University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Q & A With Coaches: Part Seven - Deti
8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Part One: Running
Backs and Keith Grable
Part
Two: Secondary and Kendrick Shaver
Part Three:
Quarterbacks and Pete Darnell & Kickers/Punters and Scott
Downing
Part
Four: Tight Ends and David Walker
Part
Five: Defensive Line and Sean Dunaway
Part
Six: Wide Receivers and Jordan Fenner
The final installment on defense in the Northern Colorado football coaches' question-and-answer series takes a look at the linebackers with fourth-year defensive coordinator Cody Deti.
This interview is the seventh in an eight-part series previewing the 2009 football season, position by position. Each one asks four to five questions of how the fall camp has proceeded and what is expected in the upcoming season.
Deti joined the Bears' staff after spending time as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky (2003-05), Princeton (2000-02), Purdue (1997-99) and Wyoming (1994-96).
Question: You lost several key starters to graduation. Who do you look to on the team to help feel the void left by Cristian Sarmento and Joe Kenney?
CD: Well, there are several guys in the group that have a lot of playing experience from last year. I think it starts with our front four: (Jr DE Ethan) Davis, (Sr DT Martin) Awachie, (So DT Dominique) Ceja. Those are the guys we look to for leadership which is a good thing. Your front four is where the game is won and then at linebacker you've got Matt King and Logan Zabel who played a lot of snaps for us last year. In the back end we've got Quincy Wofford, Stephen Michon and Max Hewitt. Everybody's going to have to provide some kind of leadership. I don't think there's one individual that's going to fill those shoes, but that's a good thing. I think we've got a handful of guys who got a lot of snaps and a lot of repetitions during last year that will provide that leadership that we've lost.
Q: What has been the biggest surprise with the young linebackers added to the roster?
CD: The one surprise, which is not really a surprise is they're young and inexperienced and still in the learning process. I'm pleased with Gavin Miller, he's done a nice job of picking things up. He's obviously gotten a lot of reps because we're down a number of bodies in camp. It's been a pleasant surprise the young guys who have gotten work have responded fairly well to it but there's still a long way to go.
Q: As a group, what is the biggest strength of the linebackers?
CD: At the beginning I thought we had some depth, then again since we've had a couple of key guys go down that's no longer a strength of ours. I think the biggest strength now is the guys who are practicing with our first unit are getting a massive amount of reps and they're improving right now. We have guys that weren't going to be starters, so to speak, or get in the mix, and now they're getting a lot of reps and I think that's turning into a strength for us. We've gotten younger guys and inexperienced guys working the camp.
Q: What is the most important improvement they can make before the season opener at Kansas?
CD: Get healthy.
Q: What is the funniest thing you've heard a linebacker say during fall camp?
CD: Nothing. They're dry and boring.
