SICILY ISLAND — Tyreke Tolliver idolizes his favorite player Peyton Manning, so it should come as no surprise he shares Manning’s enthusiasm for studying the playbook.

Tolliver, who played as a free safety and wide receiver last season with Sicily Island as an eighth grader, was given an opportunity to expand his role within the Tigers’ offense this offseason.

“One of the kids said, ‘Tyreke can throw the ball, Coach,’” said Sicily Island head coach Stephen Collins, who took over as coach in June. “I knew he was a fast kid, so we let him move around and throw the ball. We found out he’s pretty nimble and has good footwork. He’ll be sharing time with Ryan Mason.”

Transitioning from receiver to quarterback required Tolliver to learn where every player is and what they are doing every single play. So Tolliver would show up to practice early, ask the coaches about formations and what he should do in certain circumstances. Then, after practice, Tolliver would go over what he learned that, preparing himself to show up the next day fully prepared to learn something new. Collins would receive texts in the evenings, questions from Tolliver about certain formations.

“I imagine he’s at home working on things an awful lot, because you teach him something, and he’ll come back the next day and have it down,” Collins said.

Because of his work ethic, Tolliver learned the plays in two weeks, putting him in a position to play wide receiver and quarterback in 2015. But if you ask him, he doesn’t care where he plays, as long as he’s having a positive impact on the field.

“I want to bring us back on top,” Tolliver said.

Tolliver, a ninth grader, is viewed as one of many Sicily Island players the school is looking to build a foundation upon. With 2015 marking the first time Sicily Island has had varsity football since 2001, Collins is looking to utilize Tolliver’s talents to indeed prove that “Big Red ain’t dead.” That includes Tolliver on the defensive side of the football.

“As a free safety, he’ll probably be more effective for us,” Collins said. “He has skills that are above his age. If I leave him on one side of the field with a cornerback, that side of the field is pretty much covered. He can cover so much space to where you can put him on one side of the field, and only have to worry about the other side.”

As for Tolliver at quarterback, the freshman isn’t concerned about any busted plays in his future. He’s fully confident in his athletic ability to avoid danger in the backfield.

“I have a couple moves,” Tolliver said, smiling.

Collins said while Tolliver will give Sicily Island versatility at quarterback, he also plans on Tolliver being a deep threat for Mason.

“(Tolliver’s) one of those kids that when the ball is in the air, he thinks it’s his,” Collins said. “He’s got that thing you really can’t train. When it’s in the air, every bit of him wants the ball.”