Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, July 28, 2014
Iowa running back Mark Weisman offered an apt description of teammate and future first-round NFL draft pick Brandon Scherff during Monday's Big Ten media day in Chicago.
"He's not just a weight room freak," Weisman said. "He's a football freak."
By now, it's safe to say Big Ten fans have seen last week's viral video, the one featuring Scherff cleaning 443 pounds three times.
"I thought I did a lot," Weisman said, "and he did 100 more pounds than me!"
It shouldn't surprise Weisman, or any of the Hawkeyes. As it's been reported plenty of times, five years ago, Scherff was a 290-pound quarterback preparing for his high school junior season. Yes, a 290-pound high school quarterback. Midway through that season, Scherff shifted to tight end, before ultimately moving to his current position as a senior to prep for his Iowa career.
"I was doing whatever they wanted me to (as a quarterback)," Scherff said. "I threw the ball, second-and-5 QB sneaks, whatever they needed me to do."
He estimated he threw for 1,200 yards in his final season under center. He also said he finished a "couple points" shy of advancing to the Punt, Pass and Kick nationals as a youth.
Basically, whatever Scherff does or wherever he plays, his impressive blend of athleticism and strength helps him stand out.
Check out some of Scherff's personal records in the weight room: 655 pounds (squat), 395 pounds (bench) and 480 pounds (clean).
It was last week's clean, though, that is, and will continue to draw, the most attention.
"He's a monster," Weisman said. "The weight room just paused. Everyone, whatever they were doing, they stopped to cheer him on."
"It was an awesome experience," Scherff said.
All this talk about Scherff's strength provoked one media member to ask him "to play a carnival game" and pick him up over his head and guess his weight. Scherff politely declined.
About Brent Yarina | BTN.com senior editor Brent Yarina covers football and men's basketball for BTN.com. He writes the popular uniform feature "Clothes Call," which also focuses on the latest cosmetic changes across Big Ten arenas and stadiums. Read all of his work here. You can subscribe to Yarina's RSS feed and follow him on Twitter @BTNBrentYarina. |