Meet Ulumoo Ale, the Huskies' Soon-To-Be Incredibly Shrinking Man
Ulumoo "M.J." Ale stood in the wind whipping through Husky Stadium, a stiff breeze that gave everyone a chill and ruined some of the audio portions of the media interviews taking place, including this one.
The weather had no affect though on Ale, described by one of his new University of Washington football coaches as a "mass of humanity." He's so big, nothing could tip him over.
This offseason, Ale became headline news for the Huskies when he was moved from offensive guard to defensive lineman, making the most radical position switch by anyone on the Husky roster.
Asked if he would try to become the next Vita Vea, Ale responded, "I'm trying to be M.J. Ale."
One thing is certain about that: He's going to become a lot smaller M.J. Ale.
Demonstrating the different approaches of the two most recent UW coaching staffs, one was happy to use this guy as heavy as he could get while the coaches in place now will streamline him.
A year ago, Ale tipped the scales at 368 pounds, which was a big reason the Husky offensive line stood to be the heaviest in program history. The 6-foot-6 sophomore from Fife, Washington, by way of Australia was the second-biggest player in the Pac-12.
Jimmy Lake said he was comfortable with Ale packing that much heft, adding that it was a good weight for his biggest player.
The new staff begs to differ. They want him a lot lighter.
Ale already was 355 pounds when DeBoer and company took over. He's 345 now, headed for 330 by next August.
New defensive-line coach Inoke Breckterfield candidly described Ale as out of shape, even at 23 pounds lighter than his peak weight.
That might be one reason that Ale lost his starting job on offense last season, regained it and lost it once more.
Asked about the role he envisions for Ale, Breckterfield described it this way, "It'll be a big nose, a guy who can hold the point."
Ale was surprised when asked to make the change, but he's fairly agreeable to playing defense, which might be his best avenue to the NFL.
"It's still too early to tell, but I think I have a chance," he said.
Meantime, the big lineman will continue to drop poundage between now and next season. Naturally, it's not easy.
"I'm starving," he said with a smile.
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