Fullback Luke Kravitz is lighter, enlightened after spending winter quarter in South Africa

Luke Kravitz arrived at Washington's first spring football practice a few pounds lighter but a lot more grounded.

One of three Huskies players who spent the winter quarter studying in South Africa, Kravitz described the trip as "life-changing and life-altering, all the things you would expect from a trip that intense."

When he returned, he had not only lost his place on the depth chart — all three players who made the trip were dropped to the bottom of their positions because they weren't part of the offseason conditioning program — but about 5 to 7 pounds.

"The food just isn't the same proportion-wise," he said, adding he checked in this spring at about 230.

But he's steadily gaining back both weight and position — the senior-to-be is again the second-team fullback — and the added wisdom is worth any temporary loss in stature. He also says he thinks he might be better off being a little lighter — he played a few years ago at 250 and felt that was too much.

Kravitz was joined by tight end-turned-defensive tackle Johnie Kirton as well as walk-on cornerback Desmond Davis in a group of 20 students who made the trip as part of a program in Comparative History of Ideas. Ten members of the group were student-athletes. They were housed at the University of Port Elizabeth, taking classes part of the day, and in the afternoons working with local children, teaching sports or English or math.

Kravitz, a graduate of Olympia High, echoed the thoughts of Kirton, who said seeing the effort the children made to attempt to make something of themselves out of tough situations made him appreciate even more what he has here.

"Just to see the devastation through the poverty and racism and AIDs, the things they worked with and went through day by day, yet they still found a way to want to learn and be educated and want to give us everything that they had to offer, that was the most mind-boggling thing," Kravitz said. "It's so much more different than anything we have over here. The people who are the worst off over here are very privileged compared to the people over there."

Kravtiz said football wasn't completely forgotten while they were away.

"We had a pretty serious workout schedule there, lifting and running, so I came back feeling I was in shape where I was supposed to be," Kravitz said.

New running-backs coach Steve Gervais said Kravitz appeared to pick up where he left off, saying, "He's been in the program long enough to know exactly what he needs to do."

Hasty, Savannah back on field

Coach Tyrone Willingham confirmed the return of linebacker E.J. Savannah and running back J.R. Hasty before practice Tuesday, saying "they started living up to the responsibilities of a football team. That's always what gets you back."

The two each participated in practice Monday for the first time this spring, and are now back as full-functioning members of the team after having been essentially suspended for the first seven practices for failing to live up to unspecified team responsibilities. Willingham said again he wouldn't detail why the two were punished.

Asked how the two looked Monday, Willingham said, "You can see the conditioning and some things aren't there, but those things will come."

Hasty will have to fight for playing time at a running-back position deep in candidates, if not proven potential, while Savannah figures to return to being one of the leaders of the defense after leading the team in tackles last season.

Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell said he didn't think Savannah was harmed by his absence, saying he was an active participant in meetings and film sessions.

"We've been talking with him," Donatell said. "It's not like he's been out. He's still been part of us and been around the office, and we've had a lot of contact with him. Now we are moving forward with that, and he is right on course."

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com