Ryan O'Callahan Award

[Bostonian1962]

I've been meaning to post this for some time, and if somebody else mentioned this, I appologize.

The PAC-10 had several really good offensive linemen, a bunch of whom of course were recently drafted.

However, it was our very own Ryan O'Callahan that was the 2005 Morris Trophy winner, as the PAC-10's top offensive lineman. It's noteworthy, because for this award it's the other defensive linemen in the conference that vote.

With Light and Koppen coming back, and with the likes of O'Callahan, this line is going to be deep.

 

[mgteich]

It's noteworthy since Justice also played in the PAC10.

I've been meaning to post this for some time, and if somebody else mentioned this, I appologize.

The PAC-10 had several really good offensive linemen, a bunch of whom of course were recently drafted.

However, it was our very own Ryan O'Callahan that was the 2005 Morris Trophy winner, as the PAC-10's top offensive lineman. It's noteworthy, because for this award it's the other defensive linemen in the conference that vote.

With Light and Koppen coming back, and with the likes of O'Callahan, this line is going to be deep.

 

[Pats726]

http://california.scout.com/2/478192.html

Very interesting how the award is picked...as well as his reaction to winning.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Nice story. Wow O'Callaghan was so humble he wouldn't even brag about the award to his own teammates? Sounds like a lunchpail Pats kind of guy. I only wish I could have seen the highlight video.

 

[chowder]

It's noteworthy since Justice also played in the PAC10.

Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui also played in the PAC 10 and is comparable in size (listed at 6'6" 365 lbs) to Ryan O'Callaghan (listed at 6'7" 360 lbs) and was picked ahead of O'Callaghan (2nd round 41st overall by Arizona), but Ryan O'Callaghan beat out all of those guys for the award. pretty impressive, if you ask me.

 

[State]

Road Grader

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/10/12/SPGHLF6V1F1.DTL&o=0

Playing out the game with a broken wrist? This is like Joe Andruzzi's BIG brother--same nasty toughness in a much bigger mould. Damn.

Are you kidding me? This guy is a behemoth TOUGH GUY. How the hades is anyone going to beat him out of the RT spot in the years to come?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/10/12/SPGHLF6V1F1.DTL

From the above article:

O'Callaghan is about to prove that toughness again. He'll play the rest of the season with a soft cast on the fracture, just as he did last year after he broke the same wrist in the first game of the season.

"It's going to hurt like hell, but hey ..." O'Callaghan said.

O'Callaghan said he hasn't felt fully healthy since he arrived at Cal as a freshman out of Enterprise High in Redding.

In addition to the two wrist breaks, he's had four shoulder surgeries -- three on the left and one on the right -- and surgery on a broken left hand his freshman year, with five screws implanted. He has not missed a game.

It was simply asking too much of his wrist at UCLA when it had to endure the full burden of the biggest man on the field.

"I fell on it," said O'Callaghan, who is currently listed at 348 pounds, down from the 360 pounds listed in the media guide and certainly south of the 380 he says he weighed when camp began.

O'Callaghan says he never thinks about not playing -- except perhaps for a fleeting thought when he awakens sore in the morning.

"It's part of the game and it's expected of us," he said. "You really have to enjoy games."
-30-

So the guy was voted as the best OLinemen in the PAC-10 but hasn't really played healthy? If his health fortunes improve...he could be the inverse Tony Mandarich. How'd we get this guy so low?