Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., defensive tackle Charles Deas, 6-foot-4, 350-pounds had the world in the palm of his hands until academics got the best of him. Deas sat out his senior season in order to get his academics up to par. Deas then committed to LSU and did not qualify.
Deas decided to call Milford Academy head coach Bill Chaplick to see if he had room on the roster for him.
"It was a surprise, the kid called and asked if he could come here and play," Chaplick said. "He got on a bus and rode up here (Pittsburgh) and met us."
Deas didn't miss a step as he battered several ball-carriers during Milford's game against the Robert Morris J.V. squad on Monday.
"It felt good to get back out there again and get after it," Deas said. "I took off my senior year, so it felt good to play again."
Recruiting has been slow, but Deas is anxious to get his name back on the recruiting radar.
"I doubt anyone even knows that I am here," Deas said. "I still hearing from Nebraska and Florida. I took a tour around Pittsburgh yesterday and they said they are interested in me."
Deas informed us that he should be close to qualifying.
"I'm real close," he said. "I should be out of here by the end of the year."