Linebackers Plan To Make Some Noise
Over on the weak side, away from the opposing tight end, Washington State senior linebacker Brandon Moore cannot contain his excitement.
“We’re going to be fast,” marveled Moore, who will be the weak-side starter when the Cougars open their season Saturday at home against UCLA. “It’s going to be a sight to see out at Martin Stadium - just a lot of flying around, getting after it.”
Over on the other side, Steve Gleason cannot wait for Saturday. This is his first season as the Cougars’ starting strong-side linebacker, so it’s only natural for the sophomore to feel a little anxiety.
“Once the game starts, I’ll be fine,” Gleason assured.
In the middle, between Moore and Gleason, senior Todd Nelson is presumably so excited about his prospects at middle linebacker that he cannot begin to put his feelings into words.
“I guess,” said WSU’s new middle linebacker, pausing not so much for effect as out of habit.
Nelson, you may not have heard, has little to say to the media. Sometimes he doesn’t say anything at all. Nothing personal, his teammates say, and Nelson does manage to break the silence with an occasional smile.
“That’s just Mute - er, Todd,” Gleason explained, invoking Nelson’s well-earned nickname. “He’s just not real good with the whole public thing.”
Together, WSU’s three starting linebackers form a capable unit, defensive coordinator Bill Doba believes.
Moore is a returning starter whom Doba considers vastly underrated. Gleason takes over for the departed Johnny Nansen, while Nelson fills James Darling’s old spot.
Last spring, there were concerns about Nelson’s speed. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder runs the 40-yard dash in a modest 4.8 seconds. But any fears have apparently been allayed.
“Todd’s gotten a lot quicker,” Doba said. “Some guys run 4.5 on the track and 5-flat on the field. Todd’s the kind of kid who runs 4.8 on the track, but there’s times when he’s 4.6 on the field. He’s got good burst and good acceleration.”
Still, Nelson relies more on strength than speed. That’s unusual for a WSU linebacker.
“Todd has enough upper-body strength to take on a blocker, shed and get across,” Doba said. “You don’t need to be quite as fast if you’re strong enough to get across people.”
That’s not the only difference. Last year, Darling made many of the calls on defense. That’s not Nelson’s style, so Gleason and Moore have been given speaking parts.
“That just changes by personality,” Doba said. “You know, Mark Fields (ex-WSU star now in the NFL) never called anything either. We just lined him up and let him play.
“Todd’s kind of the same way, he just doesn’t run quite as fast as Mark Fields. But he’s smart and he does a lot of things real well.”
Notes
Defensive tackle Gary Holmes (back) is making progress and could be a major part of WSU’s rotation against UCLA. Rob Meier remains the starter… . Tailback Michael Black (ankle) continues to wear a yellow non-contact jersey as a precaution during practice, but the senior appears healthy… . Sophomore defensive end Eboni Wilson has returned to practice despite having a torn anterior-cruciate ligament in his left knee. Trainer Mark Smaha said Wilson may not need reconstructive surgery immediately because the muscles in Wilson’s quadriceps and hamstring might be powerful enough to compensate.
, DataTimes