Archive for May 1st, 2009

5 Defensive Players to Watch in 2009

Have you ever been watching a football game, trying to pay close attention to a specific high profile player, only to find yourself constantly wowed by one of their lesser known teammates? You start thinking, “who is this guy,” and “why haven’t I heard of him before now?”  I had several of those moments during the 2008 college football season.

I sat down to watch DT Peria Jerry, but his peer Greg Hardy kept jumping off the screen and onto my notes. Just like another extremely gifted lineman (Julius Peppers), the Ole Miss defensive end occasionally lines up at receiver, and managed to play basketball for the Rebels in his freshman year.  Despite missing 5 games over the last 2 years, Hardy registered 18.5 sacks and 27 tackles for loss.

Then there are the prospects such as Southern Cal’s Taylor Mays, who has nothing subtle about him. How can you not notice the times he jars helmets off of opponents like bottle rockets blasting into the air. Had he come out early, Mays would have been the first safety selected, easily falling into the top 15 picks of the draft. Instead, the ferocious hitter wisely chose to return for another year of seasoning under coach Pete Carroll.

What’s more, Taylor Mays is one of the most sculpted athletes you will ever see in a football uniform. Already a two-time 1st team All-American, he possesses every physical tool (6′3/230 lbs.) to become truly great. His speed is becoming legendary, reports say he runs the 40 yard dash somewhere in the 4.30-4.47 second range. However, he must use his last year to continue improving his technique and coverage skills to prevent being labeled a “workout warrior.”

On the other side of the country, any fan in the Big Ten Conference has witnessed the disruptive Michigan Wolverines DE Brandon Graham. Under Michigan’s elite strength and conditioning program, led by Mike Barwis, Brandon is reported to run a 4.6-4.7 second 40 yard dash, and as of last off-season he bench pressed 475 lbs twice.

Following in the footsteps of former teammate, Lamarr Woodley (now with the Pittsburgh Steelers), Graham shows a knack for getting into the backfield. His productivity has improved over the last two seasons, having sacked the quarterback 18.5 times, recorded 29.5 tackles for loss, and forced 5 fumbles.  Because of his size (6′2 270 lbs), he is virtually identical to Woodley, making him a prime candidate for 3-4 OLB. In the meantime, there is a very real possibility that Graham will leave U of M as the school’s career and single season sack champion.

Moving South to one of the heartlands of football talent: the great state of Florida (the oranges really are extremely tasty there). One of the nastiest, trash-talking linebackers in the country hails from the University of Florida, MLB Brandon Spikes. The first team All-American had 224 tackles and 4 interceptions in the last two seasons.

If I had to describe his style, one word comes to mind: aggressive.  He is that old-school linebacker that is looking to knock some heads, attacking the ball carrier with reckless abandon. One moment in particular is ingrained in my mind from last season. During the Alabama vs. Florida game, 340 lb. LT Andre Smith locked onto Spikes. What proceeded from there was most unexpected.

In Hulk-esque fashion, the 240 lb. Spikes squared up with Smith and viciously and ruthlessly  threw him to the turf. I turned to my dad and said “did you see what I just saw?”

Later, I checked Youtube to make sure my eyes didn’t deceive me.  Here is the video that I found, Spikes tossing Smith to the ground.

Another player from the state of Florida is garnering a considerable amount of attention, George Selvie. His build (6′4 245 lbs) is reminiscent of Penn State’s Aaron Maybin, who went 11th to the Bills in this year’s draft. Like Maybin, Selvie’s game is based upon speed and quickness, rather than out-muscling his opponent. The South Florida Bulls defensive end had a relatively slow 2008 season, but if he is able to capture some of his 2007 form, where he totaled 14.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss, then there is no telling how high he could go in the draft.