Colorado State wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted
FORT COLLINS — Before Colorado State’s Wednesday practice, Rams wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted talked about, among other things, the progress sophomore standout Rashard Higgins has made in his two seasons in the program.
More on that — also including Whitted’s gentle attempts to teach Higgins about Fred Biletnikoff — will be in my Thursday story in the paper and posted online.
Whitted also talked about the first time he crossed paths with Jim McElwain — when Whitted was a wide receiver with the Raiders, winding down his career, and in his single-season foray into the NFL, in 2006. The Raiders were 2-14 and head coach Art Shell was fired after the season. That was Whitted’s final season as a player, and he was with Jacksonville from 1998-2001 before joining the Raiders in 2002.
“That was a rough part of my career and a rough part for coach Mac as well,” Witted said. “But there was a silver lining because it was a learning experience. The one thing I noticed about coach Mac was he didn’t just coach the quarterbacks. He was a teacher. He basically went around and talked to the O-line if they needed it. I saw that, saw how he was so personable with the other positions, not just quarterbacks. I thought, ‘Wow, I like that,’ about him. I responded to that well.
“And I think he noticed my work ethic in return. I think he saw a lot of things I did as a player. For me, every year was a battle to stay on the roster. You have to take your job seriously. You’re an independent businessman, that’s your profession and you have to treat it as such because you can be gone a week from today. That’s the National Football League. I think he saw a lot of my qualities as well and thought that maybe I could help these guys out here once he took the job here.
“But coach Mac was always a great teacher, personable, knew how to approach you, knew how to get the most out of you. It didn’t matter who you were. That was the thing I really respected about him, going though that tough time. It was rough. I’m excited for his success because a lot of things that I saw in him are happening here.”
Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com or
