Bruce Irvin left West Virginia University in 2012. Six years later
Kyle Williams Jersey , he’s back. And he’s getting his degree.
Irvin explained to Tony Caridi, play-by-play announcer extraordinaire for West Virginia football and men’s basketball, the reasons for finishing what he
started.
“Coming here, every athlete wants to go the NFL, that’s their dream,” Irvin said. “If they tell you it’s not, they’re probably lying to you. I was one of
the few that was fortunate enough to be able to accomplish my dream and being
drafted in the NFL in the first round. And don’t get me wrong, I do really well
on my money, so I didn’t have to get my degree.
“It was just something that I looked at like, it’s bigger than me. It’s for my son, it’s for my mom. This is for everybody who really did and didn’t believe
in me. I look at it as I proved them . . .
Irvin stopped before saying that he proved them wrong, and quickly he flipped it around.
“I proved myself right.”
Irvin’s journey included getting a GED, going to junior college, and landing at West Virginia University. And he decided to cap that journey by participating
in the commencement ceremony this weekend.
“I was kind of hesitant
Mark Ingram Jersey ,” Irvin said. “My Raider people, they kind of convinced me. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being where I came from . . . I didn’t
think walking across a college stage would ever happen. I just looked at the
situation like I definitely deserve to walk, and [get] another chance to come
back home. I consider this place home. You know the love I have for this
state.”
Irvin spent his first four years with the Seahawks, winning Super Bowl XLVIII and participating in Super Bowl XLIX. He joined the Raiders in 2015, becoming
the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner in 2017.
In West Virginia, he’ll always be remembered as one thing and one thing only: A Mountaineer.
What Rick Porcello did six days ago carried over into an outstanding performance.
Porcello allowed one hit in seven innings, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi homered, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 Thursday to avoid a
series sweep.
Xander Bogaerts had two RBIs for the Red Sox, who had a season-high 16 hits, and finished 6-4 on a road trip through Baltimore, Seattle and Minnesota.
”We definitely needed a win today, especially to end this long road trip after dropping the first two games to these guys,” Porcello said.
He was dominant in a game that was 2-0 through six innings.
After a first-inning single by Logan Morrison, ending a 0-for-30 stretch against Boston
Reggie Nelson Jersey , Porcello (9-3) retired 19 of 20 Twins hitters, including the last 16. Throwing 97 pitches, he struck out five and walked one.
Porcello finished seven innings for the first time in 10 starts since April 29. His best previous start of the season was April 12 against the Yankees, when
he allowed two hits and struck out six in seven innings.
Last Friday in Seattle, Porcello allowed four earned runs and seven hits in six innings. But his mood was much different in the final inning.
”I was just pitching a lot more relaxed, the delivery was smooth and I executed, so I tried to carry that with the tempo and everything into today,” he
said.
”He was under control,” said manager Alex Cora.
Kyle Gibson (2-5) allowed seven hits and two earned runs in six innings for Minnesota, striking out five for his ninth quality start this season. He had
only 10 in 2017 and eight in 2016.
Betts hit the first pitch of the fifth inning into the front row of seats in right-center for a 2-0 lead. He finished with three hits and has reached base
eight times in his last three games.
”He likes to take a lot of first pitches and then once in a while ambushes, and he got him that time,” said Twins manager Paul Molitor.
The Red Sox were 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position, finishing the three-game series 7 for 36.
”It was a just couple tough days,” Betts said. ”We came out ready to swing it and we just showed what we can do.”
Bogaerts’ two-run double keyed a three-run seventh against Ryan Pressly. Benintendi hit a two-run shot in the eighth.
PREPARATION PAID OFF
With left-handed hitting Joe Mauer up
Albert Wilson Jersey , Betts, playing right field, shifted to right-center and barely had to move to catch a fly ball. Betts then waved a card telling him
where to play toward the dugout.
”It was an extreme one from the analytical department,” Cora said. ”. I’m glad that it happened. They believe in what we’re doing, but sometimes they see
something extremely out of the ordinary. I was the happiest guy, like `Thank God
they hit it right there.”’
