Tyler Reed

All Conference: 1998, 1999, 2000

                                                    All State: 2000

                                                    All American:  2000

"Just to be a little different," Reed said.

Like this kid really needs something else to set himself apart.

First off, he's 6 feet 5, 295 pounds. Around most of his teammates, he's a monster truck and they're go-carts. Secondly, Reed has grabbed the attention of opponents, scouts and major-college coaches. He is being called one of the best linemen to come through the WPIAL in the 1990s and he already has scholarship offers from Division I schools.

Remember, he's only a junior.

"I hate to say he's the next Bill Fralic," said Joe Butler of Metro Index Scouting. "But put it this way: He's made the same kind of progress that Bill Fralic made at the same age."

Reed plays offensive and defensive tackle for Thomas Jefferson. Bill Cherpak, the Jaguars' coach, knows a thing or two about big-time linemen. He was a standout lineman at Steel Valley and played at Pitt in the mid-1980s. Cherpak calls Reed the best player in the WPIAL, better than any senior.

"He's like a freak," Cherpak said.

Reed isn't one of those big, fat, sloppy linemen. He has the chest of a body builder and oak trees for thighs. He can bench press 375 pounds.

College coaches' tongues are hanging out at the thought of Reed. This summer, Reed attended Michigan State's camp with hundreds of other high school players. The players Michigan State wants to recruit wear an identification band on their right wrist. The rest of the players wear one on their left.

When Reed got to camp, he was given a band for his left wrist. Michigan State caught on, though, and Reed ended up being Player of the Week. Before he left, he had a personal meeting with head coach Nick Saban and was taken on a tour of the campus.

"They said they're going to offer me a scholarship in the fall," Reed said.

College coaches can't make personal contact with a recruit before his senior year ? unless that recruit is on the coach's campus.

After Michigan State, Reed visited Michigan's campus and met with Coach Lloyd Carr. After that, he went to Pitt for a visit.

Cherpak said Michigan already has offered a scholarship through him. Pitt has offered ? in writing.

"He has no idea what's going to happen in the next year. His parents don't, either," Cherpak said. "His mother said to me, 'I know he's bigger than everybody else, but I don't really know if he's that good.' I told his mother that by his senior year, he won't be able to sit in his house and study for 15 minutes straight without a college coach calling."

Cherpak will call on Reed to do plenty this season, his third on the varsity and second as a starter. Besides playing offensive and defensive tackle, Reed also will be used some at fullback.

Reed's future is on the line, but Cherpak isn't sure if Reed is better on offense or defense.

"I can't pick," Cherpak said. "On defense, he comes off the ball so low and hard, he stuns you almost before you're out of your offensive stance. And when he's on defense, you're not going to be able to move him."

Reed said, "I like to pass rush. I actually like defense better than offense."

Reed's father, Gary, played center for the Naval Academy and was a letterman in 1973 and '74.

"His dad pushes him," Cherpak said. "The good thing about Tyler is he works hard. This is only the beginning of how good he's going to be. Every day, he does things better and better. Every day he does things that are more impressive."