Fair catch

The chokeslam was vicious, nearly knocking Charles "E.T." Frederick out of Washington and back to Florida for good. Junior Jerramy Stevens told the freshman to put on his helmet during nine-on-seven drills several weeks into practice. Frederick hesitated, and the 6-foot-7, 260-pound all-American tight end lifted the 6-foot, 190-pound Frederick and slammed him to the turf. Even though Frederick wasn't participating in the drills, for upperclassmen it was about discipline and respect on the sidelines. For two days, the highly touted recruit stayed out of practice, questioning his commitment to the Huskies. Bottom line: He was embarrassed and homesick. It's been a rocky road for Frederick, who was ranked by some publications as the top high school receiver on the East Coast last year. He sprained his back in the first week of fall drills, wearing a red jersey and sitting out on the sidelines. Some teammates questioned his toughness. Furthermore, he was out of his comfort zone, 3,000 miles away from Boca Raton, Fla. He was no longer The Man -- there were others who could run just as fast and catch just as well. After he heard about the incident, Frederick's high school coach, Terry Gough, tried for several days to contact him. When Gough reached Frederick, he found his former player upset and crying. "Here's a kid who breezes through high school," said Gough, "and when he goes to college, he finds out there's more than one 'E.T.' in the world." Gough urged his former player to give the UW another chance: "I told him, 'You don't want to work at McDonald's the rest of your life.'" It's difficult to truly understand Frederick. His smile and laugh are infectious. He can take a good ribbing, too. His mother gave him the moniker "E.T." because he loved the movie as a child. High school teammates would twist it, calling him "E.R" when he was hurt, "Eeyore" when he was moody and "extra testicle" for reasons only they know. But underneath the exterior, there is a complex, deep and sometimes insecure young man. "Even throughout high school," Gough said. "I was always trying to get a good read on him." A Seattle Times article in August claimed that Frederick and his teammate Rich Alexis faced racism at Pope John Paul II High School. The school is private, predominately white and upper class. In the article Alexis said, "If I'd talk to a white girl, I'd be getting stares from everybody." Frederick, on the other hand, hardly mentioned his high school experience. "It was all right. It wasn't bad," he told the Times. "Some of that stuff was true," Gough admitted. For the time being at least, Frederick has moved on. Only time will tell if he will open up more. His talent, however, is undeniable. "He absolutely as good as I've seen in terms of body control," said Husky receivers coach, John Pettas. "He's a natural." Of course, Frederick's field debut was harrowing. On his first punt return against Idaho two weeks ago, Frederick mishandled the catch and fumbled. But Frederick is as confident on the football field as he is enigmatic off it. As teammates offered words of encouragement on the sidelines, Frederick predicted a big play on the next punt. "Oh, I know. I know," he told a teammate. "The next one I'm taking to the house." "I just had to redeem myself," Frederick said Tuesday after practice. "The first thing that came to mind was to run it back." On the next return, he ran through the hole, put a nasty juke on the punter and scored an 87-yard touchdown. Frederick, who is currently fourth in the nation in punt returns with 21.6 yards, will remain the UW's regular punt returner. Like most freshman, it will take time for Frederick to fit in at the UW. He already looks smooth on the field, but the weather will turn gloomy, the rains will come and the sun will say adios. "Florida is cold too," Frederick said. "I'm ready. I've got winter clothes and stuff." Just don't tell him he'll wear those until spring quarter.

Fair catch

Disruptor interrupts Psych 210, professor and students chase man on to Red Square

2025 Seattle and King County primary election endorsements

UW mechanical engineering students are now required to pay $250 quarterly fee to participate in department-affiliated RSOs

College Inn Pub reopens under new ownership