BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

At 6-6, 326 lbs. Gaffney offensive lineman Denzelle Good stands heads and shoulders above his competition. As a sophomore three years ago, Gaffney's Denzelle Good was the new kid on the block.

Now, the senior is the biggest man standing - literally - on the offensive line.

And he's used his 6-foot-6, 326 pound gigantic frame to create one of the biggest stirs in preseason camp.

"He has really played well," Gaffney coach Phil Strickland said.

Good attributes much of his success to his quickness - not his size.

"The coaches tell me I have good feet to be this big," Good said.

Good credits his father for instructing him to begin a regimen of agility drills, such as jumping rope, to improve his quickness.

However, when it comes to his size, Good points the finger at himself for his healthy appetite.

"I just like to eat," he said. "When I came home from playing sports, I was so hungry. I would eat but it wouldn't satisfy me, so I ate something else."

Lately, Good has added defensive linemen and linebackers to his daily feast of chicken tenders, pizza, bacon, toast and mashed potatoes.

"I have really worked hard during the offseason because I knew I was going to start from the getgo," Good said. "I worked hard to get stronger."

And bigger.

Good grew an inch and packed on 26 lbs. of muscle during the offseason. Despite the added weight, Good trimmed a 1- tenth of a second from his 40-time.

"I'm still growing and that's surprised me," he said. "But my 40 time went down even though I gained weight."

He's also gained some aggression - replacing his laid-back 'tude with a nastier demeanor.

"Coach (Phil) Strickland told me that when I go on the field, I have to get nasty," he said. "So before games I just focus on what to do to have the team win."

Good was introduced to the sport at a young age, accompanying his dad to little league football practice.

"I was 3 or 4 years old and I didn't understand it but I liked it," he said.

Good played running back as a member of the little league Green Hornets but quickly grew out of the position when he was moved to the defensive line in middle school.

After a stint on the ninth-grade team, Good made the jump as a sophomore to the varsity, where he made the difficult transition to the offensive line.

"I was worried about the competition," he said. "They moved me out of my element. I was used to the defensive line, but I picked it up quick."

So quick, in fact, that he earned a starting nod at right tackle before losing his spot after a bout with asthma midway through the season.

Good had a productive junior season, earning honorable mention all-region and scholarship offers from the likes of N.C. State. Good verbally committed to the Wolfpack this summer.

"When I went up to N.C. State, I felt real comfortable," he said.

Good's focus now, as the only returning starter on the offensive line, is to provide leadership. He wants to do for his inexperienced linemates what the veterans did for him three years ago.

"I've tried to lead them and give them motivation," he said. "The main thing for a good offensive line is to gell. You can't have two people bicker with each other."

DENZELLE GOOD FACT BOX

POSITION: Left Tackle MEASUREMENTS: 6-6, 326 lbs.

WORTHY OF NOTE: Named Honorable Mention all-Region last season. He has verbally committed to N.C. State

BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Good is an avid drawer. His favorite subject is Japanese cartoon figures.