The Details: This Is Why They Chose Washington
December 01, 2016 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
This is why Kevin King decided to come to Washington.
This is why Jake Eldrenkamp picked the Huskies.
This is why Psalm Wooching, Darrell Daniels and every other senior decided to spend their college careers in Seattle.
Washington is headed to Levi's Stadium to play for a title for the first time since the Pac-12 added its championship game in 2011. Friday's matchup with No. 9 Colorado puts the fourth-ranked Huskies in a position to claim their first conference title since 2000.
For this group of Huskies the opportunity to reach this point, this moment, was a pivotal reason for deciding to play college football for the Huskies.
"I wouldn't have come here if I couldn't envision it," King said. "I came in here with a group of guys who all had the same vision. Like-minded people can move mountains, so with the help of coach Pete (Chris Petersen) and the rest of the guys we've turned this program into what it used to be, what it needs to be."
A few years ago, back when standouts like King and Eldrenkamp were still in high school, I was covering high schools for The Seattle Times and then recruiting for ESPN.com.
As the prep standouts went through the recruiting process, each athlete was intrigued by the thought of getting the opportunity to build Washington up to a level where the program was capable of contending for a trip to the Rose Bowl.
The thought of playing early and building a winner was enticing. It was exciting. And, while they were small children the last time the program was competing at an elite level, they could envision a day when the Huskies were back on top of the Pac-12.
"To go through that process, to see where it was and where it needed to be, getting the team there is pretty special," said Eldrenkamp, a first-team, All-Pac-12 selection.
As a local kid playing for the hometown team has been a special experience for the offensive lineman.Β
"It's something we've been working for a long time," he said. "I know the program has been to this point before, but it hasn't been in a while. It's really exciting for Husky Nation. It's really exciting for the team and all of us, especially the seniors who get to finish on a high note."
This is a moment that has been years β and careers β in the making. This team's success is the byproduct of players who committed to building something special, who bought into Petersen's Built For Life philosophy.
For Wooching, getting to the Pac-12 title game is a success not only for this team, but for all the players who came before, each athlete who had a role in the development of this program.
"I feel very privileged," he said. "The guys before me, everyone else who was trying to get to that point, that stage, they're really proud. I feel like their hopes, their dreams of accomplishing that came upon us when we won the WSU game."
When he looks at the growth of this team, he points to one thing, a beautifully simple formula for success.
"Hard work pays off," he said. "Since coach Pete came in there's been a lot of hard work done, a lot of building our craft, the construction of a new culture. I'm just honored to be able to help get the program to this point."
And now that the team has earned a trip to the Pac-12 title game, the season continues. Earning a trip to the game is only one step in the process. There is still plenty to play for.
"You can start anything, but going out there and finishing, that's next-level stuff," King said. "We set our goals and now we have the opportunity to achieve them. We've just got to go out there and finish."Β
