Man, They Sure Have Fun At Those Bowl Games -- Play-By-Play Announcer Dave Says To Sideline Reporter Suzy, 'What Did You Find Out About Hicks' Groin?'

For a while, I thought the best quote from the Houston Bowl might come from the TV booth.

In the first half, ESPN2 play-by-play announcer Dave Barnett said to sideline reporter Suzy Shuster, "Suzy, what did you find out about Hicks' groin?"


It sounded like kind of a personal matter to me. Or a personal problem.

I guess Barnett wss referring to the injury to Cyclone tailback Stevie Hicks that was routinely described as "undisclosed" all season by those close to the Cyclone scene.

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Iowa State sophomore defensive end Jason Berryman, a native of Houston, may have gotten himself a future NFL career by making a dozen tackles that included five quarterback sacks in the Cyclones' 27-24 loss to Texas Christian.

"Even though playing at home was great," Berry told Emily Davis of the Houston Chronicle, "I played for the seniors. I wanted to get them a win before they left."

Iowa State coach Dan McCarney called it Berryman's best game.

"He's one of the best players in college football in my eyes, and he's only a sophomore," McCarney said.

Actually, Berryman said he had played just as well earlier.

"That was when I was a senior at Kashmere High school," he said.

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In the Houston Bowl, as in other 2005 games, Berryman went a long way toward making amends for a dumb thing he did 17 mnths ago.

He was arrested for robbing an Iowa State student of $4 and stealing a cell phone. He wound up spending 258 days in jail, lost his football scholarship and his spot in the starting lineup.

McCarney later permitted him to join the team again, and it wasn't long before he was among the starters.

"I earned the respect of my teammates and others in Iowa," Berryman said. "So it was kind of personal here [in Houston]. I wanted to have an opportunity to earn the respect back in Houston of friends and family. But, with the loss, I don't feel great about this day."

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