Cal Football: Evan Weaver Gets National Attention With Story in The Athletic
Cal linebacker Evan Weaver still leads the nation in total tackles, and that -- along with his colorful personality -- were worth a long story in The Athletic.
And it's a story worth reading -- even if you have to pay a little to see the whole article.
The story probably should have run a week earlier or maybe a week later, because Weaver is coming off his worst game of the season statistically. He had a season-low six tackles in the 17-7 loss to Oregon last Saturday, the first time this season he had fewer than 10 tackles in a game. And though he still leads the nation in total tackles with 84, he dropped to third in the country in tackles per game at 14.0.
The whispers that Weaver should be included in the Heisman Trophy conversation ended with that game, partly because of his statistical decline but also because Cal suffered its second loss and reamins out of the top-25. For a defensive player to get mentioned in Heisman talk, his team needs to be among the nation's best.
But Weaver's intriguing quotes are good anytime. Whether it be his unfettered assessment of his or his team's play or his observations about things around him, Weaver always comes up with something interesting.
Add the fact that he was not heavily recruited out of Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Washington, and you have the making of a good story.
The Bears have a bye this weekend, but you can bet Weaver will be out to increase his tackle total when Cal hosts Oregon State next Saturday in an 11:30 a.m. game.
