Washington State University Athletics

Rien Long played three years in a Cougar uniform (1999-2002) and as the cliché goes, saved his best for last. Long’s 2002 performance, in which he helped WSU to a 10-3 record and a Rose Bowl appearance against Oklahoma, rivaled any season by a Cougar defensive lineman as he posted 13 sacks and 20 1/2 tackles-for-loss, both figures ranking in the top four nationally, and in WSU’s single-season record books. Though he capped the season by being named to the Football Writers Association of America All-America First Team and the Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s top interior lineman, Long may be best remembered for his overtime performance where he had a sack and two tackles-for-loss on USC’s only possession in a 30-27 WSU victory. For his career Long played 33 games, collected 17 sacks and 35 1/2 tackles-for-loss which ranked fifth and third on WSU’s career lists, respectively. Selected in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, Long played in 39 games over three seasons with the Tennessee Titans before injuries cut his career short.