Antwan Peek, a former football, basketball and baseball star at Woodward High School, is turning some heads at the University of Cincinnati — and not just the heads of opposing offensive tackles as they watch him go flying by.

        He's already captured the attention of the offensive linemen and running backs at Indiana, whose job it is to block him this Saturday (2 p.m. kickoff) in Bloomington.

UC at INDIANA

• Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday   • Where: Memorial Stadium (52,354), Bloomington, Ind.   • Records: UC 2-1, IU 0-2   • TV: None   • Radio: WCKY-AM (1360)

        Peek is making believers of his own coaches, opposing coaches and the pro scouts (Peek is only a sophomore), who are paid to notice and project such talent into the future.

        Peek had three sacks for 22-yard losses in the near-upset of Wisconsin 28-25. The Badgers couldn't block him on passing plays. UC's offensive tackles are familiar with the feeling. They can't block him in practice, either. A fake-and-burst and he's by them.

        To the delight of his coaches, Peek has no use for looking into the future. If offered a chance to look into a crystal ball for two or four or six years down the road, Peek would turn it down.

        “Some things you don't want to know,” Peek said. “If I saw something in the future, it might make me slack off now. I want to keep working at it.”

        UC coach Rick Minter knows what he has in Peek. Years ago, Minter had Brad Jackson, who also had speed, and quickness and athletic ability — and the frame to add pounds. He blossomed into prominence, and is now a linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens.

        “Down the road, (Peek) could be electricity in a bottle, and he's getting there,” Minter said. “I'm not looking years ahead. But just think of what this guy can do before he leaves here, just on growth, maturity, understanding and teachability.”

        Peek played wide receiver at Woodward.

        But, from the beginning, UC coaches had different ideas for him. They knew that with Peek's speed, big-bone structure and fast hands that he might make a terrific linebacker or defensive end someday.

        He played in eight games on special teams (five tackles, and recovered two fumbles) as a freshman, but was injured in UC's opener vs. Kent last year (shoulder surgery) and was red-shirted.

        “I tried to make a defensive end out of him in 1998, but it wasn't going to work — he wasn't ready for it,” Minter said. “But look at him now. And he's going into what is really only his fourth game as a major-college football player.”

        Peek is the kind of player who can run down backs from behind ala Jackson.

        “Antwan is faster than all get-out,” Minter said. “He's not a sprinter, but he's a 4.6-type guy (in the 40) and that's pretty darn fast. He's faster than anybody on our defense except for our corner backs.”

        Peek said he doesn't dwell on individual performance.

        “Great players play hard on every play,” he said. “Someday, I want to be a great player, so I try to practice and play in the game with a great-player mentality.”

        Against Wisconsin, his end-play was stunning. Just before halftime, with UC leading 13-10, Badger quarterback Brook Bollinger dropped back to pass on 2nd-and-10 and Peek sacked him for a 13-yard loss that took Wisconsin out of field-goal range.

        Peek picked up where he left off at the start of the second half, sacking Bollinger on 2nd-and-10 and causing a fumble. Early in the fourth quarter, he sacked Bollinger again on 3rd-and-9.

        Peek said he feels at home at defensive end.

        “It's a lot of fun, because you don't have to worry about a lot of crack-back blocks like you do at linebacker,” he said. “The crack-back is still in the back of my mind, but I'm trying to come off the line hard. I love it — I love hitting the quarterback.”

        Minter said Peek is “just learning, getting better every week and is still a little reckless.”

        “But many times that recklessness is what he needs to be successful,” Minter said. “We haven't even seen the best of this young man yet.”

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