Some Stanback Thoughts

While going through the rest of the NFL combine stuff we gathered, we forgot to mention a small conversation we had with Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback.
Stanback, if you remember, threw for 353 yards against Notre Dame in 2005 and was coached by former Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham.
We brought Willingham up, and he felt his former coach was instrumental in his success.
"He helped me a lot, whether it be directly or indirectly with the staff that they brought in," Stanback said. "He helped a lot with just my growth overall as a player and as a man. He is  very inspirational."
We also asked him about the Notre Dame game and whether it was a confidence boost after he had a 300-yard plus day.
"Every game helps my confidence whether it is a bad game or a great game," Stanback said. "But that game was definitely an important game for our program. We didn't get the 'W' so I was disappoinged from that standpoint first and foremost but I learned a lot that game.
"That was a great defense that we played against and anytime you get a chance to prove yourself against great athletes and great opponents, you want to do so."
We're not sure what it says about Washington's other opponents if he considered that Notre Dame defense, which ranked 75th in total defense and 103rd in pass defense, to be great.
-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette