The Sideline Report with Bradley McDougald
By Jesse Newell
September 18, 2009
For the second straight week, our Sideline Report focuses on a KU true freshman. Here's an extended conversation with wide receiver Bradley McDougald.
Jesse Newell: I heard you're a good cook. Is that right?
Bradley McDougald: (laughs) I cook a little bit.
JN: What's your best dish?
BM: Fried chicken. My mom taught me how to cook fried chicken when I was littler. That's something to carry with me.
[Ed. Note ? No, this isn't Brad's family recipe. But I do love the chef's accent.]
JN: Is there some secret that you have with it that makes yours better?
BM: No, it's just kind of like a family tradition type thing. She just said that her mom taught her, so she was going to teach me how to cook fried chicken so that when I lived by myself, I could cook for myself.
JN: Did you like that your mom taught you to cook?
BM: Yeah. There's a lot of guys in college that can't cook, so they usually resort to eating fast food or ordering out a lot. Knowing how to cook is a big deal.
JN: Are you one of the most popular guys on the team, then? Do they always come over? Have they figured it out yet?
BM: (laughs) Nah, I don't cook that often. If I ever do need to cook, I know how to.
JN: I heard you're a Big Ten guy.
BM: A Big Ten guy?
JN: Is that true? Grew up in Big Ten country?
BM: Yeah, when you come from Ohio, you're surrounded by Big Ten teams. That's all you really watch is the part of the nation you're from. If you're from up north, or the Midwest, you just watch a certain type of football. So Big Ten was something I watched a lot of.
JN: OK, you tell me right now: Big Ten overrated, underrated or gets about the respect that it deserves.
BM: After coming to the BIg 12 and playing in the Big 12 and seeing the competition that's here and meeting different people from around the nation, I would say at times it's overrated, but some teams do deserve the respect that they are getting.
JN: Who deserves it? (pause) You're from Ohio, right? You've got to be careful here.
BM: Ohio State, year after year, is a very good team. They just have great coaches there. They work hard. Outside of that, Penn State is a really good team that deserves a lot of credit. Depending on the season, Michigan State can be really good.
Freshman wide receiver Bradley McDougald (24) talks to sophomore wide receiver Willie O'Quinn during media day at the Anderson Family Football Complex practice fields last month. McDougald has received praise for his skill from Mark Mangino and his new teammates.
