Not knowing he had suffered the tear, Freeman finished the tournament, finishing third. Then next week, he took fourth at state in powerlifting. Then he went to get the knee checked out and learned he needed surgery.
He came back from his time off at 310 pounds, and only had a couple of days to work out before a camp at Tulsa. The knee wasn't a problem, but he felt he was out of shape, so he has been focused on getting his body back in condition.
“I was 310 about four weeks ago, and I'm trying to get back down to about 290,” he said. “I'm at 295 right now, and I'm a lot stronger than I was last year. I feel a lot more comfortable now. This is the easiest weight for me to hit guys and do some damage.”
Still, speed is his biggest focus as he tries to prepare himself for the next level.
“Speed and explosion, the same things I've been focused on forever,” he said. “I want to be able to move better laterally. It's tough with a running back running a 4.4 (40-yard dash) and a lineman running a 5.0. I'm always telling our running back, Qualon Johnson, that I'm trying to get faster for him.
“I'm trying to make it where I can be the best in whatever position coaches want to put me in.”
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