Texas A&M QB to have offseason ‘clean up’ surgery

jrice@centredaily.com

SAN ANTONIO — Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee plans to do two things after the Aggies wrap up their 2007 season by playing Penn State in Saturday’s Alamo Bowl.

The first is hunting some deer. Or whatever is available.

“I’ll go out and hunt anything that moves,” he said.

The second is a minor surgery, meant to “clean up” an injury that McGee wouldn’t specify.

When you play like McGee plays, though, injuries are mandatory.

“You don’t sign up not expecting to get the crap knocked out of you now and then,” he said. “That’s the sport we play, and that’s what makes it so fun. If you don’t like that, then you should probably go play basketball or something.” The Aggies’ pretense-free junior and co-captain is one of the team’s most respected players, in part because he has shown little regard for his personal safety.

“He’s not your typical quarterback in regard to trying to duck out of bounds and avoid hits,” said one of the Aggies charged with keeping McGee’s jersey clean, center Cody Wallace.

McGee also will be the major key in Texas A&M’s plans to knock off the Nittany Lions.

If the Aggies throw the ball more than 35 times, as they did in a regular-season-ending 38-30 win over Texas, McGee must perform. If they run the ball, McGee, the team’s leading rusher with 858 yards on 173 carries, must perform.

Which strategy would he prefer?

“It’s all about winning, fellas,” McGee said. “I could care less, whatever it takes to win is what I want to do. I’ll run it, I’ll throw it, I’ll hand it off.”

Ready to talk Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli said his absence from a media session was a schedule mix-up, saying he thought his assigned day to talk to the media was Thursday.

Morelli, a senior tri-captain, went to Sea World with his family Wednesday during his scheduled interview time. “Just a mix-up, no big deal,” Morelli said. “Better late than never. Here today.”

Prior to Thursday, Morelli had not spoken to the media since 31-0 win at Temple on Nov. 10.

“There is no off-the-field stuff. It’s one media day, so let’s not blow it up,” Morelli said. “Let’s talk about the game. What’s up?”

Here to stay Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said Thursday he had not been approached by West Virginia to fill its head coaching vacancy. Bradley, the defensive coordinator for eight seasons and an assistant for 29 years, also said he has not pursued the opening.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported last week that Bradley had been contacted by West Virginia about replacing Rich Rodriguez, who left to take over Michigan.

“Sometimes those rumors take off like wildfire and keep growing and growing,” said Bradley. “I’m not trying to be a head coach anywhere just to be a head coach. It would have to be the right spot. I know that with my heart, and you know people say home is where the heart is. For me, that’s Penn State.”

Bradley also has been mentioned as a possible successor to Joe Paterno, who is 81 years old and has led the Nittany Lions for 42 seasons. Paterno’s contract expires after the 2008 season.

“I keep telling Joe he can coach until 100,” Bradley said. “That’s fine by me.”

Two to tango On Saturday, he’ll have to wrestle with several Texas A&M offensive linemen, as well as Aggies tailback Jorvorskie Lane, who is built like a lineman.

So on Wednesday, Penn State linebacker Sean Lee warmed up by tangling with a beluga whale.

“There were supposed to be three people (chosen),” Lee said of his dip in the pool during the team’s visit to SeaWorld. “I kind of just saw them walking in and jumped in with them. I was in the water with it, holding it, and it was spinning me around, dancing. It was kind of a cool experience.”

Lee’s SeaWorld experience was more satisfying than that of one of his teammates.

“I wasn’t there too long. I wanted to go see Shamu, but he wasn’t cooperating,” said Penn State defensive end Josh Gaines, an avid watcher of the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. “They said something about his mate wasn’t mating with him, so he was a little upset about that.”

No word yet Penn State cornerback Justin King is still mum on whether he will turn pro or return for his senior season. He will talk, however, about enjoying what’s left of his junior season.

“I’m really just having fun playing football,” King said Thursday. “I’m really not sure. I’m just having a great time on the football field.”

King received his degree in letters, arts and sciences last week, completing it in just three years. He said he had since talked with his mother and stepfather, Gateway High School coach and former Nittany Lion Terry Smith about the decision to turn pro but didn’t have a “thorough, formal conversation about it.”

Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to declare themselves eligible for the NFL Draft.

Miscellaneous A defensive player, usually a linebacker, who stays near the line of scrimmage to counter the threat of a running quarterback is known as a “spy.” Thursday, when a reporter asked Texas A&M offensive coordinator Les Koenning if he expected the Nittany Lions to use a spy, he replied, to laughter: “At practice?” ... Morelli is scheduled to play for the East squad in the East-West Shrine all-star game on Jan. 19 in Houston. Linebacker Dan Connor is scheduled to play in the Senior Bowl, Jan. 26 in Mobile, Ala.