packing on the pounds
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:35 pm
Tuesday is the only chance freshman defensive end Duke Lemmens gets to sleep late. Unfortunately for Lemmens, that's the day he's part of the 'Breakfast Club' at Florida which is designed to help him and other teammates pack on pounds. They meet at 7:30 a.m. and the strength coaches make sure everyone has a full plate.
"Eggs, pancakes, whatever puts on pounds," Lemmens said. "It makes me not enjoy eating anymore. When you're forced to (eat) and you have to weigh in every day and you're trying to put on heavier clothes so you get that extra half-pound, it takes the taste out of the food…If you decide you want to sleep in you'll get punished. You can get your tickets taken away. I'm sure they'll give you a good, nice workout."
When Lemmens, who has four tackles through four games, wants to enjoy dinner he and fellow freshman defensive end Justin Trattou eat sushi. It must be the sophistication in kids from suburbs of Los Angeles and New York City, respectively. Freshman kicker Chas Henry, from Dallas, Georgia, tried sushi but it wasn't to his liking. Lemmens said his favorite is the crunch roll.
"I know sushi's not a real big thing down here in the south but I love it," Lemmens said. "Chas Henry went to try it. Wasn't a big fan."
Redshirting was a possibility for Lemmens, who weighs 240 pounds, especially after off-season shoulder surgery. He has earned playing time earlier than expected and said he could not be happier.
Coach Urban Meyer joked recently he had to point out the weight room to Lemmens because he was so undersized for his position but Lemmens said he has been working hard and getting stronger. There's still a long way to go. Lemmens learned that the hard way when he lined up at nose tackle for one play in Florida's 59-20 win over Tennessee.
"They thought it was going to be a pass and it definitely wasn't," Lemmens said. "240 pounds doesn't stand up for too long. I got up real quick though…We have it a lot easier than those guys on the inside. I took it as a great opportunity. Any chance I can get to play and help the team and be on that field, I loved it. It's kind of cool to tell people back home who are just like, 'What? They know what they're doing over there?'"
Getting the chance to play inside gives him that much more respect for defensive tackles Clint McMillan and Javier Estopinan, even though the interior pass rush remains one of the team's biggest concerns. Meyer said he and defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will talk this week about fixing that problem.
"Coach Mattison, I don't think he likes anything more than seeing the quarterback get sacked," Lemmens said. "It's something we're addressing and working on to the best of our capabilities…Half the time I see Javier with a busted nose, bleeding. What they do, just from the one time they put me in at the nose tackle and actually ran the ball and I got flat-backed, I have a lot of respect for what they do in there."
For Lemmens, it was a good and bad weekend. Florida beat Ole Miss, 30-24, in its first road game this season. But his former high school, Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian, had its 48-game win streak snapped by Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure and running back Darrell Scott, who had five touchdowns, in a 41-33 decision. Scott is expected to visit Florida this weekend. Lemmens said he might have a few words for the star recruit.
"It was a heartbreak," he said. "Darrell Scott is the real deal. We were down 27-0 and we came back. I'm glad we left it all on the field. It stinks to have that 48-game streak beaten…I'm going to give (Scott) a little hard time and let him know if it was last year it would be a little different."
More from Lemmens
On his time so far at Florida: "It's definitely been a blessing. I came in optimistic. I knew redshirting was a real big possibility. I came in just trying my hardest and everything has kind of fallen the right way for me. I couldn't be happier with the situation I'm in."
On the Florida-Auburn game last season, a 27-17 Florida loss: "I did watch the game last year. I watched it with a bunch of USC fans who were really happy to watch the outcome because Florida was No. 2 and SC was No. 3. I was definitely upset watching it. Every SEC game I hold at the same level. I know there's a love for the game so strong that I've never seen out where I come from and it doesn't matter who it is in the SEC it's going to be a dogfight."
On talking with former teammate Jimmy Clausen, a freshman quarterback at Notre Dame: "I talked to him two weeks ago. He's in a rough situation. He's been sacked probably 10 times more than he was sacked in his whole high school career in the last three games. It's rough for him. I know he'll get through it. He's a tough kid and he'll turn that around."
"Eggs, pancakes, whatever puts on pounds," Lemmens said. "It makes me not enjoy eating anymore. When you're forced to (eat) and you have to weigh in every day and you're trying to put on heavier clothes so you get that extra half-pound, it takes the taste out of the food…If you decide you want to sleep in you'll get punished. You can get your tickets taken away. I'm sure they'll give you a good, nice workout."
When Lemmens, who has four tackles through four games, wants to enjoy dinner he and fellow freshman defensive end Justin Trattou eat sushi. It must be the sophistication in kids from suburbs of Los Angeles and New York City, respectively. Freshman kicker Chas Henry, from Dallas, Georgia, tried sushi but it wasn't to his liking. Lemmens said his favorite is the crunch roll.
"I know sushi's not a real big thing down here in the south but I love it," Lemmens said. "Chas Henry went to try it. Wasn't a big fan."
Redshirting was a possibility for Lemmens, who weighs 240 pounds, especially after off-season shoulder surgery. He has earned playing time earlier than expected and said he could not be happier.
Coach Urban Meyer joked recently he had to point out the weight room to Lemmens because he was so undersized for his position but Lemmens said he has been working hard and getting stronger. There's still a long way to go. Lemmens learned that the hard way when he lined up at nose tackle for one play in Florida's 59-20 win over Tennessee.
"They thought it was going to be a pass and it definitely wasn't," Lemmens said. "240 pounds doesn't stand up for too long. I got up real quick though…We have it a lot easier than those guys on the inside. I took it as a great opportunity. Any chance I can get to play and help the team and be on that field, I loved it. It's kind of cool to tell people back home who are just like, 'What? They know what they're doing over there?'"
Getting the chance to play inside gives him that much more respect for defensive tackles Clint McMillan and Javier Estopinan, even though the interior pass rush remains one of the team's biggest concerns. Meyer said he and defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will talk this week about fixing that problem.
"Coach Mattison, I don't think he likes anything more than seeing the quarterback get sacked," Lemmens said. "It's something we're addressing and working on to the best of our capabilities…Half the time I see Javier with a busted nose, bleeding. What they do, just from the one time they put me in at the nose tackle and actually ran the ball and I got flat-backed, I have a lot of respect for what they do in there."
For Lemmens, it was a good and bad weekend. Florida beat Ole Miss, 30-24, in its first road game this season. But his former high school, Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian, had its 48-game win streak snapped by Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure and running back Darrell Scott, who had five touchdowns, in a 41-33 decision. Scott is expected to visit Florida this weekend. Lemmens said he might have a few words for the star recruit.
"It was a heartbreak," he said. "Darrell Scott is the real deal. We were down 27-0 and we came back. I'm glad we left it all on the field. It stinks to have that 48-game streak beaten…I'm going to give (Scott) a little hard time and let him know if it was last year it would be a little different."
More from Lemmens
On his time so far at Florida: "It's definitely been a blessing. I came in optimistic. I knew redshirting was a real big possibility. I came in just trying my hardest and everything has kind of fallen the right way for me. I couldn't be happier with the situation I'm in."
On the Florida-Auburn game last season, a 27-17 Florida loss: "I did watch the game last year. I watched it with a bunch of USC fans who were really happy to watch the outcome because Florida was No. 2 and SC was No. 3. I was definitely upset watching it. Every SEC game I hold at the same level. I know there's a love for the game so strong that I've never seen out where I come from and it doesn't matter who it is in the SEC it's going to be a dogfight."
On talking with former teammate Jimmy Clausen, a freshman quarterback at Notre Dame: "I talked to him two weeks ago. He's in a rough situation. He's been sacked probably 10 times more than he was sacked in his whole high school career in the last three games. It's rough for him. I know he'll get through it. He's a tough kid and he'll turn that around."