ESPN

Dave Teggart is sitting in a hotel in the Chicago area right now with one pair of clothes, and no plans to return home to Northborough.

But it's a good luxury.

Teggart was one of seven free agents to ink a three-year contract with the Bears following the final session of rookie minicamp today, and recalls being taken aback when initially pulled aside by Bears head coach Lovie Smith.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"To be honest with you, I was caught off-guard when he called my name in the hallway and said 'Hi' to me -- like, wow," Teggart said tonight by phone. "You see these guys on TV all the time, and it’s a real honor to be coached by him and now to have the opportunity to be coached by him. I think I'm in a good place right now, and I'm going to learn as much as I can going forward, earn my spot and keep kicking."

The former Algonquin Regional and UConn standout kicked in six training sessions during the three-day camp in Lake Forest, Ill., and may have impressed the most with the field goal units. Teggart said he hit from as far as 60 yards out, and was pretty consistently accurate overall, but the wind was a formidable challenge.

"It's pretty windy up here, they don't call it the Windy City for nothing," he said. "It's a challenging wind. Some days it's with you, some days it's against you, other days it's side to side. It's definitely a good training experience."

Teggart was initally offered a tryout on April 30. He shares the same agent, Paul Sheehy, as Bears special teams coach Dave Toub, and recalled first meeting him during the NFL Draft combine, recalling a "great guy who definitely knows his stuff", and someone who was "very helpful".

For now, though, Teggart remains waiting, but ready, for the next step in his NFL journey. He will be at the Bears' Organized Team Activities in a few weeks.

"Life of a kicker -- you could be here one day, gone the next," he chuckled. "I've got to keep that in mind. It's more motivation."

The Chicago Bears announced today they have signed seven players from rookie minicamp this weekend to three-year contracts, including Northborough native Dave Teggart.

Teggart is a 2007 graduate of Northborough's Algonquin Regional High, and statistically one of the best kickers to ever come out of the University of Connecticut. He was offered a tryout with the Bears on April 30, and shares the same agent, Paul Sheehy, as Bears special teams coach Dave Toub.

In the 2011 preseason, Teggart was named to the watch list for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation's top placekicker, but did not make the cut of semi-finalists. He left UConn as the program's all-time leader in points, extra points and field goals made, as well as the single-season record holder for field goals made and consecutive extra points made. He told ESPNBoston.com he had hit field goals from as far as 64 yards out this spring in preparing for the NFL Draft.

Former Algonquin Regional star and UConn kicker Dave Teggart confirmed to ESPNBoston.com tonight that he has been offered a tryout with the Chicago Bears for their minicamp later this month.

Teggart, a Northborough resident, said he got the call from the Bears last night. He shares the same agent, Paul Sheehy, as Bears special teams coach Dave Toub.

Teggart will report to camp on May 10, where he will be one of two kickers competing.

"I'm excited to go out there, but as a kicker you've got to control your emotions a bit," Teggart said tonight. "I've got to go into it thinking it's me against me. As long as I do what I know I can do, I'll be fine."

In the 2011 preseason, Teggart was named to the watch list for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation's top placekicker, but did not make the cut of semi-finalists. He leaves UConn as the program's all-time leader in points, extra points and field goals made, as well as the single-season record holder for field goals made and consecutive extra points made. He says he has hit field goals from as far as 64 yards out this spring in preparting for the NFL Draft.

Teggart is the third player from the Central Massachusetts district to get picked up by an NFL team this week as an undrafted free agent, an aberration for an area that typically does not produce major college football talent in bulk. West Boylston's Emil Igwenagu (Holy Name High/UMass) and Shrewsbury's Shawn Loiseau (Shrewsbury High/Merrimack College) were picked up earlier this week by the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, respectively.

"I don't think Central Mass. is known for football. We have great athletes, it's just a matter of recognition," Teggart said. "I feel like Central Mass. is a tough place to get recognized out of, because of its past history or whatever, I don't know exactly. But it's possible.

"I didn't get a chance to go to Boston College, they went with a California guy. But I got a shot at UConn and made the most of it. The same I think goes for someone like Loiseau."

ESPN's Roger Brown checks in tonight on the East Recruiting Blog with former Ansonia (Conn.) High running back Montrel Dobbs, who completed his post-graduate season this fall at Milford Academy (N.Y.) and has committed to Temple University for next fall.

Dobbs initially committed to UConn, but was told he would be unable to enroll due to grade issues.

Brown writes:

Dobbs originally committed to Connecticut, but had to find another option when he was told he couldn't enroll because of an academic issue. He was planning to attend Marshall until he met with Temple head coach Steve Addazio -- a Connecticut native who attended Central Connecticut State -- and assistant coach Sean McGowan last Friday.

“They made an offer Tuesday,” Dobbs said. “I really didn't have to think about it much. I wanted to stay closer to home anyway. It was a good fit for me.”

Dobbs rushed for 3,445 yards and scored 45 touchdowns during his senior season at Ansonia High School. He was Milford Academy's offensive MVP last season.

Dobbs said he may be a partial qualifier and not allowed to play next season.

“I don't know if I'm going to be playing this year,” he said. “I'm gonna find that out. All I know is I'm definitely going to school at Temple.”

ESPN's Roger Brown checks in today on the East Recruiting Blog with Everett junior offensive tackle John Montelus, who had four Division 1 FBS scholarship offers before the start of the 2011 season and has since added a fifth from Boston College.

Virginia, Syracuse, UConn and NC State all offered the 6-foot-5, 295-pound Montelus before his 16th birthday. He then went out and lived up to those expectations by being named to ESPN Boston's MIAA All-State Team.

Could more offers be coming down the pipe? Brown writes:

Montelus, who plays left tackle, said BC offensive line coach Sean Devine was at two of his games last season. Montelus has shown interest in BC as well. He attended BC's game against Florida State last season, and was in attendance when BC played Virginia in 2010.

Montelus helped Everett extend the program's winning streak to 25 games when it beat Lincoln-Sudbury, 36-13, in the Eastern Massachusetts Division 1A Super Bowl in December.

Montelus said he thinks West Virginia and Rutgers are also close to offering him a scholarship. He has also been invited to attend a junior day at West Virginia next month.

“Big Ten schools are starting to talk to me too,” he said. “Michigan's offensive line coach talked to me recently and I've also heard from Purdue and Nebraska.

“I don't really like to talk about what schools I like and what schools I don't like. I have another year and people will find out. Right now I'm just happy all these schools have offered me.”

Masuk High School quarterback Casey Cochran made it official Thursday when he signed a national letter of intent to play football at the University of Connecticut.

Cochran, Connecticut's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011, gave a verbal commitment to Connecticut in August, and said it's a honor to be able to play college football in his home state.

“Not that many college players get to stay at home and play for the state school,” Cochran said. “I believe Coach Pasqualoni (Connecticut coach Paul Pasqualoni) is a very good coach. I really like the coaching staff and everyone on it. I got closer with them during the offseason, so it was a very easy choice once the [scholarship] offer came.”

Cochran completed his high school career as Connecticut's career leader in passing yards, completions and passing touchdowns. He is scheduled to graduate from Masuk in early January and will begin college classes on Jan. 17.

His early enrollment will allow Cochran to participate in spring practice.

Cochran chose Connecticut over several Ivy League schools. His first scholarship offer came from Boston College, but BC pulled that offer last year after it changed offensive coordinators.

Cochran's father Jack has coached high school football at Bloomfield, New Britain and New London. He guided his teams to 14 state championship games and won eight state titles during his 16-year coaching career.

He coached Casey during his freshman season at New London. Casey transferred to Masuk for his final three years of high school.

“UConn became a very good option for him once Pasqualoni took over,” Jack said. “We have a relationship that goes back to his days as the coach at Syracuse. I think Casey felt very comfortable with his decision. Looking forward to watching him play in college.”

STAR POWER

Cochran was one of 26 players named to the 2011 Connecticut High School Coaches' Association All-Star Football Team. Here is the complete team:

OFFENSE
QB — CASEY COCHRAN, Masuk
WR — AARON BERARDINO, Windsor
WR — NICK VITALE, Hand
WR — THOMAS MILONE, Masuk
RB — ARKEEL NEWSOME, Ansonia
RB — MIKE MASTROIANNI, Xavier
RB — ALEX MANWARING, Ledyard
RB — BRENDAN LYTTON, Torrington
RB — KYLE McKINNON, New London
RB — DAVE DiGIORGI, Holy Cross
OL — AUSTIN WEZENSKI, Xavier
OL — DYLAN VANO, Ansonia
OL — RENNICK BRYAN, Hillhouse

DEFENSE
DL — SEAN MARINAN, Xavier
DL — JOE DeMICHELE, Hand
DL — LUDOVIC RICHARDSON, Notre Dame-West Haven
DL — COLE ORMSBY, Windsor
LB – TYLER WOOD, Ansonia
LB — SHANE NASTAHOWSKI, Greenwich
LB — AUSTIN CALITRO, Danbury
LB — KEVIN McDONOUGH, New Canaan
LB — MARK ZURLIS, North Haven
DB — DELSHAWN WILSON, Norwalk
DB — RYAN MURPHY, Xavier
DB — TOMMY UNDERCUFFLER, Berlin
DB — RYAN JACOBUCCI, Xavier

NEW LONDON'S STREAK HALTED

Richard Bronson scored a team-high 21 points to lead the Hillhouse boys basketball team to a 64-61 triumph over New London in the Doc Hurley Classic at Weaver High School.

The loss ended New London's 28-game winning streak. The Whalers were 27-0 last season, when they won the Class L title.

Providence-bound guard Kris Dunn scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the loss.

New London led 49-45 entering the fourth quarter, but missed seven of its nine free throw attempts in the final eight minutes. The Whalers missed 15 of 36 free throw attempts in the game.

BROOKFIELD COACH STEPS DOWN

Brookfield girls basketball coach Tom Marks handed in his letter of resignation last week, days after the season began. Marks cited personal reasons.

Lisa Schang has been named Brookfield's interim coach. Brookfield is off to a 1-5 start this season.

Marks has also coached the cross country team at New Milford for the last 15 seasons.

Roger Brown has covered high school sports in New England since 1992. He currently covers high school and college football in the Northeast for ESPN/Scouts Inc.

ESPN's Roger Brown is reporting that (Manchester) junior tight end Andrew Issacs has verbally committed to Boston College for the fall of 2013.

Isaacs, who will turn 17 in December, is the first commit for the Eagles' 2013 recruiting class. His only other offer was from in-state UConn.

“Me and my coach were talking about that [a possible coaching change], but anywhere you go a coaching change can happen,” Isaacs told Brown. “It's the nature of the business. What I know is the coaches are there right now.”

Brown has more on Isaacs' commitment, on ESPN's East Recruiting blog:

In addition to attending BC's camp last summer, Isaacs went to two BC games and two practices this year. He said he felt so comfortable with the school and the football program that there was no need to wait and see what other offers he might attract.

“I know they had a rough season, but I love the type of team they have,” Isaacs said. “I like the intensity of practice, the intensity of coaching. It's a learning process and they're gonna get better.”

Another thing that worked in BC's favor is the fact that Isaacs used to live in Dorchester, Mass., a Boston suburb, and still has close friends in that area.

“A lot of my teammates asked me why I did this so early,” Isaacs said. “I just really like the school. I want to go there. I talked it over with my dad and he said, 'If it's for you, do it.'

“It's exciting and in a way kind of a relief. I'm hoping that when I'm there they'll be better, and that I can help make them better.”

In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes,, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Casey Cochran of Masuk High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year. Cochran is the first Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Masuk High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Cochran as Connecticut’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award announced in December, Cochran joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich.).

The state’s returning Gatorade Football Player of the Year, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior quarterback led the Panthers to an 11-0 record and a berth in the Class L state semifinals against Hand High, scheduled for Dec. 3. Cochran passed for 2,801 yards and 36 touchdowns through 11 games, completing 119-of-167 attempts while throwing just four interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns. Cochran won a Class SS state title with New London High as a freshman in 2008 and with Masuk in 2010. He is the state’s career leader in two categories with 10,501 yards passing and 108 touchdowns.

Cochran has maintained a 3.92 GPA in the classroom. The winner of the Masuk High Book Award for Introduction to Engineering and Algebra I and Geometry, he has volunteered locally at area food banks for the needy, as a youth football coach and as a peer tutor.

“It’s scary how someone can be that accurate,” said Joe Lato, head coach of rival Weston High. “It’s unbelievable what Casey Cochran can do. I haven’t seen a high school quarterback like him. He makes everybody look silly.”

Cochran has verbally committed to play football on an athletic scholarship at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2012.

Cochran joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Football Players of the Year Kevin Pierre-Louis (2009, King Low Heywood Thomas), Mike Osiecki (2008, Seymour) and Alex Thomas (2007, Ansonia) among the state’s list of former award winners.

In Massachusetts, Jonathan DiBiaso of Everett High took home Gatorade Player of the Year honors. Here are the four other winners from New England:

RHODE ISLAND: JOSH MORRIS, LA SALLE

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound junior running back and cornerback led the Rams to a 10-1 record and a berth in the Division I state championship against Bishop Hendricken High, scheduled for Dec. 3. Morris rushed for 1,278 yards and 16 touchdowns on 134 carries through 11 games and caught nine passes for 175 yards and a score. A 2010 First Team All-Division I selection, he is averaging 39.8 yards per kickoff return, with one touchdown, and has recorded two interceptions on defense.

Morris has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth mentor and football coach and as part of multiple community service initiatives in association with his church community.

“Every game, he’s getting better,” said Geoff Marcone, La Salle Academy’s head coach. “The kid wants to be great in everything that he does. A lot of high school kids say they want to be the best, but very few work to be the best. He’s doing everything he can to make himself better.”

Morris will begin his senior year of high school next fall.

Morris joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Football Players of the Year Ben Willett (2010, Portsmouth) Mike Read (2009, Barrington), Dave D'Errico (2008, North Kingstown) and Bobby Bentsen (2007, Warwick Veterans) among the state’s list of former award winners.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: JAKE KILEY, NEW HAMPTON

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior quarterback, running back and defensive back rushed for 358 yards and 11 touchdowns on 62 carries this past season, leading the Huskies (7-2) to the New England Prep School Athletic Council’s Jack Etter Bowl. A two-time Evergreen League Player of the Year, Kiley also passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns, caught 15 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a score. On defense, he recorded 46 tackles and four interceptions, and he averaged 40.3 yards on 16 punt attempts.

Kiley has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a New Hampton School campus tour guide, a youth basketball referee and as part of multiple community service initiatives in association with the New Hampton School Service Learning Program.

“I have coached against Jake Kiley for three years and have marveled at his athletic talent each time he steps on the field,” said Ben Rulli, head coach at rival Proctor Academy. “He has progressed throughout the years as one of the most athletic players I have seen. Jake is fast, agile and always a threat to make a big play.”

Kiley has verbally committed to play football on an athletic scholarship at Penn State University beginning in the fall of 2012.

Kiley joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Football Players of the Year Max Jacques (2009-10, Salem), David Zocco (2008, Nashua South) and Billy Ferriter (2007, Nashua South) among the state’s list of former award winners.

MAINE: LOUIS DiTOMASSO, WELLS

The 6-foot, 180-pound senior linebacker and fullback led the Warriors to a 12-0 record and the Class B state championship this past season. DiTomasso rushed for 1,559 yards and 18 touchdowns on 203 carries. The 2011 Campbell Conference Player of the Year, DiTomasso recorded 133 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and blocked a field goal. He ran for 134 yards and a touchdown in the state final win over Leavitt High.

DiTomasso has maintained a B-plus average in the classroom. An avid photographer and artist, he has volunteered locally as a youth football coach.

“Louis DiTomasso has great instincts at linebacker and flies to the play,” said Jeff Guerrette, head coach of rival Westbrook High. “At the point of attack he is extremely physical and consistently delivers the blow.”

DiTomasso remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

DiTomasso joins recent Gatorade Maine Football Players of the Year Peter Gwilym (2010, Cheverus) Jack Mallis (2009, Windham), Jack Heary (2008, Deering) and Justin Villacci (2007, Gorham) among the state’s list of former award winners.

VERMONT: JAKE STALCUP, BURR & BURTON

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound junior quarterback passed for 2,448 yards and 31 touchdowns this past season, completing 163-of-286 passes while throwing 10 interceptions, leading the Bulldogs (7-4) to the Division 2 state final. A 2011 ESPNHS preseason All-State selection, Stalcup passed for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Division 2 semifinal win over North Country Union.

Stalcup has maintained a 3.54 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth football and baseball coach and has assisted in relief efforts for Hurricane Irene flood victims.

“Jake Stalcup has become a first rate quarterback in every sense,” said Burr and Burton Academy head coach Jason Thompson. “Every single week he gave us a chance to win and he will only keep getting better.”

Stalcup will begin his senior year of high school next fall.

Stalcup joins recent Gatorade Vermont Football Players of the Year Christian McCormick (2010, Rice Memorial) Max Librizzi (2009, Essex), Mick Wong (2008, Hartford) and James Durham (2007-08, Spaulding) among the state’s list of former award winners.

ESPN's Roger Brown checks in today on the East Region football recruiting blog with Masuk (Conn.) quarterback Casey Cochran, who remains committed to UConn in spite of the changes and overall uncertainty surrounding the Big East Conference.

“I made a commitment to coach [Paul] Pasqualoni and the UConn football team,” Cochran told Brown. “I trust that the athletic director, the UConn president as well as the Big East commissioner will put UConn and entire Big East in a great position.”

Cochran, the state's reigning Gatorade Player of the Year, has Masuk at 7-0 entering Saturday night's game against Pomperaug. He set the state record for career touchdown passes (102) and career passing yards (9,546) this season, and already owned the Connecticut record for career completions entering 2011.

Brown writes:

He said accuracy and his ability to read defenses are his strengths as a quarterback.

“That's what its come down to the past two years – reading coverages and putting the ball where it needs to be,” Cochran said. “Getting my offense out of plays that can't work versus a defense pre-snap and getting it to the right receiver post-snap.”

Cochran's first scholarship offer came from Boston College, but BC pulled that offer after it hired a new offensive coordinator. Cochran considered playing Ivy League football at Yale or Princeton, but said his decision to play at UConn wasn't difficult.

“First of all, it's the home-stat e team,” he said. “It's really an honor to play for your home state. I believe Coach Pasqualoni is a very good coach. I really like the coaching staff and everyone on it. I got closer with them during the offseason, so it was a very easy choice once the [scholarship] offer came.”

NORTH EASTHAM, Mass. -- You wouldn't be quick to confuse Nauset Regional High with the term "powerhouse" any time soon. But the Warriors, off to a 4-3 start, boast arguably one of New England's most unheralded prospects in fullback/linebacker Brendan Battles.

A series of leg injuries kept the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Eastham native from getting noticed too much on the gridiron. But luckily, he had his decorated wrestling career to fall back on. He picked up the sport as a freshman, and last winter won Division 1 and All-State in the 215-pound divsion, and fell in the New England finals to Virginia-bound Patrick Gillen of Shelton, Conn.

We've heard about the overlap between wrestling and football before (Stephen Neal anyone?), and that paid off when he arrived at football camps at Boston College, UConn and South Florida. Without seeing film, both the Huskies and Bulls offered scholarships, and Battles committed to UConn last June, joining Grafton's Obi Melifonwu and Tabor Academy's Jason Sylva (whom he almost teamed with this fall) on the list of in-state commitments.

We caught up with Battles before practice Tuesday afternoon at Nauset, and as you'll see, he had a lot to say.

Q: I asked this to Mike DeVito a year ago. Do you guys hate the tourists?
A: "Being with the workforce and working my entire life, I appreciate it to a degree with the tourists – but I can’t wait ‘til they leave (laughs)."

Q: What do you mean by workforce?
A: "I’m a landscaper, and I also did shucking oysters and clams over at a raw bar in P-Town (Provincetown). You make good money while they’re here. It’s fun, I guess you could say, but it’s also crazy. I mean, traffic-wise, just the amount of people goes from, like…you’re here in the winter time, and there’s maybe a car or two on the road, and then if you come here in the summertime, Jesus, the road’s packed."

Q: How long have you been doing that kind of work, and how much does that go into building your strength?
A: "My father owns his company, so I’ve been landscaping probably since I was like between 6 and 8. I’ve been doing that throughout my whole life. Shucking oysters was actually this one summer type thing. I had to find a different job because we had morning workouts here (at the school) at 6 in the morning, whereas before I was used to doing workouts on my own with my dad at 5:30 and then being at work at 7:30. But we didn’t get out of here until 8:30, so I had to find a different job, one of my friends’ dad’s up in P-Town was a seafood restaurant, so I just learned how to shuck."

Q: Sometimes you hear about, say, folks in places Gloucester training on the beach in the summer time. How much do you guys use the natural resources in your training?
A: "For football, we just use the field most of the time. I know I’ve gone down to the beach and used the sand for different types of workouts between my wrestling and whatnot. But we never really did it for football. I don’t know if it was just more convenient to go out here (to the school) because we had all the stuff we needed.":

Q: What would you use the sand for in your wrestling training?
A: "Sprints, lotta sprints, building up the ankles. We did a little bit of footwork. And then, of course, at some beaches you’ve got – for instance, down here [the high school is a mile from the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Nauset Light], or this beach where I used to live, you’d have an incline up until the stairway, and then you’d have a stairway that’s a good 25 yards, so you could sprint the whole thing."

Q: That must get tiring.
A: Hell yeah, Hell yeah. It sucks (laughs).

Q: When you committed to UConn, I think the question some people had was ‘Who is this kid?’ How did it end up coming about?
A: "Funny story, actually. Long story short, I’ve played football my entire life, but the past four years I’ve had some type of injury. Sophomore year, I broke my left fibula. Junior year, I broke my right fibula. The year before that [sophomore year], I had a hematoma on my arm. Et cetera, et cetera. So that was my high school football experience, to really put it in a sum. So I didn’t really get my name out there in the football aspect, loved the game though.

"I really made my name in wrestling. I started freshman year. Most kids who are in nationals start in wrestling when they’re six or eight years old, and in the state they’ll probably start around sixth grade. So I was behind, but even then my freshman year I still went 23-7. My sophomore year, I ended up taking state finalist [in the 215-pound division], fifth in All-State, fifth in New England, and then that summer I won nationals for the first time. Last year, I won state, won All-State, took second in New England, took third in the country.

"I got a lot of offers. But I knew going into wrestling, the more I grew into my friends I trained with, who were in college. That’s how I got so good, wrestling with college wrestlers. And every time I talked to them they’d be like ‘Dude, this isn’t the sport for you, you’re an amazing athlete and you need to focus on football, because you could end up having your whole college education paid for.’ And also, the door’s there, go to it. That stuck in the back of mind, and you get to a certain point in wrestling where after two seasons of cutting 25 pounds a week, it gets to you, it really does. I’d be about 240, 245 and I’d have to cut to 215 once or twice a week. I mean, if I did it twice a week, it’d be Wednesday and Saturday, I’d be back to 240 by the end of the night that I weighed in. That sucks, like Hell – you’re talking to a big boy, I like to eat, I’ll eat all day. Telling me I can only eat one meal a day to get to a certain weight? (laughs)

"There was talk of me going to a prep school, I was supposed to go to Tabor (Academy, in Marion). Then there was talk of me possibly, if I got an offer – I went to BC camp, UConn camp and USF (South Florida) camp – if I got an offer, I would stay here, no prep school. But if I didn’t, I’d go to prep school, because I was really looking more into the football side of things.

"I went to BC, got a little discouraged because I thought they were going to offer. I talked to the coaches there, and they said, ‘We’ve got nothing for you’. At the same time, I was also playing middle linebacker and fullback, which I’m more of a tight end/defensive end type of guy, as UConn and USF said. That sat in my system for a while, and I think it gave me more motivation. I’m a very negative-driven person, I guess you could say, so that pissed me off for the next two weeks of training. Then I went to UConn, and I want to say the first day [defensive coordinator] Don Brown noticed me. From then on, it was like ‘Oh, we want to try you over here’, or ‘We want to try you over there’. I started off with the middle linebackers, then fullbacks, then next thing you know they’re like ‘Screw it, let’s try you at end’."

Q: Don tends to do that.
A: "Yeah (laughs). He put me over at end, and of course I’m like, hey, if he wants to see me , I don’t care, I’ll go wherever you want me to go. If you want me at wideout or kicker, I’ll try that as well. I mean, man, I’m just that type of kid, I want to get looked at, you know? Who doesn’t? So, he put me with [defensive line coach Hank] Hughes, I think I did the same drill over and over and over. Literally, there was five drills, but I had to stay with him, and he stayed at that one drill. So I only did the one drill for the day, then pretty much at the end of camp coach P [head coach Paul Pasqualoni], I got off-campus and he gave me the offer and I committed. It was a no-brainer for me. Good program, beautiful facilities, good school."

Q: But Nauset isn’t exactly a traditional power. How did you get exposed?
A: "(Pauses) I don’t know how to answer that one (laughs). I think it was just going to the camps, really. I got my name out in the wrestling, like I said. Because I went down to USF, Skip Holtz, I mean that’s all he was looking at me for. None of these guys looked at my tape – UConn, they never asked me for tape before I committed, they were just like ‘Aw, he’s a great wrestler and a great athlete’ when they looked at the drills I did, and that’s what they took me off of. They didn’t ask for tape. I think that’s what got my name out and more exposed, me selling myself on my wrestling and my athletic ability by going to these camps. Other than that, I have no idea. Guess I just got lucky (laughs)."

Q: You hear every now and then about the overlap between wrestling and being a lineman. How much did wrestling help you with your technique as a defensive lineman?
A: "It helped a lot. You wouldn’t notice it, but when I wrestle and play football in the same season…the beginning of the season, I stopped, it must have been for the first week or second week, and I was like, ‘I’m just going to focus on football’. And then you notice you’re out of breath faster, you don’t open your hips up as much as you could on some moves, your hands aren’t as aggressive as they should be. So, wrestling to me, I play a lot of sports and it’s the hardest one I play. Endurance-wise, when I’m wrestling, a two-hour practice at least once a week, the football game is a joke to me. It’s all about hands, wrestling is all about your hand control, the way you open your hips up, so if I’m trying to pass an elbow by you have to open up your hips – same with football, if someone’s trying to reach block me, you can open your hips up and do the same thing as wrestling. You can apply a lot of wrestling moves, and the aggression I guess you could say, the same way you would apply defensive line."

Q: You mentioned at the beginning about injuries. Are you OK this season?
A: "Yeah, nothing big, just minor problems, but for the most part pretty healthy."

Q: You guys had a couple lean years earlier this century (from 2005 to 2009, the Warriors went 4-46), and you’re off to a pretty nice start this season (4-3, 1-1 ACL). What’s been the key?
A: "A lot of things. One, coach [Keith] Kenyon, one of the best coaches, he’s like a God-given gift to us. We had coaches before who’d say you should lift, or you should do this, but it wasn’t really, you know, ‘You have to do this or else’. It was a should of. You’re talking about a bunch of kids on Cape Cod in the summertime. I mean, let’s face it, there’s much more to do than ‘shoulda lifting’, you know? (laughs) For me, I’ve been lifting since I was 11 years old with my father – my father is a marine – I’d lift with him every morning at 4:30. To me, I was like, if my team doesn’t want to lift, I’m here but if they don’t want to lift then whatever. But when coach Kenyon came here, we had lifts at 6, we’d do an hour of lift and an hour of conditioning. That helped out huge.

"Then it’s also what we run as well. We used to run a spread, but we never really had a quarterback for it. It’s kinda like your backyard quarterback who can throw, but doesn’t know when to throw it, one of those type deals. Blocking was a big part, there was a lot of parts we didn’t have. But then when he brought in the Single Wing, I thought it was the best thing in high school football. I was like, ‘This is sick’, I’m not even getting the ball and this is fun, you know? And as we lift, the linemen get stronger, whether it’s Eric Marston at 150 pounds at center, or Ben Ering and Jordan Fowler who are 300 pounds. So I mean, everyone’s getting stronger, our running backs are great. As much as we depend on the blocking, the running backs can make do if something does break down. So I think basically what it comes down to is the coaching and all the players putting in the work. Those 6 o’clock workouts pay off.

Q: I understand the weight room is pretty remarkable here.
A: "I love the place, it’s really nice. If you’re in a gym class here, you’re more apt to watch TV on the plasma screens, ESPN, it’s nice. It’s funny, I’d go to my gym with my dad, I pay 30 bucks a month for that. You come here, it’s free and they got three plasmas bigger than any TV you’ve got paying 30 bucks a month over there. Like, you gotta be kidding me, I’m coming over here! (laughs) I might watch Sunday Night Football on the plasma at the school, come on now (laughs). As much as we trash it by the end of the lift, we definitely take care of it. I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s like having a nice car, you want to go back in it. We’re definitely blessed to have that, that’s for sure."

Q: You seem like you’re in pretty good shape. How intense do you go in workouts? What’s a typical workout?
A: "It changes, it all depends on what season it is…I’m actually kinda out of shape right now. I had to take a week off for high blood pressure, that was basically related to all my stress that’s going on. I’m currently not staying at home, I’ve been out of the house for like three months now. I’ve been staying with one of my friends. So basically, stress-related. Soon as I learned how to calm down by myself…it’s funny, I went from 110 to 130 to 160 to 190, then I was like, alright, I need to calm down. I shut everything off, my phone, my computer, just played ball and came home to do studies, next day I was 110. It was nothing big, but I had to take the week off. But the week off – whew, I ate the wrong things (laughs).

"[As for most intense workout], it’d have to be my functional workouts. Those things suck, oh my God. Functional workout would basically be, you’ve got your tire, then you have a sled that you pull, sledgehammer that you use against the tire, ladders, you’d always have a hill. And then, either you get the choice of pushing the lawnmower on a nice day – and this is a commercial mower, so that’s about 1500 [pounds] – or I’d push my mom’s SUV. Those days definitely sucked. And it was always a Sunday, because that’s the only day I got to really use everything, because it’s ‘Family Day’, which is really like ‘Hell Day’ because everyone’s at the house.

"It’s just one of those days you wake up and you’re like [expletive], today’s Sunday. My dad’s got all the tools ready, because you’ve got to take the hydraulics off the mower and whatnot. It’s fun. It sucked though, it definitely sucked."

Q: You seem like the type of guy who gets amped before games. Am I guessing right?
A: "Oh yeah."

Q: Take me through your pregame routine.
A: "It’s changed a little bit, but not too much. I stay really calm for the most part. People sometimes go nuts and want to be intensely focused, going through their packets and whatnot. Me, you know, I’ll read my packet on, say, Thursday. Friday, I won’t think anything about it. Nothing about the game, I stay calm, put my mind in other places, don’t want to stress out about it. And then come probably after lunch, that’s when I start almost visualizing, you might say. I’ve always been big on visualizing, I completely believe in it. We do our run through, I try to stay calm, 50 percent, just run through it. Nothing hard. I’m always the last person to put my equipment on, I don’t know why. It’s just something that’s been in high school. I just sit there, I’m relaxed and then it’s like, oh, people are lining up? I’ve got to put my stuff on (laughs). Between the adrenaline getting my stuff on and not wanting to be the last in line, by the time we’re lined up I’m ready to go off.

"It’s just one of those things where you flip the switch, really. As soon as I put the helmet on and walk up the stairs, or if it’s an away game, soon as we get out on in line to take the field, I’m just amped. I go nuts. I’m just waiting for someone to say something so I can go off."

Q: So what’s that first hit of the game like for you? Some people say they get butterflies, and then that first hit unwinds them.
A: Yeah, I definitely get nervous, it doesn’t matter how big or small they are. I’m just like, you get that nervous feeling, your heart is almost in your throat. It’s a little anxious, but soon as that first hit happens, doesn’t matter if you lay them on their ass, or they lay you on your ass, you’re like ‘Let’s just do this now’. It’s fun after that, but that first hit is always very key. I’m too anxious, oh man.

Q: Some have wondered if the Atlantic Coast League could come down to the Thanksgiving matchup with Dennis-Yarmouth. What do you guys need to take care of the rest of the way?
A: "We just need to take it one game at a time. I think we get too ahead of ourselves as any team would, as soon as you have a little bit of success. Take it one game at a time, and keep improving. Do what you can to make yourself better, your team better. Focus on the game, win the next game, then it’s on to the next one.

"Then when the Thanksgiving game comes…I mean, may the best man win. I think they’re very good, obviously. Not much for trash-talking, but I’m ready to hit someone (laughs). There’s something about D-Y, I don’t know if it’s losing to them the last three years, or haven’t been able to get revenge because any other school in the ACL has a wrestling team, I don’t have that with D-Y. They had me on that big kid (6-foot-4, 300-pound tackle Nate Crary) the last two years, and I hate that he’s gone (Crary graduated) because I’d love to see him again this year. I’m excited for the game. It’s hard, like I said, to stay focused on the game, and very hard when the season’s halfway done and you’ve got D-Y done. And it’s at their house, so you know it’s gonna be packed."

Roger Brown checks in today on ESPN's East football recruiting blog with Worcester Academy senior running back/linebacker John Robinson, a senior Springfield native who missed most of last season with a torn ACL.

That injury may have played a part in the recruiting process, as he's yet to receive a scholarship offer. Brown writes:

“The injury did make some schools back off, but it feels good,” Robinson said. “They said it won't completely heal for one-and-a-half or two years, but it doesn't hinder me in any way. I'm actually faster now because having the injury made me work out more.”

Robinson said Connecticut and New Hampshire are the schools that have shown the most interest. He has attended a junior day at each school.

“I've also talked to coach [Sean] Devine from BC,” Robinson said. “Stony Brook, UMass, Villanova and Old Dominion are some of the other schools that have contacted my coach. Plus I've talked to Dartmouth.”

Robinson, a senior, repeated his junior year last year. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he's been told he could play either running back or linebacker at the college level.

“I see myself as a defensive player first,” he said. “I like to hit people.”

Robinson has several teammates who have already committed to Division I schools. That group includes wide receiver Canaan Severin (Virginia), linebacker Steven Daniels (Boston College) and linebacker Corey Majors (Villanova).

“That's how I know I'm a Division I player -- because I line up beside these guys every day,” Robinson said. “I'm just waiting so see how things unfold and which school is the right fit for me not only athletically, but academically.

“At first it was hard not to think that the injury would hurt in terms of recruiting, but my coach told me not to worry about anything. He said things will come, and once it comes it'll all come.”

Wrapping up on his weekend notes this morning, ESPN's Roger Brown checks in with two New England prospects on the Division 1 radar, Xavier (Conn.) junior quarterback Tim Boyle and Everett senior running back/linebacker Vondell Langston.

Boyle, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior, told Brown he expects to return from a shoulder injury in time to play in Xavier's game against Hillhouse on Oct. 28.

“I don't want this to happen again, so I want to make sure it's 100 percent before I come back,” Boyle told Brown.

Boyle has offers from Boston College and Syracuse. He said UConn, Temple and Rutgers are showing strong interest, and that he receives mail regularly from Duke, Florida, Miami, Stanford and Wisconsin. He has missed four games since being injured in Xavier's opener against Notre-Dame West Haven.

Langston, meanwhile, enjoyed a career day for the No. 1 Crimson Tide in their 42-21 win over Xaverian, running for a career-high 203 yards and two scores on 15 carries. He's drawn mild interest from UConn and Syracuse, but said UMass -- which is moving to the MAC in 2012 -- is the only school pursuing him at this point.

ESPN's Roger Brown checks in today on his recruiting blog with Avon Old Farms (Conn.) junior wide receiver John Van Allen, who has used the late start to the prep school season to catch up on recruiting.

Avon opens the 2011 season this weekend, which has left the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder enough time to attend two UConn games. Neither the Huskies nor Boston College have come forward with a scholarship offer yet, but they are two schools high on his list. He attended camps at both schools this summer.

Brown writes:

"My coach [Kevin Driscoll] keeps me updated on anything related to recruiting," Van Allen said. "He said UConn is pretty interested in me. Boston College as well.

"Syracuse, UCLA, Nebraska, Vanderbilt and Stanford are the other schools I've heard from. I'm kind of indecisive right now about where I'd like to go and what I'd like to study. It's a little early."

Van Allen, one of at least a handful of Division I recruits on the Avon Old Farms roster, said he's been told he could play either wide receiver or safety at the college level. He's said he has no preference, but added that wide receiver is his best position at this point in his career.

"I have pretty good speed and my height helps me go get the ball," he said. "The position doesn't matter to me. I feel I can play on both sides of the ball."

Van Allen is planning to attend a Boston College game this fall, and is trying to fit another trip to Connecticut into his schedule.

"I feel confident that I'll be getting some offers soon, because I'm confident I can play at the Division I level," Van Allen said.

For more recruiting updates on New England's top high school football talent, be sure to check out Brown's ESPN blog.

ESPN's Roger Brown passes along that Worcester Academy athlete Canaan Severin will be announcing his decision at 12:45 p.m. today, between his final five of Boston College, UConn, Penn State, Virginia and Iowa.

Severin trimmed the list to five late last June, and gave Brown a rundown on each school.

Check back with us later today.

Try as he might to ignore it, Sunday ought to be one of those full-circle kind of days for Dartmouth's own Jordan Todman.

A decade ago, he was staring down a life of trouble as a middle-schooler in his native New Bedford. But after moving in with one of his close friends in neighboring Dartmouth, he righted the ship and endured one of the most decorated football careers the South Coast has seen in sometime, leading the Indians to the 2007 Division 1 Super Bowl and graduating as the state's second all-time leading rusher (behind another New Bedford native, Jo Jo Goodine).

In spite of this, Todman was overlooked by many Division 1 colleges for his undersized frame, until late in his high school career. He ended up proving all the doubters wrong in a terrific career at UConn, rushing for 1,000 yards twice and being named Big East Offensive Player of the Year last season. After the Fiesta Bowl loss last January, he declared for the NFL Draft.

Is the motivation in place again? Todman fell to the sixth round to the San Diego Chargers in last April's draft, and will be battling it out with Mike Tolbert, Ryan Mathews and Jacob Hester for playing time in the backfield. The Chargers visit the Patriots this Sunday, and either way there's sure to be a few cheers when Todman takes the field.

Following practice yesterday, Todman talked with ESPNBoston.com from across the country to talk about his journey to the NFL.

Q: Going back to your days growing up in New Bedford, what attracted you to football? What players did you look up to?
A: "I started playing football like any other kid, naturally in the backyard, that type of thing. I play a lot down at the Boys and Girls Club, and from the age of eight on I started playing for the New Bedford Bears [in Pop Warner]. I instantly fell in love with it. When you do something a lot and it's all you think about, it's easy to love it. Since I was seven years old, playing football was my life, and the NFL was my dream.

"Growing up, playing for the Bears, you started to look up to the Bears, and I wanted to be like a Walter Payton type of player. But obviously, I didn't get to see that much of him growing up, so when I first started out I was a big fan of Terrell Davis. As I got older, Reggie Bush was definitely my idol, watching what he did at USC."

Q: You were part of a pretty talented group at Dartmouth, along with Artie Lynch (Georgia), Sean Sylvia (Boston College), Justin Mello (UNH) and Justin Cruz. Looking back on those days, what do you remember most about playing with those guys?
A: "Playing with them, we knew we were good athletes, but at the high school level of competition, we didn't know if we'd all go on to be as successful at the college level. I think we're all lucky to have that success. With them, it was more of building relationships that I didn't have...I mean, I had them, but this was more so just building community, camaraderie, friendships. Justin's my brother [the Cruz family maintained legal guardianship of Todman during his time at Dartmouth], so I still talk to him a lot. Sean and Artie, I talk to them a fairly good amount, but they're both always at practice, and the time difference out in California with the three-hour time difference makes it difficult."

Q: Last time you were at Gillette, you were in one of the more epic high school games to be played at the stadium. It was you versus Everett running back Isaac Johnson in the Division 1 Super Bowl, and you guys fell in overtime. What feelings come up when you think back to that? Do you still regret losing?
A: "I've been in the film room this week watching film against the Pats from past games at Gillette Stadium, watching it alone it brings back memories. I'm in the meeting room thinking, 'Wow, back at Gillette I scored three touchdowns, so I've got a little bit of bragging rights (laughs). But we're at the NFL level now, so if I go there and do pretty well, I'll be happy.

"Any time you lose a game, you're not excited about it. I went all out in my last high school game, and to lose like that was tough. But you win some, you lose some. It's part of the game, you've got to move on."

Q: You were in a unique situation in high school. You encountered some trouble in middle school in New Bedford, and stayed with the Cruz family in Dartmouth throughout high school, renewing legal custody every 90 days. What kind of influence did they have on you?
A: It was an amazing influence. They gave me a lot of structure, staying with them, making sure I was focused in school, keeping my head on straight. They gave me a chance to have a fresh start."

Q: What kind of life lessons from coach Rick White do you still carry with you?
A: "Me and Coach White have a great relationship. We still talk to this day, I'll text him any time of the day with any questions. He's been huge, so that’s a tough question...it's more so he was a great coach that pushed me, and expected me to push myself at all times. The things I'd done last year that I'm doing here now, there'll be be a play that I'd run, I'll go out there and remember him telling me 'Do it like this', to this day, you know, 'Do it like this'. It's more so the memories. We just had a great relationship, we could talk about anything."

Q: Cooler moment for you last year -- playing in The Big House or in a New Year's bowl game?
A: I'd say the New Year's bowl. Playing in the Fiesta bowl great accomplishment for us and for the University of Connecticut. Play in a football game against a great team like Oklahoma on a high stage, it was huge, something you don't get to do every day. They put us on that pedestal to compete and show what we can do against that competition."

Q: Take us through draft day. How nervous were you watching the ticker? What was your reaction when your name was called?
A: "Not so much nervous, but I was anxious. I had a lot of things going through my mind. You try not to let it get to you, but it definitely gets to you. It's one of those feelings where you can't really explain how you feel about it until you're in the situation. Waiting for your name to be called, you never know what it feels like until you're there. It's tough.

"Then once you get called, you're excited, you forget about everything, how long it took, all of the stress waiting for it. It's a huge weight off your back, you take a deep breath and you're like, 'I made it'. Not too many people achieve their dream of going pro and being successful, so it was outstanding."

Q: Not having contact with coaches in the offseason during the lockout, how did you prepare yourself?
A: I came out to San Diego probably a month or so early, to get in a few workouts with Philip Rivers and the rest of the guys, going over the playbook and protection, trying to give ourselves an advantage. As far as regular training, not knowing when the lockout's going to end kind of put us in a weird situation, because it's something where you have a lot of time on your hands, but you've got to focus and you want to maximize the time, but without knowing when you'd be needed. It was tough, but I stayed focused. But even more than that, I couldn’t wait for the lockout to end.

"You really can't prepare self [for contact], you know what it's like that first day of contact after you haven’t been tackled in months. You put in that mouthpiece and go full speed. You get a headache after that first hit definitely, but after that you right back at it play after play. The next day, you practice, you go out and do the same thing."

Q: What's the most difficult part transitioning to the NFL?
A: Attention to detail. Every inch matters, and it can change a game in the NFL. The stuff at the college level that you get away with and still be successful, in the NFL it doesn't work. When you're playing the best of the best, there's no room for mistakes."

Q: You're with two other Massachusetts guys, Stephen Cooper (Wareham) and Jacques Cesaire (Gardner), have you found anything in common?
A: "Coming in, I heard a lot about Coop. Being from Wareham, that's close to hometown, and we know a lot of the same people and some of the same friends, and coming to San Diego I knew nobody. Coop greeted me with open arms. He's shown me the ropes and given me a lot of lessons. He's helped me out with my moving situation, I hang out with him, he's shown me around san diego, and now I feel like I'm home. It was a head start getting to know one of my teammates for a while. He's been a successful player in the league for a long time. If I'm able to do what he did for as long as has, then that’s a huge success for me. With him, it's about picking his brain.

"Jacques is another guy that's been here a long time. He's got a lot of wisdom. He knows a lot about the system and the people around here. He references things back home he had back there that they don’t have here. Our Boston accent gets picked on a little. We talk about how many people we have out for the Patriots game. We have a lot in common, being from Massachusetts."

Q: What are you going to do when you get back out here?
A: "If I have time on my hands, I'd love to go home. It would be cool stop in and see my grandmother and both families. I'm not staying too far from home, so there's a good chance I'll be able to go to Dartmouth and spend some time with family."

Q: What do you expect that first walk back into Gillette to be like?
A: "Another game. Yeah, I'm playing in front of my hometown, but it's another football game, no matter who's playing and and who we're playing against, it's another football game. There's really no other feeling. It's cool to have family and close friends there to support, I'm happy and grateful to have them. But it doesn't change much, it's just another football game."