Just My Type

DP: When is working the sidelines a nightmare for you?

EA: Probably four years ago, when Joe Paterno outran me.

DP: He's got a bad hip, Erin.

EA: This was before the hip, I swear.

DP: Oh, O.K. So he's 78 at the time, and doesn't have the bad hip—and he outran you?

EA: It was at the Wisconsin game. I really thought they were going to go another way, and when I realized, Holy cow, JoePa is over there, I just started sprinting. I got to him and grabbed him, and he gave me this full-on, Scott Stevens forearm shiver. I was like, "I guess we're not getting anything, Ron. Back to you."

DP: When fans rush on the field after the game, how do you deal with it?

EA: Probably the scariest situation this year was Oregon State's upset of USC. We had three minutes left, and they were on the field. So I was standing amongst the offensive line [on the sideline], and then when Mike Riley, the coach, ran out onto the field, I grabbed on to his trooper. That was the scariest situation, because the kids were coming and they were falling down in front of us.

DP: Were you in the shotgun formation when you were behind the offensive line?

EA: I was well-protected.