PASADENA, Calif. - For Ryan Leaf, there are no losers. Not among his Washington State counterparts at least. Despite a devastating loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl, despite one more second Leaf thought he had, despite the four times the Wolverines sacked him, Leaf could still enjoy the moment.
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Instead of dropping his head and tucking his tail between his legs after the Cougars' 21-16 loss to Michigan, Leaf lit up a cigar at the 50-yard line and snapped photos with his family to celebrate Washington State's first Rose Bowl appearance in 67 years.
"Obviously, we were disappointed," Leaf said. "But to say this was a wasted season because we didn't win the Rose Bowl would be a discredit to the accomplishments this team has achieved."
After all was said and done, two things were quite obvious about Ryan Leaf - he is an outstanding quarterback - a sure star-to-be in the NFL - and he is an even better person.
He gave the Wolverines fits all game, passing for 331 yards and a touchdown.
He delivered the scariest moment of the game on the Cougars' final drive when Michigan fans and players alike had to be thankful that Leaf didn't get one final shot at the end zone.
The junior, who declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft and certainly will almost be a top-five pick, also ran for 35 yards, but his best attribute might be his personality.
He joked around with Woodson at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York last month and again at Universal Studios four days before the game.
Some say Leaf is arrogant, but his confidence stems from the fact that he said he simply enjoys life and rarely lets anybody "bum his trip."
He was jovial and generally eager to answer reporters' questions after what was certainly the most disappointing loss of his career.
He was the only Cougar not to blame the officials for letting the clock run down at the end of the game.
He even went so far to say that the reason Washington State lost was the absence of underrated running back Michael Black, saying that "when you lose your best offensive player, it's tough to win games, and he is our best offensive player."
That's quite a compliment from a Heisman Trophy finalist and possible future NFL All-Pro.
But according to Washington State coach Mike Price, that's just the kind of guy Leaf is.
"He is a tremendous individual," Price said. "And he's also the best player in the country. In my mind that's quite a combination."
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