"It's just the way that he goes about his business, that's the big thing,'' Azzanni said. "You ask him to do something in practice and he's going to do it. If I tell him, 'I need you to run every route backwards,' my man will run every route backwards."
in high school it has helped me out just because it gave me open ears,'' he said. "I didn't really know anything coming in. I really didn't have any bad habits to break and I really had to learn every- thing.''
Although he wrestled competitively for just one year, he plays with a wrestler's tenacity. "He's obviously just a very scrappy player,'' Az- zanni said. That manifests itself whenever the 6-2, 185-pound Abbrederis is blocking downfield. "I wish that I had a little bit more weight,'' he
zanni was saying about all the successful players that he has coached with that pedigree – has been beneficial to Abbrederis' development. "The concept of understanding the whole play
really helps out,'' Abbrederis said. "At wide receiv- er, if you know what the guy is doing next to you, and what the whole concept of the play is, you're going to play a lot faster and better because you know what the offense is trying to get done. "Also the quarterback is kind of the leader of the
team and to have been put in that leadership role in that past – kind of what I did in high school – I'm able to lean on that now and it helps with my leadership on this football team.'' There was another hidden positive to being a prep quarterback. "By not playing wide receiver
said with a sigh. "But I love blocking. I like going in there and hitting a safety, even if I won't knock him over. I just like being physical and opening up running holes for the backs and whoever else has the ball.'' Abbrederis takes pride in mentoring the young-
er receivers. "I kind of like having that role,'' he said. "I learn from them, too. Each of those guys brings something special to our team and you can pick up small things from what they do as well as them picking up some things from what I do.'' Azzanni has witnessed the impact that Abbre- deris has had on the position group as a whole. "It's just the way that he goes about his business, that's the big thing,'' Azzanni said. "You ask him to do something in practice and he's going to do it. If I tell him, 'I need you to run every route back- wards,' my man will run every route backwards. "He's phenomenal that way and the kids see
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