United States presidents leave a handwritten letter on the desk for their successors to read when they takes office.
Ronald Reagan wrote a short note to George H.W. Bush on stationary that was printed at the top with the words “Don’t let the turkeys get you down.” At the bottom was the picture of an elephant on its side with turkeys walking all over it.
“You’ll have moments when you want to use this stationary,” Reagan wrote. “Well, get to it.”
Bill Clinton wrote to George W. Bush: “The burdens you now shoulder are great but often exaggerated. The sheer joy of doing what you believe is right is inexpressible. My prayers are with you and your family. Godspeed.”
San Diego State coach Brady Hoke was asked if he plans to offer any words for his successor.
“I will not,” Hoke said. “I never wanted anyone else’s opinion on a team when I took a job. I wanted to get to know the players. I wanted to figure it out that way.”
Hoke did recall when he took over as linebackers coach at Toledo in 1987 finding something unexpected from outgoing linebackers coach Tim Amstutz.
“In my drawer, in the desk, the outside linebacker coach, who was a good friend, left me a knife about this big,” said Hoke, holding his index fingers a foot apart, “and he had aspirin taped to it with a note: ‘You’re going to need both of these at some time.’ ”
Hoke is thinking more about the highlights than the headaches as he prepares for the final game of his coaching career, Saturday night against Fresno State.
Hoke said he has kept the emotions and thoughts about what’s coming “at arm’s length, but, yeah, it’s out there.”
“It’s Senior Day,” Hoke said, “and that’s always an emotional day. Guys you’ve coached 4-5 years. That’s always tough. It’s tough as an assistant and it’s tough as a head coach.”
The week after the season ends would usually involve tying up loose ends, touching base about scouting with assistant coaches and having exit interviews with players.
Not this time.
“I’ve got a dentist appointment at 8 o’clock Monday morning, which I’m not real happy about,” Hoke said. “I have that, and my exit interview will be with Laura Hoke.”
Jalen Mayden considers options
Like other players who will have exhausted their eligibility, SDSU quarterback Jalen Mayden soon will turn his attention to training for SDSU’s annual Pro Day.
The spring event, still some three months away, is an opportunity for the Aztecs’ newest alums to turn the heads of NFL scouts.
“I was thinking about doing both quarterback and safety, just because you never know,” Mayden said. “The chances of you making it to the next level are very slim. For me, to have both of those positions, I feel like it gives me an extra step above somebody else who can just do one thing.”
Mayden switched from quarterback to safety before the 2022 season, then back to QB when injuries created a need at the position.
Mayden has bloodlines working in his favor on defense. His brother Jared is a former Alabama safety who played briefly for San Francisco and still chasing his NFL dream.
Injury update
Senior Jack Browning’s participation against the Bulldogs remains in question.
Junior Gabriel Plascencia, who is 4-for-4 in field goals the past two weeks, is expected to continue handling the place-kicking duties. Backup punter Zechariah Ramirez was booting the ball in Tuesday’s practice and will be ready to go if Browning isn’t up to punting.
It’s possible Browning was just resting his leg in early-week practices. He punted last week at Fresno State. He was only called on once, hitting a 48-yard punt in the first half.
Notable
• Hoke enters Saturday’s game with a 39-32 (.549) record in six seasons as SDSU’s head coach.
He ranks seventh all-time in victories in program history, trailing Don Coryell (119), Rocky Long (81), Claude Gilbert (61), Bill Schutte (48) and Ted Tollner (43) and C.E. Peterson (43).
Hoke is 104-90 (.536) overall, including his time at Ball State (2003-08) and Michigan (2011-14).
• Fresno State sophomore quarterback Mikey Keene (230-for-344, 21 TDs/8 INTs) was used in relief in last week’s loss to New Mexico, but appears ready to return to the starting role against SDSU.
“Mikey should be ready go,” Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said in this week’s press conference. “He cleared protocol last Thursday. If everything goes fine this week in practice, he’ll start for us.”
• Since 2015, only Navy (44) and Air Force (51) have thrown fewer interceptions than SDSU (60).
• Fresno State ranks first in the nation with only one fumble lost this season. The Aztecs have lost seven fumbles, which ranks 76th.
