Trevor Reilly's toughness on defense and in life earns him respect and captain's role at Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – Trevor Reilly's toughness was displayed last season when he played with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Rather than opting for surgery and ending his year at Utah, Reilly wore a heavy brace and played through the pain.

Then in the offseason, he battled a different kind of pain when his daughter was diagnosed with cancer.

Reilly's grit earned him the respect of his Utes teammates, who made the senior a team captain during the final week of fall camp.

The Utes are turning to Reilly to be more than just a leader this season. He'll start at either defensive end or stud linebacker, shifting from one position to the other based on the package.