Seattle Times: Cougars notebook: Felder is a long way from O'Dea

By Craig Smith

Seattle Times staff reporter

At this time last year, linebacker Anthony Felder of O'Dea sometimes was being lifted at halftime of lopsided Metro League games in the name of mercy and sportsmanship. This year, he gets to stay in games — he's a starting outside linebacker for California's Pac-10-leading defense. Felder had dreamed in the summer of getting on the field as a freshman but was surprised when he became the starter because of injury in Game 3 against Illinois, a 35-20 Cal triumph. He showed he belonged, though, by making seven tackles (two solo). The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder has remained the starter and goes into tomorrow night's home game against Washington State ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 28 (16 solo). Felder said he enjoys the intensity of college football the most. "When you're on a high-school field, the other 10 guys around you might not be as into the game as you are," he said. "They might be there because they feel like they need to be because their parents want them to. Out here, everybody loves the game and is really intense about it. It's a lot more fun. It's a lot more lively." Felder wasn't recruited by WSU, and Cougars coach Bill Doba said yesterday that Felder "was a guy we probably misjudged." Felder took recruiting visits to California, Louisiana State and Oregon State. Felder isn't the only productive freshman on the Cal team. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson, from storied Long Beach Poly High School, leads the No. 25 Bears (5-2 overall, 2-2 Pac-10) with 29 catches for 397 yards and four touchdowns.

Notes

• Third-string WSU RB Kevin McCall sprained an ankle Wednesday and won't be on the traveling squad. The Cougars will take freshman Dwight Tardy to Berkeley but hope they don't have to use him so he can retain his redshirt status.

• Doba said DT Ropati Pitoitua probably will play about the same number of plays (about 20) this week as last week. Pitoitua, who broke his leg in camp, suffered some swelling after his 2005 debut last week against UCLA.

• Doba said Tuesday's practice "wasn't anything great" and Wednesday's practice was hard to judge because it was conducted in driving rain. Practices on Tuesday and Wednesday are the two most important of the week. Practices aren't always a good predictor of Saturday performance, though, as proven by good practices before the Cougars lost at home to Stanford 24-21 on Oct. 8.

• The Cougars will take injured LB Will Derting (knee) to Berkeley, but his first game back for the senior co-captain is likely to be Nov. 5 against Arizona State. Doba said Derting is "walking with a little bit of a limp" but is off crutches and is now wearing a smaller brace. He was injured late in the 44-33 loss at Oregon State on a goal-line play.

• Saturday's kickoff is at 7:15 p.m. to accommodate television, and the Cougars won't get back to Pullman until about 3 a.m. Sunday.