FAYETTEVILLE -- They say you can't tell a book by its cover, and it's true.
It's especially true when the book is more bookish than you would believe.
Take Dan Skipper. The Arkansas Razorbacks' junior offensive tackle isn't just the tallest tackle in college football at 6-10, but at 320 pounds he is allegedly about the meanest and maybe the most penalized. So figure him pent-up impatient with Arkansas' spring practice pace: Five practices in three weeks and the first scrimmage this morning.
It seemed Thursday that Skipper might anticipate today's scrimmage snorting like a bull in a rodeo chute.
He wasn't.
"The biggest thing on my mind is getting my chemistry lab done tonight," Skipper said. "I'll move on to Saturday Friday night."
College football's raging giant from Arvada, Colo. -- he was named the SEC's offensive lineman of the week after 10 knockdown blocks against Texas Tech last season -- majors in biological engineering, according to the UA media guide.
"It's bio-ag engineering actually," Skipper corrected. "I am switching to biology at the end of the semester. Ease it up a little bit, though it will still be a B.S. in biology."
Two autumns of combining in-season football with biological agricultural engineering taught Skipper that some goals are better deferred.
"I got a little tired of not sleeping," Skipper said. "So I figured I could make it a little easier now, and if I wanted to go back to school I could get the engineering part in about a year and a half."
A NFL career presumably will further delay the agricultural-engineering part of his degree, but expect him to achieve it eventually. The big man has big plans.
"I want to be able to go do research in the wild and do wildlife preservation possibly," Skipper said. "I don't want to work in an office. I just want to go out and do my thing and ultimately do something to make a big impact on the world."
Defensive linemen wish Skipper would start impacting the world now and cease impacting them.
First as a true freshman starting guard in 2013 and as a starting tackle in 2014, Skinner has powered Arkansas from the left. Now he's the right tackle after right guard Denver Kirkland was moved to left tackle.
Offensive line coach Sam Pittman explained the switch. Pass-rushing defensive ends come faster from the quarterback's blind left side and come bigger and stronger from the right.
"Kirkland is an outstanding pass protector," Pittman said. "We felt like Dan might do better against the bigger, not quite as fast guys on the other side. I think that's Dan's NFL spot."
So far it has better suited Skipper's temperament. No flareups. No penalties.
"He is not as wild as he used to be so maybe he has matured a little bit," Pittman said.
Skipper was switched during last season from No. 76 to No. 63 in an effort to cast a less-penalized image. Now he wears No. 70, his high school number.
"Aw, you know," Skipper said, "Third year, third position, third number. Why not?"
Sports on 04/04/2015