Getting a Laugh in the Line of Duty : Cal Lutheran’s Offensive Tackle Breck Keeps Teammates Loose

Dave Breck is on the Cal Lutheran practice field in 90-degree heat.

The straps on Breck’s shoulder pads are chafing his underarms. His hand, which was cut the third day of practice, hasn’t healed because the scab gets ripped off every time the Kingsmen scrimmage.

He’s hot. He’s hurting. He’s hilarious.

Breck, a starting offensive tackle, is breaking up his teammates during stretching exercises.

“Hey, Woodbridge, you look like a chipmunk with those cheeks. You could pass for Benny Hill.”

“You must think that’s funny, Delbridge -- you’re belly’s jiggling like jelly. Yaba daba doo , Fred. Where’s Wilma?”

OK, so Eddie Murphy he’s not. But within the punishing world of college football, some light banter during stretching exercises is as welcome as a cool breeze.

“Dave is the attorney/comic of the offensive line,” said Pete Alamar, CLC’s assistant coach. “Without him to keep us loose, we’d have gone crazy in this heat.”

Breck, a 6-3, 250-pound junior, is more than the Kingsmen court jester. “When there are disagreements among the linemen on blocking assignments,” Alamar explained, “Dave sorts things out. That’s why I call him ‘the attorney.’ ”

Breck, 23, has assumed a leadership role on a maligned Kingsmen offensive line. Although he is in his first season at CLC, Breck is the elder statesman of the linemen and has a history of playing for winning teams.

When Pierce won the Southern California Conference title in 1984 and was ranked the No. 1 junior college team in the nation much of the season, Breck was the team’s right tackle. In 1983, Breck’s freshman year, Pierce was 9-2. And in his senior year at Carpinteria High, the Warriors were 11-2 and made it to the Southern Section 1-A final.

All the talk of the line being the weak link of the Kingsmen offense is no joke to Breck, who was all-conference at Pierce last season.

“The line at Pierce was proud,” he said. “I’m not used to hanging my head. We just need to pull together, and we’ll be good.”

CLC didn’t keep statistics on sacks last season, preferring to count them as rushing attempts. Those numbered 120 but totaled a minus 102 yards.

Said Kingsmen Coach Bob Shoup: “The line was a constant headache last year. We have focused on the problem, and I believe there will be improvement.

“Dave Breck is a welcome addition. He had a good spring and is being counted on for leadership as well as solid line play.”

Alamar is amazed at Breck’s ability to take things lightly when he is depended on so heavily.

“He went into the spring thinking he’d have a year to ease into the lineup,” Alamar said. “But with injuries and transfers, he had to step right in.”

It was expected that Tim McClelland, who started last year, would return. But McClelland became a firefighter instead. And Steve James, a 6-3, 255-pound junior from Temple City, was expected to replace McClelland. James has a severely inflamed disc in his back and is out indefinitely.

Alamar told Breck in the spring that he’d probably start and to redistribute some weight from his belly to his upper body.

“I had to work out in the weight room and run a lot,” Breck said, “because I couldn’t stop eating.”

Cutting down from five eggs to four in the morning is a Breck fast, he said.

He isn’t one to worry over the pressure of starting. Breck’s main concern is for the line to be respected.

“It has been hard to erase the attitude of the line having problems,” he said. “When the line breaks down in practice, guys say, ‘Here we go again.’ I want that to cease.”

The biggest obstacle for Breck so far has been learning the Kingsmen offense.

“For me to step right in and pick up a new offense has been a challenge,” Breck said. “Developing friendships has been easier. It’s important that the guys on the line know each other and communicate well.”

Emerging as the team cutup has been a successful way to develop relationships and improve morale. Breck has seen something as simple as a nickname build team enthusiasm.

At Pierce, the linemen called themselves CHUD, which stood for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers. They got the name from an obscure movie, and it served as a unifying device.

“We don’t have a nickname yet at Cal Lutheran,” Breck said, laughing. “But I’m working on it.”

Notes

Cal Lutheran’s annual purple and gold scrimmage was held Saturday. Coach Bob Shoup said he was pleased with the performance of quarterbacks Tom Bonds and Mike Sanders. Bonds, the team’s starter, audibled frequently and ran a crisp offense. Three completions to wide receiver Greg Harris were especially impressive. Sanders, a freshman from Venice High, was sacked several times but completed long passes to juniors Eddie Gran and Troy Davis . . . Shoup is worried about a lack of depth, and a recent rash of injuries has intensified his concern. Twelve Kingsmen are hurt, including starting wide receiver Joe Fuca (knee), tackle Steve James (back) and running back Robert Marti.Kicker Kent Sullivan pulled a calf muscle Saturday attempting to throw a pass following a muffed punt snap. The Kingsmen’s two best defensive players, linebackers Earl Bentancourt and Chris Heintz, missed the scrimmage with minor injuries but are expected to return when CLC opens its season Saturday at Sonoma State.