We found this little nugget on Brian Murphy's blog, which is an entirely different story unto itself.
OBNUG's pick for preseason WAC defensive player of the year, San Jose State DE Jeff Schweiger, appears to be the second coming of Marty Tadman. Religious pun not intended.
Tadman, who was known for being outspoken about his faith and for being amazing, can never be replaced. But his testimony might get a run for its money. Schweiger's story is eerily similar to the born-again tale of Tadman, albeit without the tattoo sleeves. Schweiger lived the hard life, found Jesus, and reprioritized his life. Now he only needs to become one of the best players in school history, win games single-handedly, and inspire a nation, and he'll have almost matched Tadman. Actually, forget it. Tadman can never be matched.
Fast-forward to this summer, when a long-haired, carefree Schweiger ran circles around SJSU's offensive linemen and regularly harassed the quarterbacks. Teammates often ask him how he can be so intense and spiritual at the same time. "I tell them I hit you as hard as I love you. If I hit you soft, you know I don't care,'' he said, laughing.
At least he's got the witty quotes down pat.
We hope the best for Schweiger this year, partially because we want our prediction to come true and partially because he seems like a really decent guy. He may never approach the complete and total awesomeness of Tadman, but even being on the same blessed road puts him in better company than most.
Schweiger has put his faith back into football [Mercury News]