Huskies Work Him Like a Dog

Back deep to return the punt for Washington, No. 21, Joe Jarzynka.

Into the lineup at H-back for the Huskies, No. 21. . . .

In to kick the field goal. . . .

Deep to receive the kickoff. . . .

On for the extra point. . . .

No. 21 will be everywhere Saturday at the Coliseum, so get used to it.

Jarzynka is a 5-foot-7, 175-pound former walk-on who has become the Huskies’ one-man special team.

“The guy’s so good,” said USC assistant coach Shawn Slocum, who handles the Trojan special teams that will be trying to:

* Punish the never-call-a-fair-catch Jarzynka on punt returns.

* Contain him on kickoff returns.

* Block his field-goal kicks.

* Get a hand on his extra points.

“Sensational,” USC Coach Paul Hackett said. “This guy does it all.”

It wasn’t by design, that’s for sure. No school but Eastern Washington offered a scholarship to the small kid from Gig Harbor High who has carved out a career for himself, not to mention a cult following.

He cut his long hair this season, but still wears a steel stud in his pierced tongue and has plans for a trek to the rain forests of Ecuador.

“The way I dress and act, you wouldn’t be able to peg me as a football player,” Jarzynka said. “Only people who know my face do. It’s sort of funny to hear them whisper.”

As soon as the reserve receiver added the kicking duties to his resume a few weeks ago--Washington’s other kicker had already missed three field goals and three extra points--Jarzynka earned the nickname “Joe the Toe.”

Then the student paper, The Daily, held a contest and came up with another, “I Got My Mo’ Joe Working.”

By the way, USC fans, the kid’s dad went to Notre Dame. And the Pacific 10 record for punt-return yardage in a game that Jarzynka broke a couple of weeks ago? It had stood for more than 30 years, and belonged to Mike Garrett, USC’s athletic director.

“The USC game means more to me, just because they’re looked at as really our first tough Pac-10 game,” Jarzynka said. “It doesn’t have to do with my dad, even though I’ve followed USC tradition since I was a kid just because of the rivalry.

“I never knew Mike Garrett, but my dad told me he used to watch him back in those days.

“This year, with the everyone doubting our ability to play good teams, this is big.”

In a conference known for spectacular return men--Arizona State’s J.R. Redmond, USC’s R. Jay Soward, Washington State’s Dee Moronkola, California’s Deltha O’Neal, Oregon State’s Tim Alexander--Jarzynka is not the best.

But he might be the boldest.

He absolutely refuses to wave his arm for a fair catch on a punt.

“I mean, he’s brave. No fears,” said USC cornerback Ken Haslip, usually one of the Trojans’ first men downfield on punt coverage.

“That’s something I picked up from a few mistakes last year,” Jarzynka said. “A few fair catches could have ended up being big plays. I told myself I’d never lose an opportunity like that again. I never make a fair catch.”

As for Jarzynka’s stubborn streak on fair catches, Slocum said: “He’s got a lot of courage. What that shows is he has confidence in their blocking schemes. He’s confident he’s not going to get blasted.”

USC would like to make him pay, but without getting burned by a penalty or long return.

“You’ve got to time it up,” Slocum said. “You want to hit him. We’re not backing off.”

That would be a good idea, because after all, Jarzynka took a punt 91 yards for a touchdown against Cal the day he broke Garrett’s 1965 record of 162 yards on punt returns in a game. (Garrett did it on four returns and said this week he didn’t even remember he held the record; Jarzynka needed seven returns to get his 166 yards.)

Slocum wants his special teams to think fundamentals first.

“Make sure there aren’t vertical seams, so he’ll have to go east to west,” he said. “That gives us a chance to catch him with our speed.”

Jarzynka doesn’t have great speed, but he gets the job done.

In his original job as a reserve receiver, he has nine catches for 80 yards.

His 314 yards on punt returns are more than six Pac-10 teams, and his average of 10.1 yards a return is fourth in the league. (Redmond is the leader at 14.2; USC’s Soward doesn’t meet the minimum attempts but has a 35.6 average bolstered by an 80-yard return.)

On kickoffs, Jarzynka averages 19.3 yards a return and splits that duty with teammate Toure Butler, who has a 98-yard return.

As a kicker, he’s two for two on field goals and 13 for 14 on extra points--and you don’t have to be a whiz to figure he’s a threat on a fake field goal.

He’s a busy, busy man, so even if he returns a punt for a touchdown, keep your eye on him. His work isn’t done.

He’ll stay on the field to try the extra point.

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Saturday’s Game

Washington at USC

* TIME: 12:30 p.m.

* TV: Channel 7

* RADIO: XTRA (690)

* RECORDS: USC 5-3, 3-2; Washington 5-2, 3-1

WEEK 9 PRIMER: Page 6

DAILY REPORT: Page 6