By Ed Piper
Donning a helmet for the first time in the preseason, former La Jolla standout receiver Gabe Solis said, "It's completely different with a helmet on," as he participated on the fringes of the Vikings' workout Tuesday afternoon, August 6.
Heading to the University of Chicago as a freshman in a week, the 5'10" slot was getting some running in to prepare for his first test to play for Phil the Phoenix (Chicago's mascot). "I have to run 300 yards and back in under 40 seconds," he said, wearing a cross on a chain around his neck.
"All the receivers have to do that."
The main test will be picking up his game to the rapid pace of college football. "Everything is faster," he acknowledged, nodding his head, reposing on the western sideline at Edwards Stadium, where he starred for Viking coach Tyler Roach the last two years.
"They don't give athletic scholarships," he said of his impending mariculation. "They can't call the financial aid an athletic scholarship. It's academic. I have all my financial aid in order."
"You had a 4.4 GPA at La Jolla, didn't you?" a reporter asked him. "Yeah," he acknowledged, not tooting his own horn.
"I'm going to study Business Economics. I'm not great in science. I'm fine in math. I just have to take the required math, then I can get into math for economics."
"You're going to be Adam Smith," the reporter said, referring to the great defender of capitalism. Gabe smiled. "You can study philosophy of economics and all that."
"Yeah," he said, prepping to run some more.
The sportswriter took a photo of him. "Looks bigger," Solis mumbled, viewing the image of himself in a sleeveless muscle shirt on the LCD screen on the writer's point-and-shoot.
"Well, I got to get some running in," the receiver said, and was off down the sideline.
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