Aztec's Caleb Varzeas signs with Fort Lewis football

FARMINGTON — Although his exact role playing football at the next level is still being ironed out, Caleb Varzeas is already at ease about joining nearby Fort Lewis College.

The Aztec defensive end, who signed with the Skyhawks Wednesday on an athletic scholarship, said he was drawn to how much Fort Lewis, an NCAA Division II program in Durango, Colorado, prioritizes player safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"They're pretty conservative about making sure no one gets COVID and whatnot," Varzeas said.

Varzeas also said that if Fort Lewis isn't able to hit the weight room, it still tries to get some form of conditioning done — even if it's just shoveling show.

Varzeas has tallied 190 tackles over the last two seasons, 33 of which resulted in lost yards, plus a combined 16 sacks, five forced fumbles and four blocked field goal attempts during that span.

"I'm big and physical. I know how to use my body. I won't stop until the whistle is blown," said Varzeas, who also had 33 rushing yards on three carries in 2019.

Varzeas said Fort Lewis is still trying to decide where they'll plan to use him on the field, whether he remains a defensive end, if they move him to linebacker or if he may get more touches in the backfield on offense.

"They have a lot of possibilities where they can put me," Varzeas said.

Going forward, Varzeas said he wants to polish his body control and have better agility on defense, citing his 2019 performance against Farmington. Varzeas also said he wants to get stronger, faster and more explosive on offense.

Matt Hollinshead covers sports and business for the Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4577, mhollinshead@daily-times.com and on Twitter at @MattH_717.

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