Maryland lax standout returning to football
Will Yeatman’s breezy, Southern California demeanor made him a comfortable fit on the Maryland lacrosse team. But at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Yeatman’s body is best suited for football, the sport he undertakes this fall in College Park.
When Maryland kicked off its preseason camp Tuesday, Yeatman suddenly looked the part. Gone were his flowing lacrosse locks, replaced by a standard-issue football haircut.
“It was something I thought was necessary for this August heat out here,” Yeatman said. “Just decided to clean up the chops a little.”
Yeatman is donning football shoulder pads for the first time in nearly two years. He was a starting tight end at Notre Dame in September 2008 when he was arrested for underage drinking, his second alcohol offense that year. The first resulted in his suspension from the Notre Dame lacrosse team for the 2008 season after an All-America freshman year.
Yeatman played in all 28 games in which he suited up for the Irish, starting six and catching eight passes for 43 yards. In February, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen announced that Yeatman, with a season of football eligibility remaining, would join the Terps. Friedgen originally recruited Yeatman out of Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego.
“I’ve really been looking forward to it. I think it’s been 42 months since I’ve had the pads on,” said Yeatman, inflating his time away from football for emphasis. “The summer workouts and seven-on-seven have gone really well. I fully expect to contribute.”
Yeatman is buried on the depth chart at the “Y” (blocking) tight end position. Don’t expect that to last, however. None of the Terps’ current tight ends warranted attention from Notre Dame.
Friedgen has been cautious in his appraisal of Yeatman but gives him high marks for his athletic ability and soft hands. The offense won’t be difficult to grasp. Friedgen’s pro set is similar to what Charlie Weis ran at Notre Dame.
Maryland’s Sept. 6 opener against Navy will hold special significance for Yeatman. His father played lacrosse at the Naval Academy. His grandfather was a fighter pilot for 20 years after graduating from the academy.
It also will be his first football game in nearly two years.
“Right when I got here, I saw the Maryland football team out at spring practice, and I already missed being out there,” Yeatman said. “Having missed it so much has really rekindled my love of the sport. Being out here, I’ve had so much more fun than I’ve had for a long time. It’s been great. Maybe in that way, being away from the game has helped me.”
