Chorak Primed For Strong Finale UW Defensive Star Spent His Summer Beefing Up
There was no water skiing for Jason Chorak this summer. It was time to deal with his football future in the weight room.
“Usually during the summers I take off and enjoy myself down at the beach,” the Washington Huskies’ defensive terror said. “But I dedicated this summer to building up my strength.”
Back for his senior season for the No. 4 Washington Huskies after giving the NFL more than a passing thought, Chorak is 20 pounds heavier than he was a year ago when he set school records with 14-1/2 sacks and 22 tackles for loss.
He’s also much stronger with personal bests in all his lifts, including 370 pounds in the bench press and 600 pounds in the squat.
Last season, when he was the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, he got by mainly with his speed and quickness. Now he has improved strength to go with that quickness.
“One of the reasons why we’re rated the way we are right now is because Jason decided to come back,” coach Jim Lambright said.
Said Chorak: “I’m a legit 260 right now and I feel real comfortable at that weight. I figured if I stayed another year I would help myself out. I also wanted to try to help this team get to a Rose Bowl.”
Saturday, the much-ballyhooed Huskies, coming off a 9-3 season, open their new year at No. 19 Brigham Young. Washington is a touchdown favorite although the game is in Provo, Utah.
When Washington pinned the only loss on BYU in Seattle last season, Chorak had three of his team’s eight sacks. He thinks he’ll be a much improved player this year.
“I’m looking forward to doing the same,” he said. “I’m turning the corner maybe even a little quicker than I did last year.”
In the Huskies’ defense, Chorak is listed as their strongside linebacker. He’s a combination defensive end-outside linebacker, whose job is to rush the quarterback.
BYU coach LaVell Edwards is not looking forward to trying to stop Chorak this week.
“He’s just very difficult to block,” Edwards said. “He’s relentless. He just doesn’t stop.”
Said Lambright: “Jason has had a real fine fall. He’s bigger and stronger, and I don’t think that in any way has negated his foot speed. He should be able to handle the bigger offensive linemen now when he does get in their grasp.”
Chorak, who played his high school football on Vashon Island near Seattle, plays football with a lot of emotion and enthusiasm. He likes being in the spotlight. When there’s an interview to be granted, he’s Jason on the spot.
He’s dreamed all his life of playing in the NFL. He decided to put that dream on hold for a year. Right now, he’s looking forward to helping Washington get back to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 1992 season.
“This defense has a lot of potential,” he said.