Dec. 25, 2012

Corvallis, Ore. -

You would be hard pressed to find a better secondary in the Pac-12 and probably most of the nation than what Oregon State has put on the field this season.

The headliner is consensus All-America Jordan Poyer, who missed out on one team from being a unanimous selection. Poyer, a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe and Bednarik Awards, heads into the bowl game second in the nation for interceptions with seven. The co-team captain will play in next month's Senior Bowl. 

Poyer deservedly captures most of the attention, but junior Rashaad Reynolds has had a banner year at the other corner and junior Sean Martin improved throughout the season and figures to replace the graduating Poyer. 

The safety positions will be one of the strengths of the team heading into 2013, although Anthony Watkins will graduate. Sophomores-to-be-juniors Ryan Murphy and Tyrequek Zimmerman are as good of a combination as any in the country.

Tickets for the Dec. 29^th Valero Alamo Bowl are on sale at BeaverTickets.com or by contacting OSU at 1-800-GO-BEAVS between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. If you're interested in becoming a new season ticket holder for a 2013 home schedule that includes Stanford, Washington, USC, Colorado, Hawai'i and Eastern Washington please contact the OSU Ticket Office to place a $50 per seat deposit. Current season ticket holders will receive their renewal information by Feb. 1.

The OSU video team put together the following feature on the secondary with several players and assistant coach Rod Perry interviewed.

CORNERBACKS

What is your most embarrassing moment on the football field?

Anthony Watkins: "Getting blindsided on a reverse in the Oregon game."
Rashaad Reynolds: "Getting run over last year."
Ryan Murphy: "First is when I dropped the pick against UCLA; second was when I dropped the pick against Arizona State; third was when I dropped the pick against Nicholls State."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Versus BYU, their running back ran right around me and I could have made the tackle, but he just ran right around me. There was no juke move, nothing like that."

If you could have powers like a super hero, what would yours be?

Jordan Poyer: "Probably super strength or be able to fly."
Anthony Watkins: "Strength like the Hulk"
Rashaad Reynolds: "I would want to fly."
Ryan Murphy: "I'd be Batman because I want all the gadgets."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "To have Hulk powers."

What actor would play you in a movie about your life?

Jordan Poyer: "Jim Carey."
Anthony Watkins: "Denzel Washington"

What time does your alarm clock go off in the morning?
Rashaad Reynolds: "If we have a meeting at 9:30, my alarm clock goes off at 9:18."
Ryan Murphy: "Mine is 9:00 if we have meetings at 9:30."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Meeting is at 9:30 so I wake up at 8:41."

What was the best vacation you ever took?

Jordan Poyer: "Probably to Las Vegas when we went to the bowl game (in 2009)

Anthony Watkins: "When I went on a cruise to the Caribbean last spring."
Rashaad Reynolds: "I went to Cabo San Lucas my 10th grade year."
Ryan Murphy: "Houston in seventh and eighth grade. We went there twice for an AAU tournament."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "When I went to Georgia to visit some family during Christmas time, my ninth grade year."

What's the top thing on your bucket list?

Jordan Poyer: "I want to go skydiving and travel the world."
Anthony Watkins: "Probably go to Jamaica."
Rashaad Reynolds: "Skydive."
Ryan Murphy: "Take a trip to New York."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "I want to mountain climb in the snow."

What is your New Year's resolution?

Jordan Poyer: "Be better than I was this year."
Anthony Watkins: "To be the best person I can be."
Rashaad Reynolds: "Be the best I can be in everything."
Ryan Murphy: "Straighten up my priorities and sharpen up my daily life."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Get my mind right and make sure I have all my stuff organized, while being the best I can be."

Best topping on a pizza?

Jordan Poyer: "Pepperoni"
Anthony Watkins: "Pineapple"
Rashaad Reynolds: "Meat lovers Pizza"
Ryan Murphy: "Bacon and cheese"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Meat lovers with pineapples"

If Chef Raul Vera was invited to your kitchen, what would you have him make?

Jordan Poyer: "Some stuff I have never eaten before. I trust him that he would make something great, but it has to be something that I haven't had before."
Anthony Watkins: "Ribs"
Rashaad Reynolds: "I would have to go to the cookbooks to find something I have never tried before."
Ryan Murphy: "I would take an Oreo Cheesecake."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Red Velvet cake"

What is the most important part of a sandwich?

Jordan Poyer: "The bread"
Anthony Watkins: "The bread and the meat"
Rashaad Reynolds: "The meat"
Ryan Murphy: "The pickles"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "The meat"

If I was a professional wrestler, my name would be...
Jordan Poyer: "Poy Toy"
Anthony Watkins: "The Ultimate Warrior."
Rashaad Reynolds: "Ray Rizzle the Magnificent"
Ryan Murphy: "Man Down"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Free Bans"

Do you have a hidden talent?

Jordan Poyer: "Not really... I'm an athlete, so that's what I am."
Anthony Watkins: "I am a good chef"
Rashaad Reynolds: "I can draw"
Ryan Murphy: "I try to be left handed"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "I can rap"

Describe yourself in three words.

Jordan Poyer: "Sexy, light-skinned, guy."
Anthony Watkins: "Tough, courageous and outgoing"
Rashaad Reynolds: "Good looking, caring and well-rounded."
Ryan Murphy: "Tall, dark and handsome"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Well-rounded, light-skinned and handsome."

If you were a car, what kind would you be?

Jordan Poyer: "Lamborghini with the suicide doors and the leather seats."
Anthony Watkins: "A 1967 Chevy Mustang"
Rashaad Reynolds: "A 1970 Chevelle"
Ryan Murphy: "A Rolls-Royce or a Mercedes Benz."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "An all-chrome Camaro."

If you had an extra hour of free time every day, what would you do?

Jordan Poyer: "Probably play some more Call of Duty."
Anthony Watkins: "Sleep"
Rashaad Reynolds: "Either I would be watching TV or playing video games."
Ryan Murphy: "Get my bodies up in Call of Duty"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Playing Call of Duty and chilling"

Would you rather skydive or scuba dive?

Jordan Poyer: "Skydive"
Anthony Watkins: "Scuba Dive"
Rashaad Reynolds: "Skydive"
Ryan Murphy: "Scuba Dive"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Skydive"

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Jordan Poyer: "Peanut Butter Chocolate."
Anthony Watkins: "Tillamook's Chocolate Peanut Butter"
Rashaad Reynolds: "Cookies and Cream"
Ryan Murphy: "Butter Brickle"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Oreos"

If you could change places with Coach Perry what would be the first thing you would do?

Jordan Poyer: "Go back in time to do what he did; play in the NFL and see what his life was like."
Anthony Watkins: "Probably be in the NFL"
Rashaad Reynolds: "Play in the Super Bowl"
Ryan Murphy: "Yell at Anthony Watkins and Ray-Ray (Rashaad Reynolds) all day."
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "I would probably just help out the young kids on the team."

If Coach Perry was an animal, what would he be?

Jordan Poyer: "He'd be a lion."
Anthony Watkins: "He was a good DB so I'd say a honey badger."
Rashaad Reynolds: "A horse"
Ryan Murphy: "Some type of bear"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "A big dog"

If you could see any football player past or present play live, who would it be?

Jordan Poyer: "Jerry Rice"
Anthony Watkins: "Ray Lewis"
Rashaad Reynolds: "The great Walter Payton"
Ryan Murphy: "Sean Taylor, Ed Reed or Ray Lewis"
Tyrequek Zimmerman: "Adrian Peterson or Ray Lewis"