Smith, Lucky to play major roles

Take tight end Mike Lucky for instance, what does one think the 50 pounds of extra muscle he has added since he arrived here was for, blocking?

"Breaking tackles, maybe bringing a couple players with me too," said Lucky, who will be a junior.

Lucky has reason to celebrate. With the departure of senior Mike Metzler and his 31 receptions, he should step directly into Smith's sight for a few more catches. At 6-foot, 6 inches, it shouldn't take him too long to find him either.

"As a player you always want to be looked at as a leader, that is what you work so hard for," Lucky said. "I hope to have big year, I shouldn't be here if I didn't think that way."

With California's tight end Tony Gonzalez leaving for the NFL after his junior season - he was drafted 13th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs - Lucky should contend for the conferences' best tight end.

"Me and Gonzalez are not exactly the same," Lucky said. "But, it's nice to see the respect that a good player at our position can get."

Lucky hasn't just been building his upper body.

"Keith and I are friends, so I have been working on him all summer," he said, smiling. "All of us receivers want to get a little more action."

Watching the two on the basketball court playing horse, however, one wouldn't get the sense Lucky takes it easy on him.

"Lucky is just how it sounds - Lucky," Smith said.

Lucky can have high expectations because he has had a healthy career, some players haven't been so fortunate.

Oft-injured Mike Szlauko will be a senior this season and is recovering from his second reconstructed ankle.

So Mike, how is the rehabilitation going?

"As good as I could of hoped for," said the defensive end, who had bone fragments removed from his left ankle. "I feel good, honestly, better than I expected. My rehab has been going so well."

Which is great news for Szlauko, who appeared in 11 games last season, but was never out of pain.

In 1994, he couldn't play until the sixth game with a neck injury. Last February, he had surgery on his right ankle causing him miss last season's spring drills as well.

"Some people come for the education, I come here for the new body parts," he said.

Szlauko, who looks fit and is wearing no obvious support, said that he feels better physically than ever before and has even been able to start running. He confidently expects to be better by the fall.