There has been some media buzz lately surrounding Oregon State freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers’ legitimacy as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli says that if he had a vote, it would go to Beaver quarterback Lyle Moevao.
The two have struck up a friendship this season, at the urging of their mothers. Moevao’s mother called Masoli’s early this season to connect the two Samoan quarterbacks in Oregon.
The mothers exchanged their sons’ phone numbers and e-mail addresses and shortly thereafter, Masoli received a text and an e-mail from the Beaver signal-caller.
“He texted me and e-mailed me first and we just hit it off since then,” Masoli said. “He’s a real cool guy.”
And Moevao would actually be one of Masoli’s nominations for Heisman Trophy consideration this season; he told Moevao as much in a recent text message.
“I told him they need to recognize him more for the Heisman,” Masoli said. “That’s my man right now. (Voters) overlook his contributions to that team.”
The rest of the pair’s conversations consist of more pumping each other up, and sometimes even a little scouting on the defenses they will each face that week, if the other has first-hand knowledge.
“We just tell each other good luck and stuff like that,” Masoli said. “We’ll be talking smack this week, though.”
The two have yet to meet face to face, Masoli said, but they plan to change that this off-season, as both hail from California.
“We’ll hang out together and maybe throw a little bit,” Masoli said.
Masoli talked to Moevao on Sunday after the Beavers’ win over Arizona to congratulate Moevao and encourage him to get back on the field for the Civil War.
“I hope he does … it would be the first time two Samoans start at quarterback in the Civil War. That would be nice,” Masoli said.
That Samoan link is a strong one, and is what brought the mothers of the two together in the first place. Masoli said that people of Samoan descent seek each other out here on the mainland and keep their culture close. Masoli has similar relationships with Arizona’s Willie Tuitama and Stanford’s Tavita Pritchard, two other Pacific-10 Conference quarterbacks of Samoan descent.
“We’re particularly close, Samoans,” Masoli said. “We’re a really proud people so we like to keep it real close.”
And while Masoli wouldn’t surrender any inside information on Moevao’s health this week even if he had it, he feels confident that Moevao will play in the Civil War.
“I talked to him yesterday and he said he’s hoping to play this week,” Masoli said. “I told him he better play because this is a big game, a lot on the line.
“He’ll be ready,” Masoli added.
“He’s a competitor.”
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