Every couple of practices this past spring, a pair of feisty University of Washington football players threw down and just let their tempers go wild. They began swinging or shoving, or both.
Some skirmishes proved more violent than others.
Each happened with little or no warning.
The combatants traded blows and then it was over.
While the Husky coaches don't outwardly promote their players trading friendly fire —and quickly step in to prevent serious injury or long-term ill feelings — they surely have to conceal a smile when they see one of their more mild-mannered players stand up for himself.
Such was the case with Julius Buelow.
As the first Saturday scrimmage was nearing an end, the 6-foot-8, 330-pound offensive tackle from Kapolei, Hawaii, squared off with a defensive teammate, outside linebacker Bralen Trice, a fellow redshirt freshman. Trice was someone four inches shorter and 85 pounds lighter than him, but decidedly tougher by reputation.
Buelow and Trice took healthy swings at each other before teammates separated them.
An easy-going personality, Buelow acknowledged when he signed with Washington that he would have to become a much more aggressive player on the college level.
He is the tallest Husky and one of the five heaviest on the roster. A little more fire in his belly would help make him be more competitive in bidding for a starting role down the road in what stands to be a highly competitive position group for seasons to come.
Going down the roster in numerical order, this is another of our post-spring assessments of all of the Husky talent at hand, gleaned from a month of observations, as a way to keep everyone engaged during the offseason.
Buelow, one of eight players from Hawaii in the program, wears No. 77, a UW number that belongs only to him on this team. It's a jersey that's previously been worn with a high degree of success by Olin Kreutz, Don Dow and Brett Wiese.
This transplanted islander spent spring practice rotating between right tackle and right guard on the offensive second unit. He was learning his trade and honing his skills.
That is, when he wasn't standing up for himself and pushing back hard.
2021 Outlook: Projected backup offensive lineman
UW Service Time: Played in 1 game
Stats: None
Individual Honors: Not yet
Pro Prospects: 2024 NFL third-day draftee
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