OxfordPress.com

Andrew Phelan has a mean streak to him.

But you wouldn't know it talking to the 6-foot-4, 295-pound Lakota West High senior offensive lineman off the field.

Phelan — who has put on 30 pounds since last season — has received offers from Miami, Ohio, Toledo, Bowling Green, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan, but has narrowed it down to the first three.

"He worked hard in the offseason, and he's pretty athletic for a kid his size," West coach Larry Cox said. "Each year, he's elevated his game a little bit more. As well-mannered as he is, he has a nasty disposition on the field. He likes that personality on the field."

Phelan recently took some time to chat with The Pulse-Journal.

Playing style: "Aggressive. Along the lines of a bit dirty. Playing through the whistle. I attack."

Nasty streak: "That comes from my grandpa and my dad. They taught me that when I was younger with the Tomahawks. It's been a part of me since then."

Off-the-field demeanor: "I'm quiet. People call me a big teddy bear. I'm very different."

Your body on Saturday morning: "You want to go back to sleep. You don't want to get out of bed. But you have to get up and run and watch film."

High school football initiation: "When I was on the scout team sophomore year, I was getting beat up every day. I was knocked on my butt for once."

Can't-miss weekly eating tradition: "The O-line goes to a buffet every Monday. We have a Hog of the Week, and that lineman picks where we eat. It has to be a buffet."