Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 18, 1994 TAG: 9408190022
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Much was made of the Wolfpack's lack of size after N.C. State was manhandled by Florida State and Michigan in the final two games of the 1993 season. The Wolfpack (7-5) lost by a combined score of 104-10.
Coach Mike O'Cain vowed his team never would be pushed around and embarrassed again.
His message stuck with Reeves, a senior co-captain.
``The Michigan game, they were a whole lot bigger than us and they tossed our front line around like we weren't standing there. It was a conscious effort for all of us to get bigger,'' said Reeves, who has bulked up from 230 pounds to 245.
``It is one thing to just get bigger, but it's another thing to get stronger and bigger,'' he said Wednesday during the first stop on the ACC media's football tour. ``We [the defensive line] each gained at least 10 pounds and dropped our body fat. In essence, we are running a little more efficiently than we were before and we are a whole lot larger.''
Reeves, a graduate of Northern Durham High School, has fought a weight problem his whole career. His high metabolism made it difficult for him to maintain weight.
He came to the Wolfpack as a 190-pound freshman and played on the defensive front at 219 pounds during a sophomore season when he had 101/2 sacks and was named second-team all-ACC.
``I never thought about my lack of weight,'' said Reeves, who often was outweighed by more than 50 pounds. ``I just got on the line of scrimmage and watched film before the game so I would know what the other team was running and try to outthink them and use my speed to get to a certain point before [an offensive lineman] could get his hands on me.
``It is easier for me to finish plays now. In the past, if I got on a [blocker's] corner, and I could see the quarterback and was making my push, all he had to do was hit me on the butt and it would shoot me like a missile right on past [the quarterback]. Now, it will just propel me right on into him.''
Reeves said he was shocked when his new weight was revealed in mid-July.
``I didn't think about gaining the weight until I stepped on the scales and then my eyes got as big as two quarters,'' he said. ``I had to take my shirt off and my shoes off and stepped back on the scale again to make sure I wasn't seeing things.''
Reeves appeared to be headed for a banner junior season, but he broke a leg in the final preseason scrimmage and missed seven games. Without him, the Wolfpack's defense struggled in 1993.
``It is hard to put into words what he means to this football team,'' O'Cain said. ``Physically, he means an awful lot just because of the way he goes after things, but his attitude, his work ethic, the emotion he brings to our defensive football team is immeasurable.
``Of all the things we missed on our defense last year when we lost Carl was that emotion, that fiery spirit that just gets you motivated.''
by CNB