PULLMAN, Wash. – For most people, Pullman is just a tiny town surrounded by wheat fields, but for the coaches and players that make Washington State a quick stop in their career – it’s a place they’ll call home forever.
“Everyone that leaves here goes: Coach, that was way better than I thought it was or what it was going to be. I said: that’s because you hit google and all you find is a bunch of farmland,” head coach Jake Dickert said.
While the small town might not seem like much to an outsider, Dickert said once the players get in the building, it’s easy to see why it’s so unique.
“You share those memories, you share those times, you understand what it means to be a former player to put this logo on. The crimson and gray means a lot to a lot of people,” Dickert said.
For WSU linebacker Keith Brown, Pullman is the third stop in his college career. But it’s a place he’ll always come back to.
“This is probably the most fun I’ve had in college and most enjoyment I’ve had and it feels so good to win here. So yeah – Pullman will definitely be a place I call home,” Brown said.
In a college football world with NIL deals in big cities with major schools, choosing to play at Washington State takes a special kind of player. Dickert said the guys that stay the course will come out on the other end a better person.
“I think [the player] look back at their time here towards the end or when they get to my age and you’re just like: man that really shaped who I am. I went through something hard. It wasn’t always easy. Sometimes I felt isolated and out of my comfort zone but that made me grow up and mature.”
The Cougars and the Rainbow Warriors from Hawaii kickoff at 12:30 p.m. in Pullman on Saturday.
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