Estandia a big target for UNLV quarterback

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2003 | 9:16 a.m.

Greg Estandia knows what you're thinking. He says he hears the question every day.

Why aren't you playing basketball?

A 6-foot-8, 240-pound tight end from Moorpark, Calif., Estandia looks like he could certainly get his share of minutes in the post for Charlie Spoonhour's team. To your question, he has a very simple reply.

"I just love the game," Estandia said. "I just love football more. I've played football since I've been 8 years old and I just love it."

Estandia did play basketball while growing up, too, and earned first team all-Ventura County honors in both sports his senior year at Moorpark High School in the San Fernando Valley near Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. He averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds his senior year and spent much of his youth playing for a North Hollywood traveling basketball team.

"I actually was pretty short then," he said. "I really didn't start growing until my sophomore year of high school. I was 6-foot-1 as a sophomore and grew to 6-6 by my junior year."

Estandia, who played quarterback and outside linebacker his first two years in high school, moved to wide receiver and defensive end after his growth spurt. He played tight end for two years at Moorpark College for Jim Bittner and was regarded as one of the nation's top 125 JC prospects by PrepStar Magazine after catching 22 passes as a sophomore, 10 of them for touchdowns.

Besides being a big target, Estandia also has soft hands and good leaping ability from his hoop days.

"I love the fade route," he said. "Out of those 10 touchdown catches, I'd say about eight of them came on fades. I love it when I get to line up one-on-one with a smaller corner. I split out about half of the time at Moorpark to take advantage of my size."

Estandia will more than likely split time at the tight end position with senior Ryan Clifford, considered the better blocker of the two. However, Estandia has spent a lot of time in the weight room and working on his blocking techiniques to try and become a complete tight end.

"He's done a great job since he's been here," UNLV head coach John Robinson said. "Blocking is something they wanted me to work on real hard," Estandia said. "I've been making that a top priority so I can be an all-around tight end and help the team win. Ryan has helped me a lot. We want this position to be a strong point on this team."

It certainly will be a hard one to overlook, especially when Estandia is on the field.

By finishing in the top five, Phillippi advances to the Strongest Man world championships in Zambia at the end of September. That event will be taped and shown on ESPN.