Editor's Note: The following story is part of a series highlighting the members of the 2024 Washington State Athletic Hall of Fame Class. The Hall of Fame induction will take place, Sept. 6-7, at the Washington State University campus. 

DeWayne Patterson approached Brent Musburger with a request.

Patterson and the Cougars were preparing to face the USC Trojans for an early November nationally televised game at Pullman in 1994. 

"My mom always looked for me on TV," Patterson said. "On the Friday before the game, I told Brent, 'My mama going to be watching me on the game, so if I get a sack tomorrow, I want you to say hi to my mama, Brent.'"

According to Patterson, Musburger, the legendary broadcaster who was in Pullman for the ABC broadcast, said, "No problem DeWayne, I got you. I got you." 

On a 3rd and 6 in the first quarter, USC quarterback Rob Johnson goes under center, the ball is snapped, and Musburger takes it from there.

"Johnson changes up at the line….and he is sacked by Dewayne Patterson from Oakland, Calif. The Sackmaster!"

"He came up to us the other day, make sure you say hello to my mom," Musburger continued after broadcast partner Dick Verme il's analysis of the play. "She's back home watching in Oakland and Mom has to be really happy."

The Sackmaster made countless Cougar football fans happy throughout his career at WSU.

Knack for rushing the passer

When asked what comes to mind when he thinks of DeWayne Patterson, his coach Mike Price said, "A character. A tremendous leader."

And Price adds: "He had a knack for rushing the passer."


The Washington State defensive end utilized his knack to wreak havoc on opposing offenses throughout Patterson's his career at WSU.

"It was a game that he was playing and he really enjoyed it," Price said of Patterson's approach to football. "Some guys do it because they are mad or some guys do it because they want to hit people. He did hit people like crazy and he enjoyed it. He was having fun out there. He had fun before the game. He was a fun guy to be around."

Ironically, Patterson began his career as a tight end and, as a freshman, arrived at Pullman intent on playing that position.

And he was catching passes from a fellow Cougar legend during the first days of fall camp.

"Rookies come in three days early," Patterson said. "It was me and Drew (Bledsoe). I'm catching all of Drew's passes.

"It was going to work out," Patterson added with a laugh.

Soon there was a reality check.

"When the veterans came in I think I played tight end for about a month," Patterson remembered.

Also playing linebacker in high school, Patterson moved to defensive end to the delight of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. 

While Patterson acknowledged playing defensive end was a little different than linebacker, he picked it up quickly.

"DeWayne did little things that a lot of players don't think about," Price said. 

"He'd get off the ball. He was a good athlete and fast," Price added. "He was so quick and had great acceleration off the ball for two or three steps. That means a lot for defensive lineman, especially pass rusher."

And his experience of the offensive side of the ball proved to pay dividends.

"One thing I used to do is, once we called our plays in the huddle, I was always looking for the offensive tendencies and I got that from playing offense," Patterson said. "I would walk to the other side of the ball, talk to the referee and listen to the plays, I would pick up on the snap count. Little stuff like that I would catch up on"

Video game stats

"DeWayne had so many great games and so many great sacks," Price said

Patterson terrorized opponents as a member of the legendary Palouse Posse defense.

Describing the unit as 11 piranhas, Patterson feasted on offenses throughout his career, 
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Earning a spot in the starting lineup in 1991 as a freshman, Patterson quickly made his impact felt, earning All-America second-team honors in 1992.

In 1993, Patterson's impact was felt like an earthquake.

Rewriting the record books, Patterson finished the season with a WSU single-season record and Pac-10-leading 17 sacks, earning All-Pac-10 first-team accolades.

Patterson recorded multiple sacks in seven different games highlighted by a four-sack performance at Oregon and, against UCLA, Patterson forced two fumbles, recovering one of them, defended three passes, made two sacks, and returned an interception 89 yards for a touchdown.

"I left it all in that game," Patterson said of UCLA. "It was probably best game I played in my career."

Posed to build on that historic season, Patterson suffered a setback when he broke his collarbone in a car accident at the end of May.

"I wasn't able to lift weights," Patterson said. "It messed me up."

Patterson said the first time he put pads on was when the Cougars opened the 1994 season against Illinois at Soldier Field in Chicago, which WSU won in a defensive battle, 10-9 and the Palouse Posse limited Illinois to five net yards rushing.

"I knew I was back," Patterson said.

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So was the Palouse Posse defense, as the unit did not allow a touchdown until the season's fourth game at Tennessee and surrendered 10 or fewer points in each of its first six games. For the season, the Palouse Posse set a school standard allowing four rushing touchdowns.

Patterson entered the 1994 season already holding school records for single-season and career sacks and added to it with 13.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles-for-loss.

Patterson and the Palouse Posse defense entered the Alamo Bowl as the second-ranked defense in the nation and finished the year in style with a 10-3 victory in the against Baylor.

For his career, Patterson stalked his prey to the tune of 52.5 tackles-for-loss and 37.5 sacks, both of which remain school records 30 years later.

For Mom

Despite Patterson's dominating game against UCLA in Pullman in 1993, the Cougars fell to the Bruins, 40-27.

In the third game of the 1994 season, the Cougars and the Palouse Posse looked to extract revenge.

Before every game, Patterson talked with his mom. 

"My mom prayed for me every game," Patterson said. 

Before UCLA, Patterson asked her what she wanted him to do in the game.

"I want you to get four sacks for me," Patterson recalled her saying.

"I said, four sacks!" Patterson recalled. "She never told me that before."

Sure enough, Patterson registered four sacks as the Cougars defense dominated in a 21-0 win.

"That was one of the highlights of my career," Patterson said, "when we played UCLA and she told me to get those four sacks and I got it for her."

Patterson provided Cougar fans countless highlights throughout his career and there will be one more when "The Sackmaster" is inducted to the Washington State Athletic Hall of Fame.

"It was a dream come true," Patterson said of attending Washington State. "Being a Coug means everything."