EUGENE -- In April, Oregon running back Royce Freeman crouched underneath a metal grate and waited for the whistle.
On its chirp he shuffled forward, staying low, before driving his hands into a padded bag and the teammate holding it backward. The linemen encircling the drill "oohed" their approval of the star senior who'd taken an interest in their grunt work. Offensive line coach Mario Cristobal quipped to the 238-pound Freeman, "another 100 pounds and you're gonna be a great guard."
Royce Freeman jumping into sled and blocking drills. O-linemen loving it. Cristobal: "Another 100 pounds and you're gonna be a great guard.