Freshman Focus: Mackey making strides in weight room, on practice field

Dedrick Mackey doesn’t like the early mornings, but he loves the workouts.

As part of the group of underclassmen Boilermakers who aren’t playing on Saturdays, the cornerback is up before 6 a.m. to work out five days a week. It’s that additional workload, along with practices, that he hopes will put him in position to compete for a starting role in the spring.

So far, so good. The 5-foot-11 Mackey has already gained about 15 pounds since he arrived on campus in June, jumping up to 180-or-so. He’s done so with a balanced diet, plus the workouts, adding muscle that he had previously lacked.