WSU Football | Newbies to star in debut

The true-freshman cornerback with the distinctive last name says he chose Washington State because of the opportunity to play early.

He obviously picked the right place. On Saturday, Chima Nwachukwu (pronounced "Chee-ma Watch-uh-ku") will start his college career in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wisconsin.

"I'm looking forward to proving myself," he said.

Nwachukwu, who is of Nigerian heritage and says his surname means "child of god" in a dialect spoken there, grew up in Milwaukee and Texas. He starred at Allen High School in the Dallas suburb of Allen.

Another newcomer, junior-college transfer Devin Giles, will start at the other corner. Giles hasn't played a game since 2004 in high school in Tampa, Fla.

Giles redshirted at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas in 2005, then wasn't among the 12 out-of-state players activated for the regular season in 2006. Coffeyville coaches later told WSU coaches they came to regret that decision as Giles started making stunning plays in practice.

Giles, who ran a 10.66 100-meter dash on the track team at Coffeyville, won his starting job with his raw athleticism.

Cougars quarterback Alex Brink said Giles' athletic talent compensates for his lack of game experience.

"He's a football player," said Brink, who has watched Giles break up passes he has thrown. "He reacts to plays and makes plays."

Giles admitted at midweek that he is nervous about his first college start.

"I'm having butterflies, thinking about playing in front of all those thousands of people," he said.

David Walkosky, the new Cougars cornerbacks coach, said Nwachukwu and Giles "definitely have proven themselves to be the best in camp."

Walkosky has pushed them on and off the field. Nwachukwu said part of his introduction to Division I football has been learning to prepare.

"My coach pointed out the difference between watching film and studying it," he said. "You have devote time like it's a subject in school."

And the first exam is Saturday.

NOTES

• AN NCAA committee Thursday denied the eligibility appeal of redshirt sophomore linebacker Jason Stripling. He would have been among the Cougars' top five linebackers if eligible. He is allowed to continue practicing with the team.

• Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, who was a defensive lineman at Iowa, signed a free-agent contract with the Seahawks in 1993. A Wisconsin spokesman said Bielema was with the Hawks for only a few days because a previous knee injury flared and ended his chances of an NFL career.

• WSU coach Bill Doba, who grew up in Indiana and coached at Indiana and Purdue, said of the Wisconsin trip: "I am excited to get back to the Midwest." He said his son and one of his daughters will attend the game, as will some of his fraternity brothers from Ball State University.

• Eight true freshmen are on the travel squad. Doba said a ninth, whom he declined to identify, was late for a morning weightlifting session and will stay home.