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“Hey dad, Have you ever heard of a guy named John Schneider? Works for the Seahawks”, My daughter asked, a week or so before parents weekend up at Boise State. In October, 2022. My wife and I had really been looking forward to going and experiencing all the hype surrounding the annual College ritual. The parade, the football game, the downtown fun, but mostly getting to see our girl for a few days!
“Yeah, he’s their G.M., pretty well known for being good at drafting and bringing in players. Why?” I asked.
“His son Jack goes here. I met him at one of the parties. He’s in the same Fraternity as some of my friends” She said.
“Really?! Wow, that’s kinda cool on one hand. Nauseating on the other. Did you tell him you’re a Rams fan?” My smirk, resembling the Cheshire Cat, conveyed I was half kidding, but totally serious.
“Dad!….no. I didn’t talk to him much. He’s too short.” (That’s my girl! What she really meant was “Dad I could smell the Seachicken stench from across the room. I would’nt touch that dude for anything”)
So John Schneider’s kid goes to Boise, hmm. Makes sense I guess, Just a few hours drive from Seattle. I thought nothing much of it after that.
That weekend we went to our first Boise Game on the Blue. Boise had a great game, and beat Fresno State. A tall lanky Freshman quarterback stepped in for the starter that day, and made some pretty dynamic plays with his arm, and his long stride. Taylen Green reminded me of Randall Cunningham the way he played. The kid is pretty exciting, I thought.
Another Freshman had his coming out party that night. True Freshman Ashton Jeanty earned the backup running back spot, and went off that night, rushing for 109 yards and two scores. He would soon overshadow the starter, George Holani, who had 157 yards rushing and touchdown himself, via receiving. The game was a lot of fun, and I found myself wondering if any of the players on the field that night would wind up playing for the Rams.
Well, scouting that night on a more serious level, no doubt, was a fellow parent, John Schneider, and after the following season in 2024, George Holani went undrafted, Schneider and his Seahawks signed Holani to a priority UDFA contract.
(“I knew it,” I remember thinking. Holani is pretty good. Dang I wish the Rams got him. He’s a pretty tough little runner and would have been a good backup to Kyren)
I’m so glad the Rams drafted Blake Corum now, of course. So much better than Holani, I believe.
So now I see, with Zack Charbonnet out for the playoffs, here comes George Holani to step in to spell Kenneth Walker in the Champioship game. And no doubt, in large part because of a parents weekend performance.
Well. The Rams defense, I am confident, will be able to step up and limit Walker, Holani, and whoever the Chickens throw at them. Charbonnet won’t be there to pickup any accidental 2-point conversions, and the Rams will be headed to the Super Bowl.
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