Carothers Ready for Spotlight

Greg Carothers is either amazingly cool for a 19-year-old or a great actor.

Ask the Washington player if he feels pressure about being the starting free safety in the Rose Bowl against the Purdue Boilermakers and Carothers just smiles and says he can’t wait.

So what is there to feel pressure about?

So what if no freshman has ever started for Washington in a Rose Bowl game.

So what if he will be playing against Drew Brees, one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

So what if Carothers is taking the place of Curtis Williams, the team’s defensive star who was paralyzed in late October as a result of a helmet-to-helmet collision.

So what if Carothers will be playing in front of Williams, who hopes to be at the game on New Year’s Day.

“I am sure he expects me to do well,” Carothers said. “I’m excited. I never expected to be in this position. I started out this season at the bottom of the barrel and then I became a backup and then, because of the horrible injury to Curtis, I became the starter.”

Bobby Hauck, who coaches the Washington safeties and special teams, says he isn’t concerned about Carothers’ ability to perform in the glare of a national spotlight.

“When you’re going against Drew Brees,” Hauck said, “it doesn’t matter if you are a freshman or a grizzled veteran. Brees is going to get some yards. Their offense is so wide-open, you are not going to shut him down.

“But I do not consider Greg a freshmen. With the experience he’s gotten this season, he’s more like a sophomore. He’s a real physical player, he’s got good range and he runs really well. He has established a definite physical presence on the field. It’s a credit to Greg what he has accomplished.”

Carothers is not minimizing Brees’ talent.

“When you give him something from a defensive standpoint,” Carothers said, “he definitely finds it and takes it.”

And if, as happens sooner or later to all defensive backs, Carothers should get burned?

“I try not to get mad or get down,” he said. “You can get frustrated, but you want the next ball thrown to you so that you can make up for what happened.”

Curtis Williams couldn’t have said it any better.