University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Football
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Washington BIG Man on Campus
October 8, 1998
by Gavin Niemi
"Am I right side up or upside down? Is this real, or am I dreaming?" - Dave Matthews
This quote, a lyric taken from the song "Crush" by the Dave Matthews Band can describe the feelings of several challenging defensive lineman who have dared to impede the progress of Washington offensive tackle Aaron Dalan.
Dalan, a fifth-year senior, is the largest player on the 1998 UW squad, tipping the scale at 325 pounds. At 6-foot-7 and with a deep, bellowing voice, teammates have nicknamed him Lurch, the butler from the television show, "The Addams Family."
"Lurch is kind of a Frankenstein-looking guy," says Dalan. "It is mostly because of my forehead and deep voice. The resemblance is a little more than I would like it to be."
Being big and almost always bigger than the other kids is nothing new to Dalan. He has dealt with it since his childhood, growing up in Sequim, Wash., on the Olympic Peninsula.
"It was awkward," reflects Dalan. "I was big, but not very athletic when I was younger. I was kind of a big kid. There were advantages and disadvantages like everything, but I wouldn't trade it. I don't want to be a little banty rooster running around. Im fine with being big."
Dalan remembers a little league baseball moment that sticks out in his mind.
"When I stood up to the plate, this one guy would say, 'Heavy batter,'" remembers Dalan. "Instead of saying heavy hitter, he would say, 'Heavy batter, but I'm not sure how well he hits.'"
Lurch, or Dalan, whichever you prefer, will earn his fourth letter this season as one of three returning starters on the offensive line, along with Tony Coats and Chad Ward. Benji Olson and Olin Kreutz both left early for the NFL draft, leaving the Huskies with spaces to fill.
Dalan became the starter at strongside tackle last year after a back injury forced incumbent starter Mostafa Sobhi out of the position before the season even began. In 1997, he and the offensive line helped Washington lead the Pac-10 in fewest sacks allowed, with only 24, for the second consecutive season. He also helped Brock Huard and Marques Tuiasosopo set a single-season team passing record of 2,790 yards.
But don't look to Dalan for boasting about 1997s records.
"If you are big in to personal glory with things like that," says Dalan, "you are going to have a tough time playing on the offensive line. Its kind of a camaraderie thing, taking pride in the little things that maybe only we know about, but thats good enough for us."
Personal glory has never been Dalan's goal for his football career. Back in 1994, he never even expected to be recruited by Washington. Dalan is considered the first big-time recruit from Sequim, a companion town to larger Port Angeles, and people there are interested in his success.
"My mom is in touch with the public and they are always asking questions and keeping tabs," says Dalan. "A lot of people watch, which is nice. There are a lot of avid Husky fans there anyway. It's an added thing that people pay attention to."
Not only was Dalan from a high school not known for its football (0-9 record his senior year), but he was recruited along with highly touted Benji Olson and Tony Coats from South Kitsap.
"They were big names and they had their pick of where they could go and I was just really excited to play at this level and come play here," says Dalan. "This is where I wanted to play. So I was just excited to be along for the ride. I was naive as far as the recruiting process went. I only took one trip and that was to here."
Dalan made himself known to Husky coaches at the annual summer football camp the UW hosts. If it were not for Dalan's persistence, UW coaches might not have found the lineman from Sequim. It also didn't hurt that he had a 3.9 GPA and aspires to be a physical therapist when his football days are over.
"I didn't know how big-time I was," says Dalan. "I went to the camp prior to my junior year and they spotted me. They took a chance on me. I was a 'potential' guy. Fortunately they took a chance on me."
Its a good thing the Huskies took a chance on Dalan for at least two reasons. One, the Huskies would have even less depth, and two, he would never have met his future wife in recently graduated women's basketball player Gena Pelz.
The two met early in their true freshman year, 1994, and have been friends ever since. They began dating in April, 1995, and now are engaged with a date set for June 19th of next year.
"We were going out to dinner," says Dalan of the night he asked Pelz to marry him. "Then we went out to Gasworks. I did the ol' traditional on-one-knee thing. I didn't have an airplane like Tony [Coats]. It was a nice evening with downtown in the background. And she said yes without hesitating, so that was a self-esteem booster for me."
Asked if there were any doubts in his mind, Dalan says no way.
"I know what I've got," says Dalan. "There's an old lineman's quote: 'Once you get one hooked, hang on for dear life. Hopefully you get married before she figures out what she is getting in to.'"
Two Washington offensive starters are currently dating women's basketball starters from last season. Huard and Molly Hills are the other couple, and yes they have done some double dates. In fact, one such event Dalan had no problem sharing.
It involved a game of wiffle ball in Huard's backyard. It was Dalan and Pelz versus Huard and Hills, in a shortened, five-inning affair.
"I took Molly deep twice in the last inning to win the game," boasts Dalan. "Brock got a little frustrated."
If Huard is smart, he will let the disappointing loss slide, because his friend with the 75 stitched on his jersey will be protecting him from the opposition.
"He does a good job of making us look good," says Dalan of Huard. "So we just give him a chance to throw the ball, keep guys off him and keep him clean, keep him from taking shots."
Dalan knows that his quarterback has the ability and opportunity to take this 1998 team to a place where the purple-clad have not been in a while - a place named Pasadena, a name that conjures up the sweet scents of red roses, pride, joy, and victories.
Maybe a game in November that clinches the Pac-10 championship will take precedence as his most memorable moment of his career, rather than the exhilarating opening victory over Arizona State, 42-38.
"That game was incredible," says Dalan, still a bit in shock. "I have been a small part in some exciting games, like the '95 Apple Cup. I was out there when we kicked the game-winning field goal, so that was the first time I was involved with a game-winning setting. The Arizona State game though, I don't even think I appreciate it now for how exciting it was.
"You kind of stay numb to it. It is one of those things where it is going to mean more later than it did right then. There was the excitement and the adrenaline, but you don't really appreciate the full situation until later."
If that game can instill those types of emotions, just wait until Dalan and the Huskies have their chance to experience what so many Dawgs have experienced before them - a Pac-10 championship.
