University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Enemies Brought Together Before Battle
8/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, August 24, 2009, 7:38 p.m.
This isn't the way things use to be. So less than two weeks before the season opening game for North Texas and Ball State, what do you think starting quarterback's Riley Dodge and Kelly Page are doing to get ready for the game? Studying the playbook? Maybe. Watching tape? Sure. Going over game film of the opposing team's defense? You bet.
And don't forget talking to each other.....Huh?
That's right, the two quarterback's who will be squaring off on September 3 are more than just QB's from Texas who are both redshirt freshman making their first ever start.....They are also good friends.
The new media world can do just about anything these days and it brought together Dodge and Page last Saturday as the two conversed back and forth on Facebook.
"We actually talked for a little bit, it was nice," Dodge said. "I asked him how everything's going and he did the same. Of course he everything is going great and I said the same."
These two quarterbacks both took uncharted paths to end up at North Texas and Ball State. Dodge was a Parade All-American and had his choice of pretty much wherever he wanted to go at the time of his senior season at Carroll HS. He originally committed to Texas but changed his mind over the summer and found his way to Denton.
Page had a similar story. Committing to Oregon and the Pac -10 early on, he then switched his commitment and ended up at Ball State after being heavily pursued by Tulsa and Army.
So how did these two guys end up being friends?
"We went to a lot of different college camps together and we went to the same church for a while when we were growing up," Dodge said.
So while the matchup between the two Texas QB's get's a lot of the ink, the real story beneath the surface that you won't see is a battle of two old friends taking the big stage together.
And chance of trash talking?
"Not yet, but I'm going to start next week" Dodge said while laughing a bit to compose himself.
I think the talk has already begun.
