fort Collins. Its population is measured in hundreds.
Three play for CSU. Richburg and brothers Crockett and Austin Gillmore are starters on offense. “With Weston there, it’s awesome,” Crockett said. “I’m really enjoying it. It’s so natural.”
Center. Tight end. Fullback. Tough guys from a tough town. Some in the football program have taken to calling them the “Bushland Package.”
“We take a lot of pride in that. We really do,” Richburg said. “I’m so happy for Austin. They moved him to fullback and I think he’ll do a great job. Crockett, he’s an animal. We have a bunch of good athletes coming out of Bushland. It’s cool to kind of be the cover boys, I guess, for Bushland and represent that program.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
