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St Rita senior Valadez a great fit at LB
Updated: September 16, 2011 6:51PM
In terms of weight, Ricky Valadez has come full circle.
But the body the St. Rita senior has now bears little resemblance to the one he arrived with back in the fall of 2008. Then, Valadez was a 6-foot, 220-pounder who played on the offensive and defensive lines. He did it well enough his first two years that Mustangs coach Todd Kuska was looking forward to him opening holes for the Mustangs’ talented running back tandem of Jahwon Akui and Travis Starks on the varsity last season.
But somewhere along the way, Valadez decided to go in a different direction. He slimmed down, bulked up and now is a ball-hawking linebacker for the Mustangs, who open Catholic League Blue play Friday night at Brother Rice in a MeTV/Chicago Sun-Times Game of the Week.
After coming to St. Rita at 220 pounds, Valadez got as big as 240 before embarking on his extreme makeover.
“I was very dedicated to getting more fit and healthy,” he said. “My diet completely changed. . . . No more fast food. I haven’t had a can of pop or diet pop in four years.”
With diet came exercise: daily morning runs around Rainey Park on the Southwest Side, along with cardio work. It has all paid off for Valadez, who’s a 6-1, 215-pounder who complements the two mainstays of the St. Rita defense: Division I prospects Will McNamara at linebacker and Charles Elmore at safety.
“He’s playing really well, making a lot of tackles, doing a lot of good reads, grading out very high,” Kuska said. “He’s the unsung hero in a way.”
“I really had a goal of being a starter and getting the job done,” said Valadez, who has 22 tackles through three games for the Mustangs (2-1).
With only left tackle Nick Dachota and fullback Mike Zunica back from last year’s offense, the Mustangs figured to lean on their defense early this season. And Valadez hopes to help that unit live up to its legacy.
“We have always been a run [stopping] defense, always known for tough football, a lot of guys in the box,” he said. “We have made some progress from our first game. We have become much better, and we’re going to keep getting better.”
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