Beavers trio eyes big finish

When former Southern Nevada high school standouts Jeff Van Orsow, Gerard Lawson and Curtis Coker joined the Oregon State football team, they were overshadowed by St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson, another local product who already was a star at the school.

"We were not allowed to touch him in practice," Coker said. "If we did, we were in big trouble. If we tried to hit him, he would make us pay on the next play."

But Van Orsow, Lawson and Coker since have developed into solid players at Oregon State, and the talented trio of seniors will be squarely in the spotlight tonight when the Beavers (8-4) face Maryland (6-6) in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.

"Those three guys have been major, major factors in the success of this team the last four years," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "They have played in three bowl games and have each made huge plays in their careers at Oregon State."

Van Orsow, a 6-foot-4-inch, 270-pound defensive end and team captain from Foothill High, made perhaps the biggest play of all last season when he batted down John David Booty's 2-point conversion pass attempt to preserve the Beavers' 33-31 upset of then-No. 3 Southern California and put an end to the Trojans' 27-game Pacific-10 Conference winning streak.

Lawson, a speedy special teams player and cornerback from Palo Verde, compiled 1,068 all-purpose yards this season. He became the third player in school history to return a kick 100 yards for a touchdown when he did so against Hawaii last year.

Coker, a 6-1, 305-pounder from Desert Pines, has started alongside Van Orsow on the right side of the Beavers' defensive line the last two seasons.

"I don't think you could find a tougher tackle in this league," Riley said.

All three players hope to play professional football -- although each of them said they don't expect to be drafted by an NFL team -- but they'll have college degrees to fall back on if they don't realize their athletic goals.

Van Orsow, a second-team All-Pac-10 selection who will play in the Hula Bowl on Jan. 12, graduated this month with a bachelor's degree in political science. The son of a former B-52 pilot, Van Orsow earned his pilot's license last year and might pursue a career in aviation. He's also thinking about entering law school.

Lawson and Coker are expected to graduate in the spring, with bachelor's degrees in merchandising management and sociology, respectively.

Coker said he plans to lose weight and pursue a career as a police officer in Las Vegas if his pro football dreams don't pan out. But Lawson is intent on playing pro ball somewhere, whether it's the NFL, Canadian or Arena football leagues.

"I just want to keep playing," said Lawson, who hopes to open his own clothing store one day.

The 5-11, 196-pound Lawson, who had two interceptions this season and returned one for a score, averaged a team-high 22.1 yards on 47 kick returns this year.

"Gerard Lawson is one of the best special teams guys in the nation," Coker said. "He's super fast, extremely athletic, and you can count on him to make big plays.

"Jeff, he's just a rock. People look up to him and follow him. He's always been there, and he's always done his job to the best of his ability."

Van Orsow, who will make his 38th straight start for the Beavers tonight, said his college career has "absolutely" lived up to his expectations, and being named team captain is a "big deal."

"I try to lead through example and help the team through hard times, like the beginning of this year," he said.

Oregon State lost three of its first five games this season before winning six of its last seven to finish third in the Pac-10 at 6-3.

The Beavers seniors are 3-0 in bowls and intend to make it 4-0 tonight.

"We want to send the seniors out with a win," Van Orsow said. "This one will stick with you forever."

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0354.