Graduate assistant takes job selling medical supplies

By Cliff Kirkpatrick

Gazette-Times Reporter

Graduate assistant Tim Euhus has left the Oregon State football team after one season to take a job selling medical supplies for a company in Portland.

Euhus was the offensive graduate assistant and worked primarily with the tight ends. He is a former OSU tight end drafted in 2004 by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round.

He played two seasons there, one with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one with the Arizona Cardinals before getting into coaching.

"I loved what I did a lot," Euhus said. "It was a difficult decision to come to."

His wife Michelle recently gave birth to their second child. He needed a paying job to support them. It was impossible to live off his scholarship check.

Euhus invested his money from the NFL, but said with the way the stock market dropped recently he can't access the funds.

He unsuccessfully tried to find a full-time coaching job, so he'll sell parts for knee and shoulder surgeries instead. It interests him since he had several of those kinds of procedures in his career.

Euhus plans to live in Corvallis, which allows him to remain active in football as an assistant coach at Crescent Valley High. He may work part-time in radio covering OSU football with KEJO 1240 AM.

"Tim can get back into coaching if there's an opening on this staff or elsewhere he likes, but he saw an opportunity with a young family to have a real salary," coach Mike Riley said.

The GA position will be filled before the season begins. Riley finds experienced people who have the means to coach the tight ends without a salary.

"I'll bring in someone, but I'm not going to do it right away," Riley said. "It's going to be a tight end (coaching) position and I got some names, but I don't know yet."

Wilson out for year

Linebacker Tony Wilson is expected to miss the fall season as he recovers from knee surgery, Riley said. He is a redshirt freshman and was expected to be the backup middle linebacker.

Wilson was hurt in the final week of spring practice during a special teams drill. The damage was significant, Riley said.

"As far as length of time of his recovery, I think it's doubtful he'll play this year," Riley said.

That hurts the depth at linebacker. Sophomore David Pa'aluhi is a first-time starter. The Beavers worked senior starting outside linebacker Keaton Kristick as the backup the final week of spring.

Other middle linebacker candidates such as juniors Walker Vave and Keo Camat have limited playing time.

On the mend

Backup running back Ryan McCants and potential starting offensive tackle Timi Oshinowo had successful knee surgeries after the spring game, Riley said.

Their injuries were not as bad as Wilson's so the players are expected be back to practice in the middle or late August. Training camp begins Aug. 10, so they'll be a little behind when the season begins.

"Everything is going good there," Riley said. "They'll both be back for the season."

With them at least questionable, the Beavers will look for replacements in training camp. Greyshirt running back Jovan Stevenson showed well in the spring and true freshman Ashton Jefferson will be given a look.

The Beavers are already thin with game-ready offensive tackles. Competition for Oshinowo's spot will continue with greyshirt freshman Geoff Garner, redshirt freshman Colin Kelly and true freshman Michael Phillip.