Byron Murphy sat alone on Washington’s bench, watching the scene unfold at midfield. Several Huskies were still lingering there, offering handshakes and some pats on the back to the Cal players that had just completed the 12-10 upset.
As his teammates headed down the stairs and into the visitor’s locker room at California Memorial Stadium, Murphy remained in the same spot, only moving to lean forward and rest his arms on his knees.
Minutes passed before fellow defensive back Keith Taylor noticed him. He walked over, shook Murphy’s hand, knelt as he coaxed him to stand. Then, as Cal’s fans started descending from the stands to join their team’s celebration, Murphy followed Taylor off the field, removing his gloves one-by-one.