A recurring series where we will profile every player and coach on Maryland’s roster, counting down to kick-off against Miami. Thanks to OBNUG for the idea.
Today we profile a player who missed most of last season after a tragic scooter accident.
Pete DeSouza, Freshman (RS), Offensive Tackle
Stats:
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 310
Ratings: Three stars, #18 in Maryland, #60 offensive tackle by Rivals; three stars, #64 offensive tackle by Scout; three stars, #125 offensive tackle by ESPN
40-yard dash time: 5.3
High School Stats (Senior Year): N/A
High School: DeMatha Catholic High School (Rockville, Md.)
How’d He Get To College Park?
Pete DeSouza was one of the top offensive linemen in the state of Maryland during his senior year, mainly thanks to his massive frame at 6’6″ and over 300 pounds. He was first team all-Maryland and all-WCAC in 2008, and picked Maryland over Akron and Syracuse, among others. He also received interest from Pitt and West Virginia, but came to College Park after being recruited by James Franklin.
DeSouza played in the inaugural Crab Bowl, and reportedly graded out at 90 percent or better in every game during his senior year. The Stags won the league title every year during DeSouza’s playing days there.
After serving a redshirt season two years ago, DeSouza found himself as a starting right tackle last year after left tackle Justin Gilbert suffered a season-ending injury, moving previous starter on the right side R.J. Dill all the way across the line. After struggling pretty mightily in his three starts (albeit with some signs of improvement) , disaster struck – DeSouza was in a scooter accident that fractured both of his lower legs two days before the rest of the year and missed the rest of the year.
More after the jump.
Nickname:
“Iggy”
Career Highlight:
Getting his first start against FIU, a game where the Terps racked up over 400 yards of offense.
Career Lowlight:
We’d rather not mention it again.
Arbitrary Top Five List:
WCAC football Champions, 2004-08:
1. DeMatha
2. DeMatha
3. DeMatha
4. DeMatha
5. DeMatha
Dream Season:
DeSouza passes Nick Klemm as the No. 2 right tackle on the team, recovering fully from the injury.
Nightmare season:
DeSouza struggles to recover, missing most of the season.
2011 Prospectus:
Pete DeSouza’s recovery has been pretty miraculous, but by all accounts he’s still recovering from the injury. As it stands now, he’s third on the right tackle depth chart, behind Nick Klemm and starter R.J. Dill. This is probably partially due to the injury, but Klemm did play in 11 games last season and should be considered a factor in the Maryland offensive tackle rotation.
DeSouza has a ton of potential. Like, All-ACC potential. His frame is perfect for an NFL offensive tackle, let alone college, and he’s incredibly strong. He started a fair share of games last year due to injury, and honestly didn’t perform too well. Luckily for Maryland, they have one of the top O-Line coaches in the conference in Tom Brattan. Unfortunately, we don’t know how much work DeSouza has been able to put in since the accident.
The bottom line? The amount of progress Pete DeSouza has made already since his accident has been amazing. You can not praise him enough for the effort he’s put into his recovery and his outlook on the whole thing. In terms of this season, don’t expect much. In the future, you can hope that DeSouza will be a great starter on the line.
Up Next:
Our next player is a converted defensive lineman.