As much as I read and write about sports, I learn something new everyday. For example, I didn't know that the current Oakland Raiders head coach, Hue Jackson, actually recruited Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel to USC.
That's one of the topics that came up this week when Jackson and Cassel have been talking to the media about Sunday's game.
"This guy (Cassel) ran down on kickoffs (at USC), was willing to play defense or anything to get on the field, and now this guy is a starting quarterback in the National Football League after he didn't play much in college," Jackson said. "It goes to show you that if you work, good things happen to you. He is a really good player. But I won't like him on Sunday."
Cassel was of course very complimentary of Jackson and said his former quarterbacks coach is doing a great job in Oakland.
"I haven't been around him for a long time, like I said. I was still trying to learn my X's and O's when I came in my redshirt freshman year and kept my mouth shut. I learned a lot from him and he since has moved on and had a lot of success."
The relationship between these two doesn't really mean anything as far as Sunday is concerned but Cassel's familiarity with Jackson, as well as Carson Palmer, will be one of the story lines we hear the announcers talking about this weekend.