IT'S ALL A QUESTION OF SPEED; LAVIN FEELS HE CAN OFFER MORE TO NFL THAN JUST A FAST 40.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer

The tight end was supposed to fade to the corner of the end zone, but couldn't break free from the line of scrimmage and never made it there. By the time Simi Valley Swarm quarterback Darren Del'Andrae realized his primary receiver wasn't where he was supposed to be, protection had broken down.

So Del'Andrae bought time by rolling away from the rushing linemen.

It didn't take long for Swarm fullback Tim Lavin to figure out the rapidly deteriorating situation. It took even less time to do something about it.

Lavin broke off his block, veered into Del'Andrae's eyesight and made himself a target. A second later Lavin cradled the football at the 15-yard line, turned toward the end zone, ran over an opposing linebacker and dove across the goal line for a momentum-changing touchdown in Simi Valley's upset win in August over the defending Minor League Football Champion Fresno Bandits.

``It was total improvisation on Timmy and Darren's part,'' Swarm coach Aaron Spaulding said. ``That's what good football players do, and Timmy is a darn good football player with a lot of smarts.''

Intelligence has always been a strength for Lavin, who played college football at USC after a successful high school career at Chaminade. In fact, if professional teams were concerned more with football sense than 40-yard dash times, Lavin might be in the National Football League right now instead of playing in the minor leagues with the Swarm.

Lavin has discovered the NFL places more importance on stopwatch results than production on the field. As a result, he struggles to prove he deserves a chance to play in the big leagues.

``I'm just waiting for that one coach to say, `The heck with how fast he is, how well can he play football?' '' Lavin said. ``But they all live and die with those 40 times.''

How fast does a fullback need to be when his main responsibility is blocking linebackers three yards away? In Lavin's case, faster then the 4.85 he's registered in previous tryouts with the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.

Lavin argues that both of those workouts were done in shorts and T-shirts rather than shoulder pads and helmets.

``You can't tell how a guy can block when nobody is wearing pads,'' Lavin said. ``It's pretty silly.''

Lavin believes he can play at a higher level, maybe the NFL or the Canadian Football League. But he also realizes time is no longer on his side. At 27, he will give himself one more year to realize his dream.

That is what brought him to the Swarm after playing professionally in Australia and with a minor league team in Palm Springs, after graduating from USC in 1991.

The Swarm offers Lavin his best chance at showcasing his talents. Simi Valley officials provide players with video tapes of their games to send to pro teams and fax updated stats to personnel directors.

In addition, the team plays in the high-quality Pacific Football League as opposed to a semipro league that is dominated by players seeking their thrills on weekends.

``(The Swarm) does their best to get the word out, which is great,'' Lavin said. ``They've done a great job putting together a quality organization.''

Spaulding, who played youth football with Lavin in Chatsworth, said that his star fullback can position himself for a pro tryout with a strong year with the Swarm and a dedicated off season to improve his speed and leg strength.

``He's not as strong as he needs to be right now, but that can change in time,'' Spaulding said. ``Timmy is a darn good specimen, so he has the tools you need. He's no weekend warrior.''

Lavin refuses to get depressed by the way his football career has stalled since leaving USC, where he started as a walk-on and earned a scholarship by the end of his sophomore year.

In the process, he got to play in two Rose Bowls, compete against world class competition and develop lifelong friendships with coaches and teammates.

His biggest thrill was running onto the field at Notre Dame. Lavin, an Irish-Catholic, is a lifelong Fighting Irish fan, although he still roots for USC when the two teams play each year.

``My heart never pumped harder than when I sprinted into that stadium,'' Lavin said. ``That was great.''

He just hopes he can create a few more special memories. If not, it has been a heck of a ride.

``Right now it's just great to be playing football and strapping it on again,'' Lavin said. ``If nothing happens after this year, that's it, I'll be finished.''

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Photo

Photo: Tim Lavin plays smart ball for the Simi Valley Swarm, but NFL coaches are concerned about his speed.

Gene Blevins / Special to the Daily News