UW football: Gilreath receiving early praise for skills, speed at wide receiver
Mark Clayton was 5-foot-9, 150 pounds and couldn't even bench press 135 pounds when he arrived at the University of Oklahoma in 2000.
Less than five years later, he was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
David Gilreath, who stands a shade under 5-10 and weighs 159 lbs., can recite the details by heart. And if his memory ever lapses, the speedy playmaker for the University of Wisconsin football team can reach into his wallet and pull out an article about Clayton that Gilreath keeps there for inspiration.
"He put in his time in the weight room and film room," Gilreath said of Clayton, who was 5-10, 190 by the time he left Oklahoma, "and he ended up being a first-round pick."
Gilreath is in the midst of his own growth spurt. He's put on six pounds since playing most of last season at 153. And he's shown signs this spring that he's developing into a dependable wide receiver, a position group for the Badgers which is loaded with talented but mostly unproven prospects.
"I want to be a more polished wide receiver," Gilreath said.
Last season was both exhilarating and frustrating for Gilreath, one of six true freshmen to play for the Badgers.
The exhilarating part? Gilreath was named a first-team freshman All-American by both Rivals.com and Scout.com for his work on special teams. He broke a UW single-season record for kickoff returns in a season (967) and in a game (189 vs. Michigan State). He also led the Big Ten and ranked 14th nationally in punt return average at 14.0 yards per return.
The frustrating part? Gilreath wishes he could have accomplished more as a wide receiver. His role there was minimal until injuries to then-seniors Paul Hubbard and Luke Swan forced young players like Gilreath into action sooner than expected.
"When Swan went down abruptly, it was kind of like I was thrown in there and I had to learn quickly and it got to my head," said Gilreath, a Minneapolis native. "I thought I should handle it a little bit better than I did."
Gilreath had his only reception of the season -- it went for 10 yards -- against Illinois, the same game Swan went down with a season-ending hamstring injury. A play in the game at Penn State the following week is the one that still bugs Gilreath to this day.
The Badgers were trailing the Nittany Lions 10-7 and facing a third-and-7 at their own 31 in the second quarter when Gilreath ran a route over the middle of the field. Tyler Donovan's pass was slightly behind Gilreath, but he admits he still should have caught it. Instead, it went through Gilreath's hands and was picked off by Penn State's Tony Sargeant at midfield.
The Nittany Lions scored three plays later and coasted to a 38-7 victory, the Badgers' second consecutive defeat after winning 14 games in a row dating back to the 2006 season.
"I think about that all the time," Gilreath said.
To his credit, Gilreath seems to have grown from the forgettable moment. He's had several memorable moments this spring, including a diving catch last Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium that drew oohs, aahs and applause from the coaches who ended their stay in town for the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association convention by watching the Badgers practice.
Confidence has never been an issue for Gilreath. If there was ever any doubt he could play at this level, it disappeared one fall day in 2005 when he watched Brandon Williams, another big playmaker in a small package, deliver a big-time performance at the Metrodome.
Williams, like Gilreath a wide receiver/returner, had 209 all-purpose yards and a touchdown on 12 touches that day to help the Badgers beat Minnesota 38-34 in a game that forever will be remembered for the Gophers; collapse after a botched punt in the final minute of the game.
Like Clayton, Williams has been a source of inspiration for Gilreath.
"I was there and I saw him running around out there," Gilreath said of Williams, who held the UW record for kickoff return yardage in a season until Gilreath broke it. "I was like, 'I can play this sport, I can play this game.' "
File photo
UW's David Gilreath breaks through the arms of Minnesota's Deon Hightower on his way to more than 200 total return yards during the Nov. 17, 2007, game in Minneapolis.
