Winfree keeps the faith, working to return
BOULDER» Throughout the offseason, very few, if any, members of the Colorado football team worked harder than wide receiver Juwann Winfree.
The senior rarely took time off in anticipation of what he hoped would be his season of college football. Yet, while CU (30) takes momentum into Friday’s Pac12 opener against UCLA (03), it has been a slow start for Winfree.
“It’s been real frustrating,” he said. “I’m used to adversity. I’m just going to keep rolling with the punches. I understand nothing is perfect, and I understand God has a plan for me. I’m going to keep working, staying positive and staying faithful.”
Winfree’s frustration has very little to do with his statistics — a modest seven catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.
He spent much of preseason camp dealing with a hamstring in jury. Then he injured his ankle in the Buffs’ 3328 win at Nebraska on Sept. 8. He didn’t play in CU’s 4514 win against New Hampshire on Sept. 15.
Following last week’s bye, Winfree is optimistic about his chanc es of getting back to his old self against the Bruins.
“I should be ready for this week,” he said. “With any opportunity I get, I’m going to try to make the most of it. I’m just hoping God heals me right and when I’m finally 100 (percent healthy), to be able to give all I’ve got, because I have a lot in the tank ready to show.”
Voted a captain in the offseason, Winfree said he’s having fun watching fellow receivers Laviska Shenault, KD Nixon and Jay MacIntyre put up some big numbers to this point. Yet, after working tirelessly with quarterback Steven Montez in the offseason, Winfree is eager to make a big impact himself.
“It’s real hard (to sit out), because each week off, each day off, I’m missing in our timing, me and Montez,” he said. “We put a lot of work in, but after a few days if you’re not out there, it takes a few extra reps to get back to how we were.
“That’s the main thing for me, getting back up there and getting back on the timing and speed of everything.”
Cooffensive coordinator/receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini said last week’s bye came at a good time for Winfree and Shenault, who has battled through shoulder pain. Both practiced Monday.
“It was good to just get healthy,” Chiaverini said. “That Nebraska game was a physical game and it was good to have an extra week to get our bodies right.”
In general, Winfree said the entire team is ready to go after last week’s break.
“I feel like everybody is back and ready to go,” he said. “You could see it today. We had a real good practice and you can see the fire is back in our eyes.” Footnotes. The Pac12 announced that CU’s game against Arizona State on Oct. 6 will kick off at 2 p.m. at Folsom Field. The game will be on the Pac12 Networks . ... As of Monday afternoon, CU had sold 41,270 tickets for Friday’s game against UCLA. Sales are on a similar pace to two years ago, when the Buffs sold 43,761 tickets for a Thursday night game against the Bruins.