SE's SMALL RECEIVER LOOKS FOR A BIG YEAR

Leslie Weaver is proof positive that dynamite can indeed come in small packages.

A senior wide receiver on Southeast Missouri State University's football team, Weaver is the shortest person on the squad at 5-feet 7 and he's one of the lightest at 160 pounds.

Weaver is also one of the Indians' top players, their leading receiver last season and a guy who will be counted on to produce more big plays this year in Southeast's new no-huddle, one-back offense that more often than not spreads wide receivers out all over the field.

"As a small guy, I've always had to prove people wrong, especially coaches and opponents," said a grinning Weaver, who always seems to have a smile on his face. "People have always looked at me as being like a mini-mouse, a small guy they can just run over. I like to think of myself as a mosquito. I won't go away."

Weaver certainly doesn't figure to go away for the Indians this year as he is likely to play an even bigger role in their offense. And he's been a pretty vital part of the equation for the past several seasons.

Last year, Weaver caught a team-high 35 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns. He was the Indians' second-leading receiver as a sophomore, grabbing 27 passes for 389 yards. His career totals are 85 receptions for 1,161 yards and five TDs.

Not bad for such a little guy. But what Weaver lacks in size he definitely makes up for in heart as well as speed. He has been timed in close to 4.4 seconds for the 40-yard dash.

"Leslie can really run," said Tim Billings, Southeast's first-year head coach. "He'll be a big-play threat for us. He really came back in shape and he's been making a lot of big plays for us in practice. He'll definitely be one of our big-play guys."

Which is music to the ears of Weaver, who relishes the chance to play a big role in an exciting, wide-open offense.

"Me being so fast, I think it will open it up for me, and my speed should help everyone else out," he said. "We all have different jobs to do on the field. Me and (fellow returning wide receiver) Corey (Chester) are deep threats, but we've got a lot of speed on the team in general, and we've got a lot of good receivers.

"I think this offense will be really entertaining. We'll still run the ball a lot, but we'll have a lot of variety, with sometimes five wide outs. We won't throw all the time, but he (Billings) loves to throw the ball and that makes me happy."

While Weaver is excited about the new offense, he's equally elated with Billings and the virtually brand-new coaching staff the former Marshall assistant has brought in as the Indians attempt to rebound from five straight losing seasons.

"This being my last year, I'm very excited about starting a new program," Weaver said. "What I'm really excited about, I think the program will be on the rise the next few years. I think coach Billings will get the program skyrocketing, and hopefully we'll start building it this year.

"Everybody is playing really hard. We're expecting to do well. I think the coaches have really brought in a new attitude, and we've also got some good new players. But the attitude is so much different than what's it's been. They (the coaches) really believe in us and they have us believing in ourselves."

A native of Evanston, Ill., Weaver originally signed with the University of Missouri. He spent the 1996 season as a redshirt with the Tigers before deciding to transfer to Southeast.

"They (Missouri) were more of an option team and I wanted to catch the ball. I wanted to be a playmaker," said Weaver. "The coaches there helped me get to SEMO and it's worked out really good for me."

Better, in fact, than even Weaver could have imagined.

"Me and my parents talked about it when I first transferred and I thought it was a great move at the time," he said. "And now I think it's an even better move. I've really enjoyed it here."

A historic preservation major, Weaver said he would some day like to work in a museum and even perhaps eventually open up his own museum.

"I've always loved history," he said.

But first, Weaver is hoping to help make a little history with the Southeast football program. A winning record would no doubt be plenty historic for long-suffering Indian fans and players.

"I think things are going to be headed in the right direction," he said. "And I think we have a good chance to start off the new tradition this year."