One of Flagstaff's own has returned.
Dillon Winiecki, a former Flagstaff High football standout, has made his way back home after spending the past three years searching for playing time across the state.
"I'm real happy to be back," Winiecki said. "Real happy."
After playing safety for two years at Mesa Community College and spending last year trying to walk on to Arizona State, Winiecki has come back to his roots. Now, he's fighting for snaps among the Lumberjacks' receiving corps during fall practice, trying to distinguish himself among the group while primarily working with the third-string offense.
"It's still pretty early but I think I can work my way up," he said. "If not, I'm going to do my job and support my team the way I need to."
At 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, his size alone helps him stand out at a position that sometimes lacks vertical reach for NAU. His athleticism, too, has people turning heads.
During one-on-one drills at Tuesday's practice, Winiecki ran up the field as backup quarterback Chasen Stangel released the ball before Winiecki turned his head around. At the last possible second, Winiecki turned his shoulders and eyes to the ball and spotted it instantly a bit over his head. He jumped while extending his arms to snag it in mid-air before coming down in stride for a highlight-reel catch.
Still, no matter how athletically gifted the former Eagle may be, he's still learning the ins and outs of the position, along with the NAU offense, and that's made his struggles stand out too. As impressive as his catch earlier was, he also dropped a pass aimed directly at him despite having both hands on the ball.
"It's hard to demonstrate your ability to play when you're thinking," NAU coach Jerome Souers said. "I know he's been frustrated at times and he feels like he can do better and he will do better."
After being cut by the Sun Devils following spring drills, Winiecki decided to make his way home to be near his family and because of his familiarity with the NAU program. After graduating in 2008, he practiced with the Jacks on occasion that summer before heading to Mesa.
"In the end, I figured I knew a few people here, I talked to (offensive coordinator Brian) Lindgren and (receivers) coach (Francis) St. Paul and I really liked what they did," Winiecki said.
The coaches were more than happy to accept a former Division I player, along with a local athlete, onto the program as a walk-on. After the graduation of Ed Berry, Conrad Meadows and Curt Sweeney, this year's group of receivers are mostly an unproven commodity and the coaches are looking to fill the gaps.
"We were actually looking for another receiver and he kind of fell into our lap," St. Paul said. "It's a great fit for both of us."
Even off the field, Winiecki is catching the coaches' attention. He responds to questions and instructions with a "Yes, sir," and is always attentive to what's going on.
"He's appreciative. He's so happy to be here," St. Paul said. "He's one of the first guys in meetings, he asks questions and he loves football. He loves to be a Lumberjack. You can tell he is a Flagstaff kid."
Still, no matter the work ethic or athletic ability, Winiecki has a ways to go before he's getting seriously playing time with the No. 1 offense. There's plenty of time to do that, though, and he's making sure that he'll be capable of filling in any role.
"He's so smart he could play any one of our four receiver positions," St. Paul said. "He's picked up our offense well. I get him on the (drawing) board and he can draw what everybody does. Right there, that's a plus."
Winiecki's hoping is set of skills allow him to see the field at some point this season as he continues to hammer out all the details of the position and the offense.
"I think I'm physical and I bring another tall body -- that's always good," Winiecki said. "With Coach St. Paul, he'll get me right with everything else."
Jacob May can be reached at jmay@azdailysun.com or 556-2257.
