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April 12, 2009 1:10 PM

UW receivers get help from a familiar face

Someone told me before spring practice began that having the workouts open again would be a renewed test of my observational abilities.

And in figuring out that the Huskies are getting some coaching help from one of the most famous receivers in their history --- Jerome Pathon --- I may have received a failing grade.

But yesterday, I finally noticed that that was indeed Pathon doing some work with the UW receivers --- he isn't listed on the roster anywhere.

He can do so because after an eight-year NFL career he is again enrolled at UW, finishing up his degree in marketing. He said he actually has been in school since January and will complete the classes for his degree this quarter.

But he hopes to get into coaching so he approached the new coaching staff about helping out.

"I always wanted to come back and contribute and help out a bit,'' said Pathon, who is No. 5 on the school's all-time receptions list with 138 and third in receiving yards with 2,275 behind only Reggie Williams and Mario Bailey. Like Williams, Pathon did it in only three years, arriving at UW as a sophomore in eligibility after playing a year at a college in Canada.

Pathon played from 1995-97 and to many fans may be best remembered for his 195-yard performance against Nebraska in 1997 when he caught a few deep passes from true freshman Marques Tuiasosopo in keeping the Huskies afloat in a loss against the team that eventually won the national title that year. His 1,299 receiving yards that season is second-highest in UW history behind only the 1,454 of Williams in 2002.

"I'm now looking forward to the next phase of my career, which is pretty much why I'm out here,'' he said. "I would like to get into coaching and coaching wide receivers.''

Pathon said his role's a little undefined, laughing when I asked him what his title is. "Student assistant coach?'' he said, saying he's not doing a lot of on-field coaching just doing whatever he's asked.

"I just came back to help out as much as I can,'' he said.

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