Claridge's Corner

November 10, 1999

"I'm excited to play again this week. I'm excited to play in the cold weather. I'll be the only guy out there without long-sleeves on. It's fun playing in Pullman. It's a college town, the stadium will be packed with people having a good time. There might be bad weather up there, but I don't mind. I've played in the rain, in wind and in mud. I played in a game in high school where you couldn't throw the ball because the fog was so thick you couldn't see it. I like playing in inclement weather. Also, the turf is different up there. It's like playing on a sheet of ice. It's so slippery, especially when it rains and it gets cold.

I think the last time we played up in Pullman this late was when Tony Boselli was there. It's ironic that the last road game of my career will be in my home state. I wish some of my high school coaches would come up and watch, but I doubt they will. But my girlfriend is going, some of my friends are going and my dad will be there.

I love the fans up there. They yell obscenities to me, but I enjoy it. It's an alcohol-free campus up there now, though, so I don't think they're as loud as they used to be. Still, it's a late night game. Tailgating starts around noon and by gametime the fans can get downright belligerent. It's fun. It's a great college town.

I love playing up north or back east. I'm from Michigan originally, so when I go back there I just get a sense of being home. It makes me feel good, makes me play harder. I can't explain it.you fly to these places and you look down and you see trees everywhere and snow on the ground and it's cold..it just makes me feel good.

When I went to play Washington State my freshman year, people yelled all kinds of things to me. They'd say, "Claridge, you can't spell SAT!" or "Claridge, you stink!" or "Claridge, you never should have left!" Now, here it is my senior year, and after being told that I shouldn't have left, our team is going to the Toilet Bowl. Our last game of the year will be our last game of the year. It's very disappointing."