By Jim Hague
It’s been said that the best college athletic recruits come from being a legacy.
Ed Dennerlein had limited opportunities and offers to go to college coming out of Chatham High School, so where better to head than the place that educated his father, Ed Sr.?
“My Dad went to Rutgers-Newark,” Dennerlein said. “So that was the one. I figured that I would just give it a chance and go. I sent an e-mail to Coach (Juan Edney) and he responded right away. We spoke on the phone and things went really well right away.”
When Dennerlein, a standout shot putter at Chatham, took his first visit to Rutgers-Newark, he was immediately impressed.
“I really liked the program,” Dennerlein said. “The coaches seemed like they were making all the right moves.”
Then, Dennerlein got to meet Mark Griffin, who not only serves as an assistant track and field coach at R-N, working with the throwers, but he also happens to be the director of athletics at the school. It pays when the head honcho is taking an interest in you.
“Mark Griffin made a very good first impression on me,” Dennerlein said. “He sold the school to me. I think he really gives the school a good name. I knew that he was going to be helpful to me.”
It also helped that R-N had an assistant athletic director who was an All-American at Penn State in the weight throw and the discus in Will Barr, who also serves as an assistant coach, also working with the throwers. Barr set the Penn State record for the weight throw, throwing 70 feet, five inches, and his throw of 183-6 in the discus still ranks sixth all-time in Penn State history.
Within minutes, Dennerlein and Barr formed a bond that can’t be separated.
“Will was the right coach for me from the beginning,” Dennerlein said. “He’s very regimented in what he does. Everything is by the book. He put me in the right direction.”
“Ed is one of the biggest bodies we’ve ever had,” Barr said. “He came to us 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds. He just didn’t have a lot of strength training and not much technique. But he’s done everything we’ve asked of him. We’ve worked on building his body, giving him more muscle.”
Edney was impressed right away with Dennerlein’s work ethic.
“The first time I met hikm, I said, ‘This is a body,’” Edney said. “We previously didn’t have many bodies like Ed. I didn’t know then what he was really like. But then I saw him work. We start practice at 8:30 a.m. Big Ed is in the gym at 7:15 a.m. He commutes from home and comes to the gym way early. That tells me a lot about the kid.”
“The commute isn’t bad,” Dennerlein said. “But it just makes sense if I leave before the traffic gets bad. I get here early and I start working early.”
Edney has seen the progression Dennerlein has made working with Barr.
“He’s learned so much under Will,” Edney said. “Ed never lifted weights before like this. Will has honed him into it. It’s a joy to have someone like that around. He has the ability and has the body.”
Dennerlein quickly dropped a lot of the excess weight he had from high school.
“Within a month or so, I went from 280 to 255,” Dennerlein said. “I lost the weight through practice and conditioning. I also learned to eat right.”
Since coming to Rutgers-Newark, Dennerlein has learned to throw the weight and the hammer.
“It was totally new to me,” Dennerlein said. “When I started, Will said, ‘You’ll do it until I say otherwise.’ So I listened to him. I started throwing it and I loved it.”
Dennerlein has already broken the school record for the shot put, even though he’s only a freshman.
“I would have to say I’m a little shocked in how quickly I developed,” Dennerlein said. “I didn’t think it was possible, but Dad looked up the school record and told me I could break it. So I set the goal, thanks to my Dad. I gave it my all and put my mind to it.”
It comes throwing a shot put that is four pounds heavier than the one he threw in high school, 16 pounds in college compared to 12 in high school.
“Usually, most kids lose 5-to-7 feet transitioning from high school to college,” Barr said. “Ed didn’t lose a thing. He’s much more consistent now. He’s transitioned very well to college.”
Barr believes that Dennerlein is just scratching the surface.
“He has a ton more room for improvement,” Barr said. “He’s a great kid for us. I wish we had a ton more like him. Every moment he puts into practice, he’s getting better. He always puts himself in a good place to succeed and that shows with his success thus far.”
Edney likes having Dennerlein around.
“He’s a great addition to our program,” Edney said. “Kids like Big Ed will make other kids think, ‘Hey, maybe I should go there.’ He’s grown so much since he arrived here. Give Will all the credit. He’s the one who put in the time with Ed. This kid is talking that he wants to be No. 1 and won’t stop until he gets there. I think it’s believable when a kid like Ed says that he wants to be on the podium at the (NCAA Division III) nationals.”
Dennerlein is majoring in accounting and economics at Rutgers-Newark.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better right now,” Dennerlein said. “I want to succeed. I’m happy, but I’m not going to be satisfied. I’ve put my mind to it now. I want to be a national champion some day.”
Considering Dennerlein’s work ethic and dedication, the idea is certainly not farfetched.
