A who's who hopes to corral Caravan's Filer
February 2, 2007
BY TAYLOR BELL
Mount Carmel coach Frank Lenti lovingly refers to linebacker Steve Filer as ''Teddy,'' as in Teddy Bear.
The 6-3, 220-pound junior is described as ''mild-mannered'' off the field. He never would be confused with Dick Butkus or Mike Ditka.
''I don't know if he ever had a bad day as far as his personality goes,'' Lenti said.
''I'm goofy off the field,'' Filer said. ''Sometimes I act my age [he'll be 17 in June], but I'm a fun-loving guy. Size doesn't match my personality. It's not how I am. I like to kid around.''
But Filer, perhaps the most recruited player produced at Mount Carmel, more so than NFL stars Donovan McNabb and Simeon Rice, will have to change his persona from nice to nasty as he prepares for his senior season.
''[Wyoming-bound] Mark Oliver was our leader and leading tackler last season,'' Lenti said. ''I hope Steve takes over the game as Oliver did. He needs to be our leader in 2007.''
The colleges are excited about what they have seen. Filer has a dozen scholarship offers, including Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Colorado and Virginia. He also is receiving interest from USC, UCLA, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Mississippi.
''I knew the time would come for me to be the leader of the defense,'' Filer said. ''I've always been in Oliver's shadow. I have to step up as a senior. I have to let everybody see I am the leader. I want to leave no doubt in anyone's mind that I'm the best linebacker in Illinois.''
To achieve that goal, Filer has an ambitious game plan. To improve his quick reactions, agility, awareness and athleticism, he is the leading scorer (14 ppg) on Mount Carmel's basketball team.
''Basketball keeps me in good shape, and it makes me a better football player,'' he said.
Before football practice begins in August, Filer hopes to boost his weight to 225 or 230, maintain his 4.6 speed and improve his bench press from 300 pounds to 345.
Basketball helps to keep his body toned. He eats and drinks a lot of protein and eats a lot of carbohydrates such as spaghetti, peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches and fruit shakes.
But he confesses that he has one failing. He can't get along without New York cherry ice cream.
Recruiting isn't high on his priority list. He insists he has no dream school. In fact, last fall he attended a college football game for the first time. And he watched one college game on television -- the national championship.
But he knows what he is looking for. He wants to study mechanical or electrical engineering. He wants to be a builder or inventor. He is curious and inquisitive. He loves to take things apart and put them together again. He likes to see how things operate.
He said he has received good advice about the recruiting process from his father; from Mount Carmel teammate Arthur Ray Jr., who is committed to Michigan State; and from Illinois-bound Martez Wilson of Simeon.
''I want to see what schemes that colleges are running, to see if their defense fits me,'' Filer said. ''A lot of people try to push you to certain schools. But I have to be there, not them. So I want to pick a school where I want to go because that's where I'm going to be for four years.''
