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Show Football letterman Conners is named to Tribune team 'sL . ' t i"' " ' r i-' . -f , j . t ' i ' '' , w I IT- i , I V.'. fj . I v- j Even if he does not make the university's football team, he plans to continue lifting weights in college. Conner began playing football on . the junior varsity team when he was LAireshmM-, Jn .his gophgmorgjear , he split time with the JV and varsity teams, but logged enough varsity time to earn a letter. By the time he was a junior, no one could take his spot as starting center. As a freshman, Conner also wrestled for the now-defunct high school wrestling team. "Wrestling didn't work out. I herniated her-niated a disc early in the season and spent most of the - time at the chiropractor," Conner said. His strength was such that, even though he started at center every game, he also got a chance to play both ways at defensive tackle in the second through fourth quarters. He said defense was more fun, but offense, well, offense was OK. As for success on the football field, he said desire is the most important component, followed by psyche. "Desire is definitely the most important im-portant ingredient for success. If you have the desire, you can work on the size and speed. Look at Errol Tucker. He's not big, but he has the desire and the speed," Conner said. "It's also important to get psyched for a game. In my first three years on the team, I used to get pumped before the game all the time. "But this last year it took a little playing and a few hits before I would be ready, about in the middle of the first quarter," he added. Tucker is the National Collegiate Athletic Association record-setting kickoff and punt return man for the University of Utah. Conner is enjoying his free time now by working out with weights and getting in some skiing one of his favorite pastimes. Next summer, he'll continue on the weights and trade his skis and snow-packed mountains for a bathing suit and a lazy afternoon by the pool. He might as well take it easy while he can. Before he knows it, it will be spring football practice time for the University of Utah. And he may just decide he would like to get centered there. by JIM SMEDLEY Record staff writer Glen Conner likes to be in the middle mid-dle of things on the football field. As a matter of fact, he likes to be right tin the center,, 'jiiY riiThe three-year starter and two-year two-year letterman has made some fine contributions to the Park City High School team and this year his efforts did not go unnoticed. The starting offensive center and part-time defensive tackle was named nam-ed to the second team of the Salt Lake Tribune's All-State Team on defense Dec. 9. His teammate, Bruce Buckner, also made the second team as a specialist for his kickoff and punt-return punt-return abilities. While Buckner 's exploits ex-ploits have been chronicled on these pages, for the most part, Conner's have not. The reason little was heard about Conner was that his job was a quiet one. He would really be noticed only if he made a mistake such as making mak-ing a bad snap to the quarterback or centering the ball over the punter's head. And that did not happen this year, according to head football coach Bob Burns. "I can't think of one bad snap this year and Glen also did a fine job on the long snaps," Burns said. "Glen was a good, dependable kid. He was always at practices and never complained. com-plained. He was the strongest kid on the team. He took weightlifting seriously and it showed. "He worked hard on football, hard in the weightroom and was a good blocker, especially when you consider con-sider that he was generally outweighed by 20 to 40 pounds," Burns added. "I'm a big eater, or at least so say my parents," Conner said. "But we can't seem to get too big up here. Must be the air." Next year Conner will be breathing the air of giants when he attends the University of Utah. He said he is looking forward to graduation gradua-tion next June and will pursue courses that will lead him to the profession pro-fession of psychiatry. He said he plans to commute the first year, and before he can reside in the valley, he said he has to learn No bad snaps: Miners' offensive center Glen Conner. Con-ner. one vital chore how to cook, since eggs and toast are the only items in his culinary repertoire. Trying out for the university's team might be in his plans, but he said he might have to gain some weight since he weighs only 175 pounds now. In 1985, the University of Utah's starting offensive line averaged 256 pounds, so to be competitive, com-petitive, Conner will have to grow a bit. However, if strength alone could get him on the roster, he might have a shot. He currently bench-presses 290 pounds, hip sleds 460 and can squat 315. Not bad for a little guy. As much time as Conner has spent thinking and playing football in the past four years, he has spent even more time pumping iron. He not only has a weight training class every day, he stays after school to work out four or five times a week with fellow senior Nate Smith. "I've been lifting a lot lately. I'm working on the school records. Right now I'm only 10 pounds away from tying the record in the bench press," Conner said. "In my freshman year I set some records, only to have Buck (Buckner) come along in his freshman year and break mine." |
