Book Ends
April 14, 2008 01:42 PM | General
April 14, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Larry Ford and Julian Miller possess many of the attributes a player needs to be an effective edge pass rusher in West Virginia’s 3-3-5 stack defense. Both are 6-feet-4 inches or taller, both are lightning fast off the ball and both have the athletic ability to get past big tackles.
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| Larry Ford transferred to WVU at mid-semester from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College.
Brian Persinger photo |
The one thing the two could use right now is a few extra pounds on their lanky frames.
“No. 1 is gaining weight,” says Ford. “That is what every coach is on me about. They make jokes about it every day about me gaining weight.”
Ford was a mid-semester addition from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, where he had 37 tackles 6 ½ tackles for losses and three sacks as a sophomore. The Georgetown, S.C., native played for a Coffeyville program that sent 21 players to four-year schools in 2007, including Troy Epps to Florida, Blair Irvin to Kansas State, Melvin Williams to North Carolina, Nate Guillory to Iowa, DJ Breathett to Oklahoma and Stephaun Raines to Tennessee.
Despite playing with all of that talent, the junior says it is still a major step up playing Division I football at WVU.
“I expected the offensive line to be a lot bigger because the offensive line I played against in JUCO was like 240,” Ford said. “It’s a big difference here.”
Ford is also getting used to West Virginia’s odd-stack defensive alignment.
“I played a 4-3 my whole life,” he said. “In high school I was a linebacker and then at JUCO they moved me to end. Being in this 3-3-5 stack there is a lot more stunting with the defensive ends. I didn’t stunt this much at JUCO. It was basically stay outside and don’t let them break contain and try and beat them on a pass rush.
“Here I’m stunting inside, taking on guards, centers and stuff like that and I wasn’t expecting that,” Ford added. “When I get my opportunities for one-on-ones I try to take advantage of that.”
Ford, who says he weighs about 230 pounds right now, is still learning how to give maximum effort on every play.
“It’s little things I’m doing like taking some plays off, which I shouldn’t be doing, and missing assignments on plays,” he said.
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| Julian Miller spent his freshman campaign last year learning from Johnny Dingle.
Kevin Kinder Blue & Gold News.com photo |
Like Ford, Julian Miller says he can clean up some things as well.
“I’ve got to cut down on my mental errors,” Miller said. “Coach Kirelawich is trying to make me a smarter player. He’s seen that I’ve become a much stronger player than I was last year.”
Recruited mainly on his great athletic ability as an all-state football player from Beechcroft High School in Columbus, Miller came to WVU without a true position. He played a little tight end and defensive end in football, was a starting forward on the basketball team and he also ran track.
The idea when Miller came to West Virginia was for him to fill out his 6-foot-5-inch frame and become a defensive lineman. He’s up to 236 pounds right now with the plan of reaching 245-250 by the fall.
“I want to gain the weight but keep up my speed,” Miller said.
Miller spent last year observing Johnny Dingle and he says watching Dingle everyday in practice was extremely beneficial.
“He kind of took me under his wing last year and I studied the way he played and just tried to come out this year and compete the way he did,” Miller said.
What impressed Miller the most was Dingle’s drive on the football field.
“The way he could push his way up the field and offensive linemen didn’t know what to do with him,” Miller said. “I just looked at that and said to myself that I’ve got to try and come out next year and do the same thing.”
Right now because Ford and Miller are both undersized they have to play with perfect technique to take on blockers sometimes 80 pounds heavier than them. Firing off the ball too high or using the wrong technique can get them into trouble.
“My toughest transition right now is staying low,” Miller admitted. “I’m 6-5 and it’s tough staying down in a crouch position all of the time rather than just being up a little bit and coming off the edge.”
Ford agrees.
“Staying low whenever I’m coming out of my stance is what I’ve got to improve on,” said Ford. “And when I’m getting down-blocked by the offensive line I’ve got to come under the fullback instead of over the top. It’s mental stuff that I’m doing that I’ve got to get right.”
With Zac Cooper out for the rest of the spring with a medical condition, it’s imperative that Larry Ford and Julian Miller be ready to go in the fall.
They are getting the important reps they need this spring to be ready. Then it will be up to them to get bigger during the developmental season.
