Arizona Wildcats senior tackle Layth Friekh once had a Michael Jordan moment — but not one of those game-winning-shot or dunking-on-a-dude moments.
“I got cut from the seventh-grade football team,” Friekh said.
Ten years later, Friekh is a rock-solid returning starter for Arizona with NFL aspirations. His ascent might have begun with that embarrassing moment.
“I took that as, ‘Oh man, I’ve got to step my stuff up,’ ” said Friekh, who has started 20 consecutive games at left tackle. “I wasn’t that good. If I can’t make it on the seventh-grade football team, how am I getting into college? How am I getting into the pros?”
Through sheer hard work, Friekh transformed himself from “the worst player on my team” to an all-state performer at Peoria Centennial High.
Entering his senior year at Arizona, Friekh has raised his work ethic another notch.
The 6-foot-5 Friekh packed on about 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason, raising his listed weight to 302 pounds. He credited lifting “my (butt) off” and playing less pickup basketball (another way he isn’t quite like Mike). Friekh also altered his approach to practice.
“His maturity’s really come a long way,” offensive line coach Jim Michalczik said. “He’s a very talented guy, a very athletic guy. But he’s practicing the techniques to take it to another level, to take it higher.
“Sometimes a naturally talented guy, things come too easy for them. They don’t work the little things that some other guys have to work. When you can take that talent and that work ethic and that focus … I’m expecting him to have a really good year.”
Friekh knew he had to take on more of a leadership role as a senior. He thought back to how some of his predecessors, such as safety Will Parks, handled themselves when they became upperclassmen. Friekh always hustled during practice; now he’s more apt to speak up.
“I wanted to model what I do after what they did,” Friekh said. “They’re just good leaders on and off the field.”
Knowledge is power
The results spoke for themselves: The Arizona defense didn’t fool many opposing offenses last year.
That could change this season for one simple reason, according to sophomore safety Tristan Cooper:
“We know what we’re doing now.”
The defense was new to everyone in 2016 except first-year coordinator Marcel Yates. Now every returning player and coach has had a full season to digest it.
And as Yates noted, the new defensive assistants, Scott Boone and Brian Knorr, have coordinator experience at multiple schools.
Through the first week of training camp, the defense got its hands on a lot of passes. Cooper attributed that to pressure from the front and the secondary’s newfound ability to disguise coverages.
At this time last year, the Wildcats still were trying to master the basics of Yates’ scheme.
“You could tell last year by our film what we were going to be,” Cooper said. “When you start moving around, the quarterback’s like, ‘What are they doing? What are they running?’ ”
Said linebacker Brandon Rutt: “I think our defense as a whole is a lot more aggressive. It’s us being able to know what’s going to happen before it actually happens.”
Extra points
- UA coach Rich Rodriguez said he thinks about former Wildcats lineman Zach Hemmila “just about every day.” Hemmila died in his sleep a year ago, about a month before the start of his senior season. “It was hard on all of us,” Rodriguez said. “I was proud of how our guys handled the adversity. It was a tough moment. His family will always be part of our family.”
- The Wildcats practiced in shorts and shells after working in full pads Friday and Saturday. The defense won Monday’s practice, continuing the back-and-forth between the two sides.
- Rodriguez said tailback J.J. Taylor “looks great” so far in camp. Taylor missed most of last season because of a broken ankle.
- Freshman safeties Scottie Young Jr. and Troy Young have been even better than expected through the first seven practices, Rodriguez said.
- Rodriguez said his goal by the end of training camp is to have three quarterbacks “that I think we can win with.” Returning starter Brandon Dawkins remains the favorite in that race.
- Rodriguez praised sophomore walk-on Lee Anderson III, who has been getting some first-team reps at defensive end. “He’s a year older, a year stronger,” Rodriguez said. “He’s given us kind of an explosive edge on pass rush. He’s going to help this football team in a lot of areas.”
