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MARSHALL SPORTS
MU Notebook: New Marshall kicker adjusts to Division I spotlight
A real sense of relief was read on Craig Ratanamorn's face.
Monday is Marshall University football player interview day for media members, and the program's new placekicker made the full rounds. Newspaper, television and radio reporters took their turns with the junior, then handed off Ratanamorn for the next Q&A.
The repetition lasted 30-minutes plus, but finally he could resume his daily routine.
Ratanamorn sighed heavily and started his way toward the elevator.
Sorry Craig. How about one more?
Ratanamorn smiled and once again had a seat. To break his monotony, Ratanamorn was asked to recite the preceding half hour. So what has Ratanamorn, the former Thundering Herd soccer goalkeeper turned strong-legged football kicker, been asked over and again?
"How the transition's been?" Ratanamorn said. "What have I been going through this spring and summer, mentally and physically?
"What's this week feel like? What pressure do I think is going to be on me? What about the confidence my team and my coaches have in me? Basically, what do I think about game day and the first kick I'm going to have?"
For now, this is the life of the Wichita, Kan., native. His considerable range has been a top storyline since spring practice, and with Saturday's season opener against Illinois State nearing, he remains a common sense interview request.
Working with the media and the resulting increased scrutiny have been adjustments, but overall, the even-keel kicker is handling the spotlight with relative calm. Still, the enormity of being an NCAA Division I-A football player has been daunting -- not from a pressure standpoint, but the sheer demands.
"Sports in college is like a job," Ratanamorn said. "It's like a full-time job and people don't realize that we're out there lifting weights, working hard on the field every day.
"I mean these guys have playbooks twice the size of their notebooks. The coaches get on your butt more than the teachers do.
"It's almost like double the study time and the workload here is big. It's really important. With my position it's a little easier, but I'm studying my film and other kickers' film daily, really trying to focus."
QB CLUB: The Quarterback Club's opening luncheon for the 2008 season kicks off at 11:30 a.m. today at Pullman Plaza Hotel. Marshall head coach Mark Snyder, offensive coordinator John Shannon and defensive coordinator Rick Minter will serve as speakers.
Anthony Hanshew covers Marshall football for The Herald-Dispatch. He can be reached at 526-2766. His e-mail address is hanshew@herald-dispatch.com.
Quick work gets Herd on TV
Hastily-produced agreements led to at least three television stations carrying the Illinois State at Marshall game Saturday.
WOWK (Huntington-Charleston), WVNS (Beckley-Bluefield) and WBOY (Clarksburg) will televise the game, which kicks off at 4:30 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Former Marshall head coach and current ESPN college football analyst Jim Donnan will provide color commentary. Donnan is being inducted in Marshall's Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend along with former Thundering Herd All-American football player and current assistant coach Phil Ratliff, tennis' Anna Mitina, golfer Tom Kies, soccer's Byron Carmichael, basketball's J.R. VanHoose and three-sport standout Bill Harris.
Rick Dayton will handle play-by-play duties and Steve McGehee will offer sideline reports.
