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Thursday, September 7, 2000
Wide receivers come from miles around just to read the pages of Professor J's playbook. These warriors of the wideout not only have to know their plays, but read the defenses correctly in order to be in tune with Quarterback-man.
It's not easy.
Most wide receivers know where they are going no matter what defense they're facing. Granted, there are hot receivers who will change a route against a blitz, but these reads are Dick and Jane compared to what Professor J expects of his guys.
Not only do they have to be whiz kids, they also have to be fearless. An old NFL coach once called the run-and-shoot, the chuck-and-duck because of the punishment receivers take from defensive backs. They know they're going to get hit early and often. The wideouts also realize they're going to have to be in excellent shape to handle the numerous windsprints coming their way during the course of a game.
"It's a great offense for a wide receiver,'' junior slotback Channon Harris said. He caught 56 passes last year for 860 yards and six touchdowns, and still finished third on the team. "I'm looking to step it up a notch this year and try to get 1,000 yards in receptions. This offense can produce big numbers for everybody.''The proof is in the stats. Last year, Hawaii's top five receivers caught 258 passes for 3,501 yards and 25 touchdowns. Those kind of numbers are mind-boggling and are what make wideouts' eyes light up in anticipation. Harris, top returning receiver Craig Stutzmann, and sophomore sensation Ashley Lelie provide a strong foundation for the H-Men.
What eludes Hawaii at this moment is a solid wide receiver on the left side. Many were called, including Jamal Garland, Justin Colbert and Neal Gossett, but none was chosen until the final days of camp. Professor J plans to use all three during the upcoming season opener with Portland State, but recently settled on Colbert as the starting wideout. It took time because replacing Dwight Carter proved more difficult than first anticipated. Professor J finally settled on Colbert because he has such great speed.
Newcomers Mark Tate and Gerald Welch may have a difficult time cracking the starting lineup at their respective positions.
Junior college transfer Rich Crowell has looked good at times, as has freshman Britton Komine, who recently went down with a knee injury that could sideline him for the season.
"We feel like we'll be strong at wideout,'' receivers coach Ron Lee said. "We've got a lot of players we can put into the game to keep things fresh. In this offense, somebody is always open. It's just a matter of finding the right guy, at the right time.''
At these positions
NO. PLAYER HT. WT. CL. LEFT WIDEOUT 18 JUSTIN COLBERT* 5-6 155 SO. HOMETOWN: RIALTO, CALIF. 81 NEAL GOSSETT 5-10 173 FR. HOMETOWN: MILILANI LEFT SLOTBACK 85 CHANNON HARRIS* 5-8 153 JR. HOMETOWN: CULVER CITY, CALIF. 4 RICKY LUMFORD 5-8 175 SR. HOMETOWN: LOS ANGELES RIGHT SLOTBACK 2 CRAIG STUTZMANN* 5-10 203 JR. HOMETOWN: HONOLULU 88 DAVEY DELAURA 5-9 184 SR. HOMETOWN: WAIPAHU RIGHT WIDEOUT 8 ASHLEY LELIE* 6-3 178 SO. HOMETOWN: HONOLULU 19 SCOTT SIMS 5-11 176 SR. HOMETOWN: CARLSBAD, CALIF.
* Denotes starter
