Sunday, October 29, 2000
UC gets a peek performance
For the record, he blocked one field goal, deflected another, had two sacks and forced a fumble. Unofficially, he was everywhere.
Take a Peek at Antwan: Rolling off the left side from his new position, defensive end, thanks to a first step lifted from Baryshnikov. Hitting Miami quarterback Mike Bath, over and over, becoming a permanent fixture in Bath's ribs; going Spiderman on the field goal tries, straight up the middle, then leaping very high, too high for someone who is a defensive end.
“Thirty-six and a half inches,” said Peek of his vertical leap.
He used to think he'd be a basketball player. Then a wide receiver at Florida State, then an all-American free safety at the University
of Cincinnati. During those long days of football practice at Woodward High, when on good days 23 kids would show up and on bad days 14 would appear, he thought he'd be a star.
Finally, on Saturday, Antwan Peek was. The UC sophomore had his best game against UC's biggest rival. The Bearcats' 45-15 win, Peek conceded, was every bit as good as Woodward beating Hughes.
“My first rivalry game in college,” Peek said, “and I was ready to go.”
All over the place
This was a day for the playbook, just the way the Bearcats would have drawn it up. Nice weather, record crowd, blowout over a rival. If it never happens again, at least it happened Saturday.
Peek was in the middle of it. He plays defensive end the way a bear plays with trash cans.
“With Antwan, how much of it is telling him to find the guy with the ball and tackle him?” someone wondered.
“A lot,” Minter said. “That would be a knock to (defensive line coach) Keith Willis, who's coaching him every day. But the best thing for Antwan is for teams to run away from him. He'll jump and hurdle somebody, run 'em down. That's all athleticism and speed. When you run right at him, he's got to learn to take a blocker on.”
In the first half alone, Peek: Was assessed a personal foul, for smashing his hand into a Miami lineman's facemask after the whistle; tipped a Miami 36-yard field goal try that fell at the 10-yard line; and blocked the RedHawks chip-shot effort to end the half.
“A morale saver,” Minter called that one. “You didn't want to give (Miami) something to take into the locker room with them.”
Not a bad 30 minutes for someone just learning to play a position. As a freshman, Peek resisted a switch to defensive line, even after blowing past UC's linemen in practice. He felt he owed himself a shot at wide receiver.
“But then I started enjoying the hitting,” he said.
Basketball is next
The result Saturday was a pleasant afternoon of filling Mike Bath's earhole with thump. “(Peek's) one those guys who's finding his niche,” said Minter, who added, “It's fun to see him energize on the field. I can't wait until he's 255 (pounds, up from his current 230) and knows everything.”
That'll be awhile. For now, Peek will walk on the UC basketball team as soon as the football season ends. Saturday night, he had a nice meal with friends. Maybe he “energized” with them, too.
Saturday was Peek's birthday. He turned 21. The world never looked so good. It stretches before him like an open window.
Paul Daugherty welcomes your comments at 768-8454.
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DAUGHERTY: UC gets a peek performance
