Welcome to the winter before the future of Rod Wilkerson's football career.
It's been tough. They've been the hardest months of his athletic career. Physically, he's never pushed himself so far. Personally, he's adjusted to being a father and helping his wife battle a brain tumor while juggling schoolwork and football.
One of the fastest high school sprinters in Utah history, Wilkerson toils under the nickname "50-50" — a taunting fan label that lampoons his chances of catching footballs. To add to his burden, his coaches at BYU recruited seven new receivers. Right now three of those, plus others, are battling to take away his job during spring football drills.
Rod, you could say, is in a squeeze.
One of these receivers, Grossmont Community College transfer Todd Watkins, has been timed at 4.28 in the 40. Fans are making him out to be the next Terrell Owens. Another transfer, Mike Morris from Mississippi, is also turning heads. One staffer said the two "just go right by people."
BYU is lining up competition to get competition. Wilkerson is caught in the middle in his own version of "The Fast and the Furious," and it's his last-gasp chance to get rubber on the straight-away and succeed.
This is Rod's lot. This is his mission. If he is ever to take football to the next level, or go out of college with some sort of hurrah, these are the months that will write the end of his story and determine his future in the game.
Wilkerson is now 25. He's one of those long-toothed Cougars who sportswriters outside Utah love to paint as giving BYU a great advantage due to age — when BYU is winning. When the Cougars lose, nobody brings it up. Until somebody corrects the record, we'll say Wilkerson is BYU's oldest player, the dean of the lot. He turns 26 on Nov. 17. Three days later, teammate Jason Kukahiko follows. Together, they are the hunted by the new job-seekers. They have no rest this spring.
"This is my last shot," Wilkerson said. A defensive player in high school, he was still trying to nail down the receiver nuances when he injured his knee two years ago. A setback.
"It's always been my dream since I was a kid to go to the NFL," he said. "I haven't had an outstanding year yet. I thought I was coming around as far as knowing what is going on. Now, my back's against the wall. I feel confident, healthy and no worries like I had last year with my wife having that pituitary tumor removed."
For insurance purposes, his wife, Jennifer, works, and both sets of parents help out tending their child.
It's always been hard for Wilkerson to put on weight. He's got a sprinter's metabolism. But his size, strength and speed have never been as good. He's close to 190 now and he's in the best shape of his life.
Wilkerson ran a 10.53 time in the 100 meters at Orem High, and he holds a state record. If he had a few weeks to work on technique, he believes he could now run something in the 10.2s. After spring football, he plans on working out with track coach Leonard Miles to get his 40 time down for NFL scouts who will time seniors in June. "Then, my legs will be fresh and I'll be more capable of reaching my top speed," Wilkerson said.
For months now, Wilkerson has generally killed himself in the weight rooms and in conditioning drills. "There was a time I thought I would drop from exhaustion," he said. "It's been tough working with Jay Omer, but we've tapered off now for practice."
It would be easy for Wilkerson to be bitter that BYU recruited seven receivers last February. But he's not. He just wants the Cougars to win.
"I think it's good," Wilkerson said of the newcomers in the rotation. "The coaches have done a good job recruiting to fill out positions. I feel like with the quarterbacks, our timing is much better than a year ago. There were times last year we'd make our breaks and the quarterbacks still had the ball in their hands — not a good thing. We're on the same page now."
Wilkerson likes Watkins and Morris: "Todd is faster, but Mike is right there. We want to show them what it's like to be at BYU, what the commitment is like. They aren't in junior college anymore. Plus, the competition raises your own effort. Now, when we have injuries, we'll have more people to step up and make plays for us."
At times last year, Wilkerson said, BYU couldn't get into five receiver sets. Before the Stanford game, sophomore Chris Hale suffered an ankle injury which still hasn't fully healed. David Christensen had to quit due to a separated shoulder, and Kukahiko was also injured.
Cougar fans will have to temper expectations of newcomers like Watkins. Reality is somewhere in the middle. Still, Wilkerson said Watkins is going to have awesome speed and a lot of potential. "He does a lot of things you may not see a regular receiver at BYU do," Wilkerson said. "He is more advanced. Morris is another great athlete, and we've supposedly got more talent coming in August."
Wilkerson, in his heart, says: Bring it on.
"Put Todd and I on the outside, he's a legitimate 4.3 and some have said he's run 4.2s. There aren't many corners who can keep up with us, and defenses can't double over with a safety. If they do, they'll have to pick one side or the other because they can't cover both one on one with one guy."
At least that's the ideology in Cougar camp.
Wilkerson said the launcher of the attack — the quarterback — is still up in the air. He's smart enough not to take sides publicly. "I'm glad I'm not coach Crowton making the decision," he said. "They're all working hard and spending extra time."
The junior-college transfer at quarterback, Jason Beck (College of the Canyons), has a learning curve to overcome, Wilkerson said. "But he's right up there. He has a nice touch for the deep ball and all the touch passes, and he will push the other two (Matt Berry and John Beck). Last year we proved we need all the quarterbacks we can get."
So, Wilkerson is on the line. He can see the finish tape in the distance. He knows what he has to do to get there. But will it happen?
One thing he understands is his chances are enhanced if BYU succeeds as a team his senior year.
That's why he believes any receiver who succeeds is a plus — hoping it's him.
"It's tough to say how we'll be," he said. "As far as our workouts, if it equates to wins, we should be really good. We definitely will improve from last year's record. We've changed some things on offense and there will be more changes. We have great potential. We just need to get it done on the field."
Wilkerson tastes it. He's on his final lap. He can see the checkered flag from where he stands this spring.
Deadline aside, the guy wants to win.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com