This is another busy offseason week for the St. Louis Rams. The team starts OTAs on Tuesday. For the new players, this year’s rookie class, this is just another action-packed week in a hectic span that’s been going on since January. But at least this week, the players have the coaches and veterans on hand as they dive deeper into the transition from college to the pros.

“Oh man, it’s is definitely crazy,” Tavon Austin told TST last week at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles, “just to see how many different positions I have to learn. After you relax, you start picking it up, but it’s still kind of hard.”

To be exact, Austin has three positions to learn. The Rams have him working on the outside as well as anywhere and everywhere on the inside.

Full Article at: Turf Show Times

Following his graduation from Parkersburg South, Ron Crook dreamed of playing at West Virginia University, but quickly realized that his talents were more suited for the Hilltoppers of West Liberty State University.

That dream of one day putting on the old gold and blue never left, however, and was finally fulfilled when third year head coach Dana Holgorsen added the former Patriot to his coaching staff to take over the duties as offensive line coach when Bill Bedenbaugh elected to leave for a similar position at Oklahoma.

Crook, who was back in the Mid-Ohio Valley on Monday to speak to the Parkersburg Rotary Club, was just coming off of a second season with the Cardinal of Stanford University where he was the tight ends and offensive tackles coach.

Full Article at: NewsandSentinel

Cleaning out a crowded notebook and a cluttered mind while trying to imagine Clint Trickett throwing passes to Ivan McCartney:

A month ago, whodathunkit?

That’s not to say that it will happen, of course, save for West Virginia practices. After all, Trickett has yet to suit up for a Dana Holgorsen workout. And while McCartney has done plenty of that, last season he started all of one game, caught but nine passes and then left the team and the school.

So let’s not all of a sudden fool ourselves into thinking Trickett’s transfer in and McCartney’s unexpected return suddenly change the entire dynamic of the Mountaineers’ 2013 season.

Full Article at: The Charleston Gazette

West Virginia University’s 12-week summer school session started Monday and four football players enrolled to get a head start on academics and get involved in summer workouts.

Junior college receiver Ronald Carswell, junior college center Stone Underwood and receiver Ivan McCartney, who quit the team in November, but reached a truce with the coaching staff, were each signed up and in classes.

Former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett was finalizing paperwork Monday afternoon and was to be enrolled soon.

Full Article at: Charleston Daily Mail

Receiver Ivan McCartney, who left West Virginia’s football team in November, is back on campus to begin summer classes and a comeback attempt with the Mountaineers.

WVU Coach Dana Holgorsen said Sunday he’s welcomed McCartney back to the team for his final season of eligibility and that McCartney will be considered a newcomer as he goes through the strength and conditioning program and team workouts this summer.

“Second chances are few and far between,” Holgorsen said. “This kid’s got an opportunity to right the ship. Maybe he makes the best of it. Maybe he doesn’t.”

Full Article at: BDT Online

Former West Virginia University quarterback Pat White doesn’t own a set of golf clubs, but he’s beginning to catch the fever for the sport.

For the second year in a row, White appeared as a guest for the Mid-Ohio Valley Amateur Golf Classic. The two-day event, which is a charity event used to support athletics at both Parkersburg High School and Parkersburg South, began Saturday with the opening round. The field consisted of 32 golfers, including White who immediately stepped onto the driving range following his exhibition round of 18 holes.

Tim Fisher, a multiple winner of the West Virginia State Amateur, even offered a few friendly tips for White.

Full Article at: newsandsentinel

A couple of days back Bruce Irvin sat down in a barber’s chair — stylist’s chair, if you prefer — and made a dramatic and what had to be traumatic move.

He had his dreadlocks removed.

These had become to Irvin what muscles were to Arnold Schwarzenegger, swagger was to Chad Johnson, what ‘Hey Jude’ was to the Beatles.

Full Article at: TimesWV

Not specific to WVU, but an interesting read nonetheless.

At first, Tyler Boyd couldn’t tell the difference between the Pittsburgh scholarship deal that sounded right and the one he was actually receiving. Was his full-ride scholarship to play football for Pittsburgh guaranteed for four years, or would it last for only one year, its extension contingent on coach Paul Chryst agreeing to renew it each summer?

“The multiyear, the first one, I think,” said Boyd, a Clairton High School student who signed with the Panthers in February.

He thought about it for a moment longer. He then asked his coach, Tom Nola. Boyd reconsidered. In fact, he thought, his scholarship lasted for only one year with a renewal option.

Full Article at: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Former West Virginia University Wide Receiver Ivan McCartney is looking to return to his former team.

McCartney announced via twitter that he wants to return to WVU for his senior season.

He tweeted, “Once a Mountaineer….. Always a Mountaineer!!”

Full Article at: WVi

Bobby Boyd’s speed factored into three runs out of the leadoff spot and Matt Frazer hit his seventh homer as West Virginia beat Oklahoma State 5-4 to close the regular season Saturday.
In avoiding a series sweep, WVU (31-25, 13-11) snapped a five-game skid and subsequently guaranteed itself a third-place Big 12 finish later Saturday when Oklahoma lost at Kansas State.

“With our backs against the wall, we talked about playing for the pride of the Mountaineers,” said WVU’s Randy Mazey, seemingly a cinch to take conference coach of the year honors next week. “Our guys showed they had some fight in them.”

Full Article at: WVMetroNews

Also from WVMetroNews:
McCartney rejoining Mountaineers

After flying from Miami to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Ivan McCartney Tweeted “Next stop Morgantown” where the receiver planned to meet with WVU football coaches and rejoin the program he left last November.

The former four-star recruit announced Friday night he was returning to WVU for his senior season, a curious turnaround considering McCartney’s junior season ended when he quit the team after the eighth game, citing what coach Dana Holgorsen referred to as “personal reasons.”

Full Article at: WVMetroNews

The Twitter world was full of West Virginia University sports news Saturday, beginning with the revelation that Ivan McCartney will likely be returning to the Mountaineer football team.

The former Miramar High School (Fla.) standout, who played with both Geno Smith and Stedman Bailey in high school in college, actually began dropping hints Friday night when he Tweeted, “Once a Mountaineer…. Always a Mountaineer!!” Later that night, he Tweeted, “Can’t wait to get back to work!” and on Saturday morning his Twitter account read, “Next stop Morgantown.”

A four-star recruit when he first made his commitment to WVU, McCartney caught 49 balls for 595 yards as a sophomore. He caught just nine passes for 112 yards last season before leaving the team in November after eight games.

Full Article at: The Register-Herald

Geno Smith never met Tim Tebow before the New York Jets released the game’s most controversial, non-traditional quarterback. But he did meet another national celebrity as part of his introduction to the NFL, spending some time with Jay-Z.

Smith was nonchalant about the encounter when asked about it on Thursday afternoon at the Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles.

Full Article at: philly.com

2. Tavon Austin, WR, Rams
The hype for Austin leading up to the NFL Draft was out of control, but it was very much worth it. Austin’s one of the new-aged movable chess-piece type of offensive players who can be a devastating weapon for a creative offensive coordinator. Looking at the Rams setup on O, it’s clear they’ll be improved: Sam Bradford finally has blindside protection in the form of Jake Long, tight end Jared Cook was a primo addition in free agency, Brian Quick and Chris Givens should continue to develop, and St. Louis picked up Austin’s West Virginia teammate Stedman Bailey in the draft. Not forcing Austin to be a true “No. 1″ wideout in his first season, making teams guard other guys and giving him the rock in various places all over the field — including out of running sets — will maximize his effectiveness and make him a strong candidate for ROY.

Full Article at: CBS Sports