Posted by bambi2godzilla on 3/1/2008, 11:35 am
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Pack football: Top recruit Easter rejoins Nevada
DAN HINXMAN
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
3/1/2008
It didn't take long for Joe Easter to realize that he really did want to play football at Nevada.
One of the most heralded recruits in the 2007 class, Easter, a linebacker from St. John Bosco High in Los Angeles, left the team just a few days into fall camp last year.
He was back at practice Friday at Wolf Pack Park as the team began spring practice.
Nevada coach Chris Ault compared Easter's situation to that of Vai Taua, the running back who quit during the season last year, had second thoughts a week or so later, and was reinstated.
"(Easter) called us about three weeks after he left," Ault said. "Hey, guys make mistakes. I just said, 'You dingbat, get your butt in here and let's go.'"
Easter said he left the team to take care of some family issues.
"I figured I had to attend to my family because that's what's most important," the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Easter said, adding that he didn't want to go into detail. "(The phone call) went pretty well. I called because I wanted to come back. It was a loyalty thing to me because I committed here, so why not finish here?"
Easter, who was both a running back and linebacker in high school, was arguably the top recruit of the 2007 class. He had given Washington State a soft verbal, but chose to sign with the Wolf Pack instead.
"He will either be a starting linebacker or running back next year," Ault said at signing day a year ago. "He is as good as any player that we have brought in since I've come back.
"You guys all know what we thought of Josh Mauga. This guy is in Josh Mauga's category on both sides of the ball."
Asked if he thought Easter might start this year, Ault was non-committal, adding that Easter has been out of football for more than a year now, save the few days he was in camp last summer. He will play inside linebacker and likely play behind Mauga, the senior from Fallon.
Easter is listed as having grayshirted last season and has five seasons to play four.
"I think I have a chance to play," Easter said. "There's a lot of seniors to learn from (inside linebackers Jerome Johnson and Kevin Porter are both seniors).
"I hope for a starting position, but if not I'll just wait my turn."
Easter said he is eager to bring his "passion for the game" to the field.
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