By Don Ketchum

He has been called just about every name in the book – Shrek, Andre the Giant, Icky Tingy – probably even a few things that you can’t write even on a family Web site.

But a rose by any other name isn’t as sweet and a football player by any other name isn’t as tough.

Andre Yruretagoyena, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound offensive tackle and nose guard for Scottsdale Chaparral, knows it wasn’t always that way.

Andre will be in the middle of all the action on Monday when Chaparral meets Peoria Centennial in the Class 5A Division II state championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Kickoff is 8 p.m.

He has been playing for only four years. It has been quite a transformation.

“I used to be soft,’’ he admitted. “My parents supported me, but a lot of other people never thought I would be able to do anything.’’

Slowly but surely, Andre began to “get it.’’ He was helped along by Chaparral coach Charlie Ragle, who at the time was new to the program himself.

“Football is a physical game. You tell a kid that there are going to be things that will make or break you,’’ Ragle said. “Andre struggled, but then he began to get better and better.

“It’s been special to see a kid come as far as he has. There have been a lot of highs and lows. You feel for him. You are proud of him. It is sort of “parent-esque.’ ’’

It took Ragle about three years to learn how to pronounce Andre's last name. Andre said his name is part Spanish Basque and part Filipino.

He also had had injuries. Andre had some of the nagging variety, and then played with a torn labrum for most of his junior season. He had surgery, but worried about whether he would heal enough to allow him to play at a high level.

“It hurts when you get something taken away,’’ he said of the possibility of not playing.

Chaparral won the title a year ago and now has a chance for a repeat. Andre will move on to play for the University of Oregon, an opportunity for which he is grateful.

“I can’t thank coach Ragle and the other coaches and my teammates enough for supporting me,’’ he said.