BearTalk

Yes, that No. 17 playing quarterback in practice is none other than Jeff Tedford’s son, Taylor. Of course, he is 5-11, 185 pounds and he was not one of the top rated athletes in the country.

However, he is a kid interested in what makes his dad so successful. Like so many of us whose kids want to take an up close look at dad’s profession, Taylor is going to sweat it out on the field to learn more about coaching football. He’s not going to stand in the background and watch. He is going to run through the drills, the sprints, the techniques to learn it up close and personal.

I seldom write much about coach Tedford’s family because I figure he gives enough when it comes to explaining what’s going on with the football team. But anyone who has been around the program after a game or on the road when the Tedford family gets together gets a glimpse at how close they are.

So when I saw that Taylor is donning a helmet to learn dad’s business, I asked coach Tedford about whether he likes the fact that his son is going to be around.

Jeff looked at me and smiled. “I never even get to see him,” he said, like any dad who knows how hard it can be to schedule a few moments with a 19-year-old. “He just kind of runs past,” Jeff said, jerking his head as if to watch a car speed by.

As a dad, I’m sure all of us want our children to see us at our best. What could be better for Taylor than to see Pop out on the football field, doing his thing? It’s just one of those neat behind the scenes stories.