FORT COLLINS — A new start can often begin with something as simple as a new haircut.
This year, Colorado State’s Gillmore brothers — Crockett and Austin — tried new looks on for size. First, Crockett went from a moppy hairdo to a close-cropped look. A few months later, older brother Austin went the same route. Austin has since done the mohawk thing and vows to run out of the Sports Authority Field at Mile High tunnel for the Rams’ Sept. 1 season opener against Colorado with that style.
On the field, the Gillmores start anew as well. Both healthy, they can get back to the business of concentrating on football for CSU and less on significant injuries to their bodies.
And for an offense that needs both to be at their best for it to be at its best, that’s good news.
Crockett, a junior considered one of the best tight ends in the Mountain West, played pretty much all of last season with a torn labrum suffered during the first game. He ended the season by suffering a knee injury in the final game, but through it all he still led the Rams in catches (45), receiving yards (468) and receiving touchdowns (four).
“If he’s at 100 percent,” Austin said, “he’s pretty much unstoppable.”
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Crockett gained about 15 pounds after offseason surgery. “I’m feeling fresh and great,” he said. He will be a starter at tight end even though he didn’t participate in spring football because of his injury rehabilitation. First-year CSU coach Jim McElwain has been pleased with what he’s seen from him.
“For not really practicing at all in the spring, I’ve really been happy, especially with his blocking,” McElwain said. “I think he’s taking that to heart and understands for him to be a complete football player that’s something that he has to really work on. And he is; he’s working on it. His footwork is getting better every day.”
Crockett, who started his CSU career at tight end, was moved to defensive end. He was moved back to tight end during spring football in 2011 and might be the best receiver among the Rams, but he said catches aren’t foremost on his mind.
“I think it’s a team game and if we are going to run the ball every play then we’ll run it, and if we want to throw it then we’ll throw it,” he said. “It’s a team game and that’s what we are going to do, whatever it takes.”
Meanwhile, Austin wears a cumbersome brace on each knee after recovering from the third ACL surgery of his football career. He was converted to fullback from linebacker last season before tearing his ACL in the second week, and is now a tight end as well. The Rams’ new coaching staff has scrapped the fullback position entirely and made every player at that position a tight end.
“It’s really a big difference,” Austin said. “It’s a tight end and H-back, and they pretty much co-exist. We can line up in two tight ends and basically what it comes down to is footwork and hand placement with the big guys. There’s no more running down hill and hitting a linebacker or anything like that.”
As for his ability to get the job done on the field, he said he’s not “100 percent, but I’m definitely up there at 95.”
“I have my good days and bad days,” Austin said. “But if I could just stay warmed up throughout practices and get warmed up before I come out here, I’ll have a pretty good day. I’ve kind of looked at it, but the way I see it is if I’m able to play then I’m going to be out here and play. It’s not like I’m losing a limb or anything. There’s a lot of people that don’t have the ability to come out here and play.”
Christopher Dempsey: 303-954-1279, cdempsey@denverpost.com or
