Mason Cholewa, Montour

DATA

Year: Senior

Height: 6-7

Weight: 270

Pos: OT-DL

THE SCOOP

First, the name. It is pronounced Cha-LEE-wa. He moved from Buffalo in third grade, and you could call Cholewa a late bloomer. Nicknamed “Chile,” he was not a starter at the beginning of last season, but eventually worked his way into a starting role and became a defensive player recruited by major colleges. He has added about 40 pounds since last season and will be a two-way starter this season.

COLLEGE TALK

Cholewa made a verbal commitment to Central Florida a few weeks ago. He had 15 scholarship offers from FBS and FCS schools, but Central Florida, Temple and Toledo were his final choices. He was recruited to play defense.

OUR QUESTIONS, HIS ANSWERS

You did not make first-team all-conference last year. Do you have anything to prove this year? A lot. I want to just show a lot of people were wrong. I think there are a lot of people who don’t believe in me because I didn’t start the first few games.

You don’t make all-conference and don’t start the whole year, but yet have Division I college offers. A critic might want you to explain that? It’s just how it works. I think you have to have the work ethic, you have to go to college camps, get your name out there, send your highlight tape to everyone. That’s what I did. Then Syraucse invited me down for a “junior day” and offered. Then other schools started emailing me and a few days later Temple offered. That’s when a lot of schools started coming.

It helps to be 6-7, too, doesn’t it? Yes, that plays a role [laugh]. It’s ‘the look.’

A few top high school linemen in the area lost weight. You gained weight. Why? Because all the [college] offensive tackles weigh 300 pounds. It’s pretty hard to move them when you’re 230.

Are you stronger, too? Last year I could barely bench press 235. Now, I’m benching 315.

You’re 6-7 and never played basketball? No, but I used to wrestle in seventh, eighth and ninth grade. Then the wrestling coach wanted me to drop, like, 30 pounds and I said, ‘I can’t do that. I’m trying to gain weight.’ That’s when I picked football over wrestling.

People might be surprised to know …  I’m actually praying a lot more. I know it’s weird, but every time I go out there now for one-on-one drills, I just say, ‘God, help me out.’ It works.

AND FINALLY

If Michael Phelps played high school football, would he be any good? He’s an athlete. He’s a hard worker. He’s like Tim Tebow. Tebow wants to play baseball now and I promise you he’s working every day at it and will be good at it because he’s an athlete. I truly believe if Michael Phelps wanted to be a football player, he could be a football player.

First Published: August 19, 2016, 4:00 a.m.