Inside The Huskies

DeBoer Welcomed Celebs to Oregon Game, Had His Julio Moment

The stars came out for the Huskies' big moment against the Ducks.

Dan Raley

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So many celebrities showed up for the Washington-Oregon football game, well beyond the hosts and guests who filled out the lineup for the early morning ESPN GameDay show, it's a wonder that someone such as Julio Rodriquez didn't end up in the Husky huddle at some point and be asked to go deep.

He knows how to do that, at least when swinging a bat.

Instead, the Seattle Mariners' popular home-run-hitting outfielder received an invitation to attend the college football game — something he hadn't witnessed in person before — and was greeted warmly before kickoff by UW coach Kalen DeBoer, who knew he was coming and presented him with a No. 44 Husky football jersey.

"I told Julio I'm proud of what he does for our city," said DeBoer, himself a college and semipro baseball player. "We're trying to do our part as a football program and bring people together and make Saturday special. I told him my own family loves watching him play."

However, Rodriguez was just one of those with outside cache who were encouraged to share in the burgeoning Husky football spotlight against Oregon. 

Actors Cedrick the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson roamed the sideline, were shown mugging for the TV cameras by ESPN and taking selfies with fans. 

One-time Husky football greats Lawyer Milloy, Jerome Kearse, Dante Pettis and Danny Shelton, each finished with their NFL careers, likewise attended the big game and mixed in with those on the field, with DeBoer making sure former UW players are always welcome.

In particular, Milloy was seen hanging out and getting acquainted with new athletic director Troy Dannen.

Husky football once again was a star-studded happening event, something not really seen since the Sonny Sixkiller era, when actors and others regularly mixed in. 

"It was fun," DeBoer said. "I'm glad this is a place people want to come and add to the excitement and feel entertained themselves. There are a lot of pieces that made Saturday real cool and being around our program real fun. I love it."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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