At 6-8, 315 pounds, UR's Pat Kliebert no longer resembles 'baby giraffe'
By JOHN O'CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch|23 hours ago
Coaches describe players in standard ways, for the most part. And then there's Jay Roth, the longtime coach at Archbishop Rummel High School in the New Orleans area.
When Pat Kliebert joined Archbishop Rummel's program, Roth compared Kliebert to "a baby giraffe just born." Several years later, Kliebert finds no fault with Roth's characterization.
"I had grown too fast for my own good," said Kliebert (CLEE-burt), a 6-foot-8, 315-pound redshirt junior offensive tackle at the University of Richmond.
On Kliebert's 14th birthday, he was 6-feet tall. On his 15th birthday, he was 6-6.
Football was the only sport that interested Kliebert as a child. His weight exceeded the limitations for his age groups. Competing a class or two above his age level brought the risk of serious injury. Kliebert, who wears size 16 shoes, didn't play football until eighth grade.
When he arrived at Archbishop Rummel, Kliebert was unable to perform many of the football training exercises.
"But he worked at it," Roth said. "He never gave up."
Kliebert became a starter at Archbishop Rummel as a junior. By the time Kliebert reached his senior year, his size and developmental progress intrigued several college programs.
Roth said he told recruiters, "you don't find 6-8 tackles very often. He's not going to play right away. But if you take a chance on this guy, when he grows into that body, who knows what you're going to have?"
Richmond offered the best combination of academics and football among schools that were interested, according to Kliebert. He majors in business administration with a concentration in marketing and management.
Kliebert was assigned to the scout team as a true freshman, and recalls trying to block Kerry Wynn, who was a redshirt senior that year and now plays on the New York Giants' defensive line. Though he's 6-8, Kliebert remembers thinking, "I'm in over my head" trying to play Division I football.
"If you looked at the tape from my freshman year to now, not the same person," said Kliebert, who's in his first season as a starter. "I move a lot better now. My body's completely changed. I'm down 30 pounds from where I was freshman year, and it's also a lot better weight that I have on me."
The Spiders (2-0) ranked No. 2 in the FCS, begin their CAA season Saturday at Stony Brook (1-1) without starting tailback Gordon Collins, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during last weekend's win over Norfolk State. Collins' absence reduces backfield options and increases responsibility of the offensive line.
"He had a great spring, a great camp, and we were really looking forward to blocking for him," Kliebert said of Collins. "But these other guys are good, too."
Redshirt freshmen Deontez Thompson and Jay Palmer, true freshman Xavier Goodall (Henrico High), and 6-4, 230-pound backup quarterback David Broadus will share the ball-carrying load.
"We're going to find ways to run the ball," said UR coach Danny Rocco. "We've got our schemes and we're going to stay true to who we are."
By JOHN O'CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch|23 hours ago
Coaches describe players in standard ways, for the most part. And then there's Jay Roth, the longtime coach at Archbishop Rummel High School in the New Orleans area.
When Pat Kliebert joined Archbishop Rummel's program, Roth compared Kliebert to "a baby giraffe just born." Several years later, Kliebert finds no fault with Roth's characterization.
"I had grown too fast for my own good," said Kliebert (CLEE-burt), a 6-foot-8, 315-pound redshirt junior offensive tackle at the University of Richmond.
On Kliebert's 14th birthday, he was 6-feet tall. On his 15th birthday, he was 6-6.
Football was the only sport that interested Kliebert as a child. His weight exceeded the limitations for his age groups. Competing a class or two above his age level brought the risk of serious injury. Kliebert, who wears size 16 shoes, didn't play football until eighth grade.
When he arrived at Archbishop Rummel, Kliebert was unable to perform many of the football training exercises.
"But he worked at it," Roth said. "He never gave up."
Kliebert became a starter at Archbishop Rummel as a junior. By the time Kliebert reached his senior year, his size and developmental progress intrigued several college programs.
Roth said he told recruiters, "you don't find 6-8 tackles very often. He's not going to play right away. But if you take a chance on this guy, when he grows into that body, who knows what you're going to have?"
Richmond offered the best combination of academics and football among schools that were interested, according to Kliebert. He majors in business administration with a concentration in marketing and management.
Kliebert was assigned to the scout team as a true freshman, and recalls trying to block Kerry Wynn, who was a redshirt senior that year and now plays on the New York Giants' defensive line. Though he's 6-8, Kliebert remembers thinking, "I'm in over my head" trying to play Division I football.
"If you looked at the tape from my freshman year to now, not the same person," said Kliebert, who's in his first season as a starter. "I move a lot better now. My body's completely changed. I'm down 30 pounds from where I was freshman year, and it's also a lot better weight that I have on me."
The Spiders (2-0) ranked No. 2 in the FCS, begin their CAA season Saturday at Stony Brook (1-1) without starting tailback Gordon Collins, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during last weekend's win over Norfolk State. Collins' absence reduces backfield options and increases responsibility of the offensive line.
"He had a great spring, a great camp, and we were really looking forward to blocking for him," Kliebert said of Collins. "But these other guys are good, too."
Redshirt freshmen Deontez Thompson and Jay Palmer, true freshman Xavier Goodall (Henrico High), and 6-4, 230-pound backup quarterback David Broadus will share the ball-carrying load.
"We're going to find ways to run the ball," said UR coach Danny Rocco. "We've got our schemes and we're going to stay true to who we are."
