Rocky Mountain lineman Jared Collins turning heads - The Coloradoan
Mark Brook doesn't believe Jared Collins missed a workout or weight-room session the entire offseason.
"Maybe one," Collins admitted.
Either way, that dedication, determination and attitude from Collins figures to pay dividends this season for Rocky Mountain High School's football team.
Primarily a junior-varsity player a year ago, Brook, the Lobos' coach, and his staff are counting on Collins to step in and start on both sides of the ball.
At 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds, Collins will start at center on offense and play along the defensive line.
"One of our coaches quoted this the other day: 'Jared is a self-made man,' " Brooks said. "That's what makes him so special.
"His dedication and what he's done in the offseason has been incredible to say the least. As far as a head coach, it's as good as I've ever seen."
Collins certainly isn't the first player to go from seeing little varsity action to playing significant minutes.
Rarely, however, is that transition made between a junior and senior season. Collins added 30 pounds, mostly muscle, since last season and increased his strength in the weight room.
He said being able to play a key role as a senior was a motivating factor.
"Everyone is part of the team and everyone is important," he said. "But the fact that I have the opportunity to play is great, and I'm happy I'll be able to contribute as much as I think I can."
Brook said the work ethic Collins showed says everything about the senior.
"I could go on and on about him, from his 4-point-something GPA to being an Eagle Scout," Rocky's seventh-year coach said. "But that's how he does it. There are no short cuts with what he does.
"We have kids who just show up, but he doesn't just show up. He's literally covered with sweat every day."
Even so, Brook admits he didn't see Collins coming quite this far.
"To this extent, I did not," Brook said. "I couldn't be more proud of his accomplishments.
"The coolest part as a coach is you start to see the confidence build in a kid who makes gains like that. That's fun."
Collins, though, isn't about taking all the credit. His dedication to the offseason program was the result of the team also buying in.
"We moved to a four-day-a-week workout program. and it's really helped everybody," Collins said. "The whole team has gotten stronger, and I'm just one person who's benefitted from it."
That should definitely help the Lobos, who are coming off a 3-7 season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
"I think it will translate into more wins," Collins said, "but it will translate into us being a better team. We're going to be stronger and better prepared when we're out there.
"I'm proud of us as a group coming together this offseason and putting in the time we did. It's been incredible to go in there and see the difference."
31 Aug, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGjwvKZ1dPKL2eCNSohpKCBwQoV0g&url=http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110831/HSSPORTS/108310325
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