Well it has happened. Bronco Chase is moving up in the world. As of today, Monday, January 24, 2011, I have been hired by the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello to be the sports page designer and eventually a writer. I am really excited to begin a career doing exactly what I want to be doing. The sports editor, Jay Heater, has plenty of experience both in writing and reporting. There is a lot that I can learn from him, which is something that I am really looking forward to accomplishing.
A lot of times in the journalism industry it is hard to get your foot in the door. But once you do, if you are talented and ambitious, there are plenty of opportunities to move up. I hope to be able to do just that.
As I move my family to Eastern Idaho (with my extensive Boise State Bronco wardrobe in tow), I will ponder and appreciate the blessing that this new opportunity is in my life. At the same time, I will be covering and reporting everything Idaho State Bengal-related. We will see what that does for me. I am excited to spend many evenings roaming the sidelines of football and basketball games, both high school and college. Let's go Bengals?!
This is the stadium where the games are played. It is called Holt Arena. At least it's better than that barn up in Moscow!
In terms of the blog and what that will mean for posts, I am not sure what it means. It is still up in the air. Bronco Chase may have to shut down entirely for the time being, or I will produce fewer posts that come out only when things are most important. It will all be figured out in no time. Until then, enjoy this very, very, crude/poorly done head shot of me that will appear in the Idaho State Journal next to a column of mine at one point or another (well, a better, more professional head shot will be printed).
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In other news, the East-West Shrine Game took place on Saturday and four Boise State players were involved; Ryan Winterswyk, Winston Venable, Jeron Johnson, and Brandyn Thompson. Venable stole the show and impressed many people. I would love to see him blowing someone up on the NFL level. Oh, and some fool from Idaho played.
Anyway, make sure you check back in and see what else Bronco Chase has in store.
There is no question that I am feeling better about my PTW picks. I managed to choose someone last week that not only contributed in someway, but also avoided being injured. It would appear that the PTW injury demon has been exercised. That said, I am still hoping that nothing bad, ugly, evil, or harmful happens to the individual that I am picking this week. Let’s get to it and hope that we make it two Bronco games in a row with a productive, healthy PTW! This week’s is…Jeron Johnson!
I was looking through some of San Jose’s stats and I realized that I could have gone with just about anybody (excluding offensive lineman. They don’t really touch the ball much…) and I would have felt good about it. Take a look for yourselves courtesy of our fine friends at espn.com. The Spartans rank dead freaking last in scoring offense and at the very back end in passing yards, rushing yards, and points allowed. If you look at this page here, quarterback Jordan La Secla has thrown only two touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. That is a recipe for disaster, and of course some picks from the Boise State secondary. With that in mind, I chose Johnson because of his athleticism, skill, toughness, and the fact that he once knocked Idaho State quarterback Russell Hill senseless. Jeron is a scary man. Don’t believe me? Look at this:
It is of no surprise to hear that Jeron Johnson is straight outta’ Compton! The kid was able to get out of the famous-in-a-bad-way Southern California town and make his way to Boise to play football for a really good football team. He started all four years at Dominguez High School and racked up a staggering 266 tackles, along with a bunch of INT’s and fumble recoveries. As a junior and senior he was named the San Gabriel Valley defensive MVP. Surprisingly, Johnson was only a two-star recruit and looked at offers from Boise State, Utah, and Utah State. Now as a senior, his aggressive and violent demeanor on the field has led to some ferocious hits, but also some personal foul penalties and even an ejection at Oregon back in 2008. At the same time, he has amassed 7 interceptions in his college career, including this one against Wyoming a few weeks ago.
I think my favorite part about picking Mr. Johnson as my PTW is that there are a lot of ways that he can impact the game and the team. Beyond the interceptions and fumble recoveries, he has led the Broncos in total tackles for the last couple of years and that should continue that trend for his senior year. Jeron will be knocking down quite a few Spartans on Saturday night. That I can guarantee. Also, I really hope to see a snot bubbler or two in Spartan Stadium with Johnson doing the delivering. As a man with many nicknames, I think that "Hitman" is the most appropriate. Although, his Facebook name is Jeron "Showoff" Johnson, so that works too, I guess. In a defense where the one weakness this season has seemed to be the secondary, it is extremely important to have a presence like Jeron lurking around. The problem has not been a lack of talent, there was just a huge void left when Kyle Wilson took his skill and his dreadlocks to the New York Jets. I think that as the season progresses, the corners will tighten up and Jeron will be able to go back to his roaming, head-hunting self and knock some fools out. Johnson is indeed one of the leaders on defense and this is beginning to show. He has matured greatly since his days of getting kicked out of the game at Autzen Stadium. A lot is expected from Jeron Johnson, and he is delivering. What else would you expect from someone who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated?!
The fifth edition of Bronco Chase's Weekly Player to Watch is in the books! Jeron Johnson should have a big game and hopefully a really hard hit (or two)! Take a look at this, just because it's sick!
I will be posting my review of the game on Sunday and the WAC Weekend Recap on Monday. Be sure to check back in and get my take on everything that goes down in college football!
I am a real Bronco fan offering real insight, ideas, opinions, and takes in the most unbiased manner possible (although sometimes I slip up). My posts are true, honest, and awesome! Read, laugh, cry, and of course, enjoy!
