At first he weighed in daily, but once he proved his effort was sincere, he needed only weekly checks. Ohton says that Heinz was concerned about getting weighed only once a week. He wasn't sure if he could do it. But he did, losing about seven pounds per week.
At one of those weigh-ins, Ohton recalls Heinz was supposed to weigh 308.2 pounds and had weighed 305 just a few days before. But when he stepped on the scale for the official weight, he was at 309.
Ohton, who normally would have punished Heinz with extra running, decided to go easy on him because he knew Heinz had been working hard and had been under the weight two days before.
After Heinz left, Ohton said, "He called about 10 minutes later and said, 'Would it be possible for you to punish me?' I couldn't believe it. He said it just like that: Would it be possible for you to punish me?
"I told him it was OK, just make the weight tomorrow. And he said, 'I promise to be under tomorrow or else you can punish me double.'
"It was the funniest thing I had heard in a long time. But I didn't want to laugh because he was dead serious."
So is Luginbill.
Aztec Notes
Steve Blyth, a senior center, ruptured a tendon in his right knee Tuesday at practice. He will be operated on this morning at Mercy Hospital by team physician Dr. Robert Straumfjord. Blyth, who was moved to nose tackle last season from the offensive line, was moved back to the offensive line this spring by Coach Al Luginbill. He will miss the rest of spring practice but should be back by the fall.
