Tyril Green is what you'd call a late bloomer, but oh how he's blossomed.

At 6-5, 280 pounds, Green has always had the physical attributes to be a force on the football field, but football wasn't the sport he wanted to play. He wanted to play basketball, and he wanted to play it badly.

Unfortunately it wasn't to be, and when head Eisenhower basketball coach Bruce Harrington told him he was better suited to play football, he reluctantly took his advice and went out for the football team.

"We got Tyril a little late," said Ike head coach Boone Copeland. "He didn't come out until he was a sophomore. He didn't go through spring or summer so he didn't really become involved with Eisenhower football until the fall of his sophomore year.

"He really didn't play much as a sophomore, maybe a game or two (jayvee games). But he really started to work hard in the weight room. Bless his heart, when we first got him it made you hurt to watch him run because he kind of ran on his heels and was a little be awkward. Last spring he worked hard on his speed and foot-work. When it came time time to get get the players' 40 (-yard) times we timed him at 5.2, which is pretty pretty good for a man of his stature."

Green, who was dressed in a tuxedo all day Wednesday trying to garner votes to be this season's Homecoming king, admits he is less than thrilled when it comes to working in the weight room, but he realizes it's necessity.

"At one point a lot of my weight was just fat," said the soft-spoken junior guard. "But I knew I had to turn that fat into muscle if I wanted to compete at this level. But getting in playing shape wasn't the hardest part for me at first. Learning the different blocking schemes, where I was supposed to be, that was the hardest part for me. Since I started playing football so late I had a lot of catching up to do. There were many nights when I'd stay late and go over plays with the coaches trying to learn as much as I could."

Fortunately for Green studying comes easy. It comes easy because the guy is just plain smart. Urged by his mother (Kimberly), Green has been taking advance placement course since seventh grade.

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