Gridiron Gladiators: UW’s QB Backups in Cage Match
With spring ball winding down, Washington’s quarterback room has become a four-way bloodbath. Returning starter Demond Williams Jr. is locked in, but four underclassmen—Stanford transfer Eiijah Brown, redshirt freshmen Kini McMillan and Dash Beierly, and early enrollee Derek Zammit—are duking it out for the No. 2 spot. Brown shows promise with 117 yards in one scrimmage but also threw a red-zone pick, while each of the others has endured interceptions, sacks, or flat-out airballs. Coach JP Losman, fresh off an eight-year NFL career, insists the youth will mature, but for now the back-up gig remains anyone’s to steal.
Watch out, reality TV—Washington’s quarterback spring practice makes Survivor look like a garden party. Picture four fumbling rookies scrambling to throw more completed passes than tantrums while their coach cheers like a ringmaster at a failed circus. Will any of these spring understudies evolve into a respectable backup, or are they simply auditioning for the next round of blooper reels? Stay tuned—this pigskin soap opera is just getting started.
“Are You for Real?”: Thompson’s Wild Draft Day Ride
At the NFL Draft, none were more unfiltered than former UW defensive tackle Anterio Thompson. Selected by the Atlanta Falcons in Round 6 (208th overall), Thompson’s phone call from GM Ian Cunningham began with genuine disbelief. As the call passed from coach Kevin Stefanski to owner Josh Blank, DL coach Kevin Ollie, DC Jeff Ulbrich, and even team president Matt Ryan, Thompson alternated between “I ain’t gonna lie, I’m shaking” and stunned silence. His shocked reactions highlighted both the gravity and the absurdity of draft-day theatrics.
If dramatic plot twists were currency, Thompson would be a billionaire. Picture the guy trembling phone-to-phone like he’s in the world’s most nerve-wracking relay race. Every ring heralds another cameo from NFL VIPs, and our star is left blubbering like a kid who lost his ice cream. Atlanta’s front office got a free comedy special—frank emotion meets unexpected NFL ticket. The Falcons might have snagged a defensive tackle, but they also snagged America’s next feel-good viral moment.
From Walk-On to Warm-Up: Huskies Snag NFL Tryouts
Two more Washington players—place-kicker Grady Gross and backup QB Kai Horton—have earned NFL rookie minicamp invitations. Gross, a former walk-on turned team captain, will compete with the Chiefs after making 46 of 61 career field goals (long of 51). Horton, 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, took four snaps in Seattle’s spring camp, completing 7 of 13 passes for 98 yards and rushing for two TDs in limited action. Their invites follow seven UW draftees and two undrafted free-agent signings, extending the Huskies’ pro pipeline.
Behold the hallowed NFL audition: two underdogs handpicked for hope, kicking and throwing for recognition, like hopeful contestants on a gridiron American Idol. Gross traded tuition for a last-second Apple Cup miracle; Horton swapped Tulane for a shot at Russel Wilson’s old stomping grounds. Next stop—NFL camps, where the real pressure begins, and every missed field goal or hurried snap could send them back to the kiddie pool. May the funniest mustache win?
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