From star scout to first-team DE

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, August 16, 2006

SEATTLE – Daniel Te’o-Nesheim is not big on self reflection. He doesn’t know why coaches think he’s doing well. He’s not sure what it is that makes him a good defensive end. He thinks coaches gave him the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year award last season because “that was just them being nice.”

But Te’o-Nesheim, a redshirt freshman from Kailua, Hawaii, must be doing something right, because coaches have been raving about him since last season. Head coach Tyrone Willingham said Te’o-Nesheim is exactly the kind of player that he wants in the program.

“When Daniel arrived, he arrived with what I thought was a very special work ethic,” Willingham said. “He’s got a high motor. He is always running, always flying around. We need more guys that have that kind of focus and that kind of energy level. That’s the kind of program we’re hoping to build.”

Te’o-Nesheim isn’t going to overwhelm most offensive tackles with his size. He’s 6-foot-4, but just 235 pounds. Still, Te’o-Nesheim says he can get by with his quickness and his tenacity.

“I know I’ll go hard every play, and I hope everybody else will,” Te’o-Nesheim said.

No question about that.

“He goes as hard as he can every play, he doesn’t take any plays off,” defensive line coach Randy Hart said. “You’ve got to block him an entire play because he’s not going to stop until he hears the whistle. That’s the kind of player we need to have.”

Te’o-Nesheim came to Washington with a sense of what it would take to be successful as a Husky. His position coach at Hawaii Prep High School was former UW lineman Bern Brostek.

“He had some wonderful coaching in high school,” Willingham said. “He had a wonderful coach that was very tough, very demanding and expected that level of performance out of his young guys.”

Te’o-Nesheim was a two-time All-Big Island Interscholastic Federation pick, yet he was not a heavily regarded recruit when he got to Washington. But he quickly made a name for himself as coaches consistently pointed out Te’o-Nesheim as a player who was impressive in practice.

“I worked on striking, not letting the offensive lineman push me back,” he said, noting it was difficult redshirting the year and watching as the team struggled. “I usually try to play in the backfield. I thought going against Robin Meadow and Joe Toledo was really good, it helped me a lot.”

Te’o-Nesheim also worked on getting stronger, as he found out quickly that offensive linemen he would be going up against were not only bigger than he was used to, but quicker as well. His strength showed after the football season when he joined the UW track and field team. He placed 14th in the shot put and 16th in the discus at the 2006 Pac-10 Championships and 10th in the discus and 14th in the shot at the 2006 USA Junior National Championships.

Te’o-Nesheim moved to the front of the depth chart during the spring and has done nothing in fall camp to lose it. He’s expected to give Washington a tenacious pass rusher who is also able to help slow down a running game. Willingham said Te’o-Nesheim’s work ethic should ensure that he will continue to improve throughout his career at the UW.

“It’s reflected in everything he does and how he goes about it,” Willingham said. “It’s no different with his academics, he has the same approach there. His community service, same approach. That’s what we’re looking for, we’re looking for that kind of guy in this program.”

“I just want to know the play book a little better and hopefully not mess up if I get the chance,” Te’o-Nesheim said. “I hope I get the mental part down.”