Tight end can outthink opponents

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 5, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER --

Travis Dekker's Air Force teammates casually throw around the term "genius" when talking about the senior tight end.

Think they're exaggerating? Ask Dr. J.T. Tokish, the lead orthopedic surgeon at the academy hospital and the Falcons' team doctor. For part of this past summer, D e k k e r shadowed Tokish and other doctors during s u r g e r i e s and while they were conducting research.

"He's the real deal," said Tokish, who played inside linebacker for Air Force from 1987-90.

"He is the same major as I was when I was here (biochemistry), and the same biochemistry professors are still running around up (at the academy). And they remind me every day that I'm nothing compared to the student he is. And when I watch him on the field, I'm nothing compared to the athlete he is, so it's pretty humbling."

Dekker will graduate after this semester and plans to attend medical school -- Harvard, Northwestern, Stanford, Georgetown and Duke are his top five choices.

He carries a 3.75 gradepoint average, and he scored in the 90th percentile on the Medical College Admission Test.

And in 2007, he finally put up equally impressive stats on the football field.

After spending two years in an offense that all but ignored tight ends in the passing game, Dekker became a weapon last season when Troy Calhoun took over as coach and installed a new offense. The 6- foot-4, 245-pound Dekker caught 25 passes -- more than all Air Force tight ends caught combined the previous four seasons -- for 382 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He likely will see more passes thrown his way this season.

The Falcons' quarterback -- whoever it ends up being -- will be a firsttime starter, and a young quarterback's security blanket is a big tight end. Calhoun called Dekker "a great target."

Quarterback Eric Herbort said Dekker has "great range" and "great hands."

"I sure hope so," Dekker said when asked if he'd play a larger role.

"My role is just to help the team. And if my role is catching the ball and going over the middle or whatever routes they want me to run, I'd love it."

According to tight ends coach Ben Miller, Dekker arrived at preseason camp stronger and faster than he was a year ago.

And, not surprisingly, Miller said Dekker is "a very bright football player."

"His knowledge of the game goes up every meeting," Miller said.

"You can tell he's getting smarter and smarter about the game."