Huskies find a different kind of leader
TODD MILLES; The News Tribune
Born into a family of Washington State Cougars, Enumclaw’s T.J. Poe did almost the unthinkable – he walked on at rival Washington.
Think his Apple Cups invite a bit of split loyalty?
Along the way, Poe has learned something more important than school allegiance – who bleeds crimson and gray, and who supports purple and gold. He has experienced two sides of a college program far more distinct.
He’s transformed from volunteer player to an athlete on full scholarship.
In many ways, Poe – one of the Huskies’ special team aces this season – epitomizes the type of player UW coach Steve Sarkisian admires most. By any measure, the senior linebacker has earned his own way.
“T.J. was a guy we didn’t know a lot of about when we first got here,” Sarkisian said. “But I’ve always kind of appreciated hard work. I always try and appreciate guys who earn their way, kind of like a guy that earns the big contract in the NFL who might have been a late draft pick.”
Taking a chance
Poe had the name around Enumclaw, and the pedigree. His father, Tom, was one of WSU’s all-time great linebackers in the 1970s who spent time in the Canadian Football League and World Football League, and later in an NFL camp.
His two sisters, Kristin and Jenny, were standout basketball players at Enumclaw High School, eventually earning scholarships to play at Seattle Pacific University.
Poe was pretty good himself. He was an all-SPSL North performer, convinced he could help out some college program.
“I’ve heard a lot of kids go, ‘I want to play college football,’ and you go, ‘Yeah, right,’ because they don’t have the work ethic or (family) support,” said Dave Stokke, Poe’s offensive line coach at Enumclaw. “He had both. I told him I thought he could do it. I’m not sure he got that from everybody else.”
A scholarship at Western Washington awaited him in 2004, but Poe was thinking bigger.
He first visited WSU with his father. When he met Cougars linebackers coach Leon Burtnett – whom Tom played for – the outlook did not look favorable. A couple of high school products from Texas, Jason Stripling and Greg Trent, were highly regarded recruits in front of him.
Poe was told he could walk on with little chance of playing early on.
The same thing happened when Poe visited assistant coach Chris Tormey at the UW a few weeks later. He was invited to walk on, but was also told something different – the chances of playing were vastly better.
“There was just something about that day and the moment – where we were standing at Husky Stadium, and the weather – that convinced me I should go here,” Poe said.
False promise
All Poe wanted was a shot at playing on defense.
From 2006-08 under former UW coach Tyrone Willingham, Poe saw playing time, but only on special teams. In his first three seasons, he played in a total of 20 games.
“I couldn’t be mad,” Poe said. “I mean, I was stuck behind Donald (Butler), a great player.”
By last November, the Huskies were just playing out the rest of their dismal season. Willingham was on his way out.
Prior to the final game against California, Poe said coaches promised him he would get in for one defensive series against the Bears.
Instead, he got in for the meaningless final play of a 48-7 loss – a kneel-down by the quarterback.
“That was frustrating, and it stuck with me,” Poe said.
Starting over
Five days later, Sarkisian was introduced as the Huskies’ new coach. Suddenly, all of the merit Poe had built with the old staff was gone. All of a sudden, heading into his senior season, he was back at square one.
“Yeah, it was hard on him. The new coaching staff had a clear direction, and a lot to do in a short time,” Tom Poe said. “They didn’t have the luxury of seeing a kid for three or four years. They had to create a new era within weeks.”
Initially, T.J. Poe felt lost with the new staff, not knowing where he fit in. He was nowhere to be found on the depth chart at linebacker. And he got only a few repetitions on special teams.
He finally realized if he was going to get something out of his senior season, he would have to put his full energy into being a special-teams standout. And teammates began noticing.
“Even if he wasn’t getting a shot on defense, he went hard on (special teams). I know I appreciated his work,” UW safety Jason Wells said. “You watch him, he’s the first one around for the tackle. He’s gotten a lot of knockdowns on kickoffs. He is our special teams guy.”
Then something came about unexpectedly the afternoon of Sept. 2, in the days leading up to the UW’s first game against Louisiana State.
Sarkisian called an afternoon meeting for the players. In front of the group, the new coach announced he was giving scholarships to five walk-ons. One of them was Poe.
That same day, his parents came up to practice unannounced. Poe had to run through the whole workout before he could tell his parents the good news.
“We were all ecstatic for him,” Wells said.
Final days
Poe knows he’s taken a long road to his final Apple Cup this week.
His father will be at Husky Stadium, dressed in purple. So will his mother, Patti, and other family and friends.
“I remember that first Apple Cup when I redshirted (in 2005),” Poe said. “My dad hadn’t really accepted me playing here yet. So he wore black.”
It took some time, but his father finally came around.
“It’s your kid. You want what’s best for him, and (the UW) was the best place for him,” Tom Poe said. “Washington State could have said, ‘We’ll scholarship you,’ and didn’t.
“So I’ve got to hand it to (T.J). He’s stepped up and done a great job here.”
As a coach, Sarkisian admits not every walk-on can make it for four or five seasons in a program. As a player, Wells admits not every player used to playing defense can be content just playing special teams without being a disruptive force.
Poe found a way to do both.
“You have to have those big-time special teams leaders,” WSU coach Paul Wulff said.
“They make such a big difference. They give you those hidden leadership qualities.”
Todd Milles: 253-597-8442
todd.milles@thenewstribune.com
