When I was a freshman, I looked very different from the way I do now. I was a lot skinnier and I didn't know how to deal with my height, so I was very clumsy and I ran into a lot of things. I used to get laughed at all the time, especially in practice. But I worked hard on the team and gradually got used to my height.
And you talked about your friends, didn't you? They like you. And I'm starting to grow fond of you, too, I think.
[His last sentence sounds more like something a teacher would say to a student, or a parent or a brother would say to an adopted family member. He isn't being romantic.]