EADS EATS HIS WAY ONTO LINE MOVE SHOULD HELP LINEMAN'S DESIRE TO PLAY IN COLLEGE

Publication: CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL
Published: 08/21/2002
Page: 1B
Headline: EADS EATS HIS WAY ONTO LINE MOVE SHOULD HELP LINEMAN'S DESIRE TO PLAY IN COLLEGE
Byline: MIKE CONNOLLY

FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Jared, the famous Subway spokesman, lost a lot of weight eating only Subway sandwiches. Nitro High's Greg Eads got the exact opposite result.

In a program that included lots of Subway sandwiches and even more weight training, the senior added close to 30 pounds.

"He just eats and eats and eats," said fellow Nitro lineman Mark Burch. "He is just massive."

Eads now stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 305 pounds - not exactly the prototype body for fullback, the position he played last year.

So Eads and Coach Scott Tinsley decided together to shift him from fullback to offensive line.

"We think he is a Division I prospect at either offensive line or defensive line," Tinsley said.

"He really wants to play college football so we decided that he would have a better chance as a lineman than a fullback."

Tinsley said Eads has received letters of interest from programs such as Ohio State, Marshall and West Virginia University.

The switch has been a boon not only to Eads' future, but also to Nitro's present.

The Wildcats will run a one-back offense this year with senior Chris McGhee as the featured back. If Eads stayed at fullback, he only would have gotten about 15 snaps a game. At tackle, Tinsley said Nitro can have more of its best players on the field at once.

Eads, who also plays defensive end, will be on the field for nearly every play now. Weighing more and playing more requires him to be in better shape.

"That's going to be a challenge for him," Tinsley said. "He is 305 pounds and it's a solid 305, but it's a concern for someone of his size to play the whole game."

Eads said he tired a little at the end of the first scrimmage Saturday against Bluefield, but he is not too concerned with playing the whole game.

"It's harder, but I like being in the game all the time," he said.

The biggest adjustment for Eads has been learning the blocking assignments.

At fullback, he usually knew what was going to happen no matter what. On the line, blocking assignments are constantly changing and adjusting.

"Every time the quarterback makes a different call, you have a different assignment," Eads said. "At the snap of the ball, everything can change."

It took him about four to five practices to learn all the blocking schemes, but he's pretty confident with the plays now.

"We thought assignments would be a problem," Tinsley said.

"But fullbacks work so closely with the offensive line that he hasn't had too much of a problem."

Eads is one of four new starters on the offensive line for Nitro. The only returning starter is Burch, who will play next to Eads. Depending on the style of the opponent's defense, Burch and Eads will switch between guard and tackle on the strong side.

Eads' tremendous size makes it easier for other players to block, Burch said. If he has trouble with an opponent, he tries to push them into Eads.

"If a person goes inside, he is done," Burch said. "He is not going to get past Greg."

As strong and immovable as he is inside, Eads is even better in the open field. Some 300-pound offensive linemen have trouble blocking linebackers or defensive backs in the open field, but after playing fullback, Eads has no problems thanks to his quick feet.

"At fullback, his feet were average," Tinsley said.

"But for a lineman his feet are excellent."