A Look at the 2010 Defensive Line
8/31/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 31, 2010
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Lumberjacks enter the 2010 campaign with a veteran defensive line, which is an awkward statement to make considering SFA lost both starting defensive ends including two-time All-American Tim Knicky. But what SFA returns are several players who have been around the program for a significant amount of time, which makes SFA's defensive front very deep.
SFA returns seniors Rainey Sternes and Broderick Gaffney on the outside, and with preseason All-American Kenneth Charles moving to the outside SFA has three athletes with plenty of experience and the ability to start at the ends.
"We are looking at lining Kenneth Charles up on the strong side and Rainey Sternes up on the weak side," said defensive ends coach Erik Slaughter. "Kenneth had a great season as an interior lineman, and we've moved him to the outside. We wanted a guy to put on the field that we can put across from a tight end and have him hold the point, as well as being able to rush off the edge. He really fits what we are looking for. We will still use him on the interior on certain situations this year.
"Kenneth is a very focused young man who plays hard all of the time. He's the type of player you love coaching," added Slaughter.
Sternes got some starts during the early part of the 2009 season when Knicky was trying to recover from a high ankle sprain. He played in all 13 games last season, finishing the year with 4.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.
"I consider Rainey a returning starter," said Slaughter. "He's started a couple games in the past for us, and has played a tremendous amount. Rainey has the talent to make game changing plays. He can be a real difference maker."
The loss of Jacob Fincher during fall camp hurt the team's depth, but SFA was in the fortunate position of being able to call on Gaffney, and fellow senior Greg Carlson. Both players saw significant time last year, and have been around the program for several years.
Along with the senior class, the 'Jacks have several freshmen who could find their way onto the field this season. Redshirt freshmen Darren Robinson (6-0, 220, Dallas, Texas) and Garry Williams (5-11, 265, Texarkana, Texas) and true freshman Malcolm Mattox have looked very strong during fall camp.
"We're obviously not as experienced in our backups," said Slaughter. "But it is our job to get those guys ready. As the season goes along I believe that we will be just as deep or deeper than we were last year."
It is a little bit different story for the 'Jacks' interior lineman. Both starters returned from last season, but as we have mentioned earlier, Charles was moved to an end. That moved left 6-0, 292-pound Sean Warren as the lone returning starter on the inside. Warren was an honorable mention All-SLC selection last season who finished the year with 37 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for losses. He will be joined up front by Weekendfer Saurit (6-0, 310, Junior).
"Last year these guys really bought into what we were trying to accomplish on the field, and focusing on technique," said defensive tackles coach Kurt Corbin. "We've made a few changes, but I think we have a good solid group.
"I think we are strong with Weekendfer and Sean up front. They provide us with some stability. Sean is coming off a great spring camp, and has continued to impress throughout the fall. I feel really good this group heading into the season," added Corbin.
Although a highly recruited player out of the junior college ranks, it's not Warren's ability on the field that sets him apart. Warren's dedication to studying his opponents has been a great asset to him.
"The thing that really stands out about Sean is that he is always studying film," said Corbin. "He knows formations and blocking schemes and uses that knowledge on the field. He is a mentally tough kid who can play a lot of snaps."
Juniors Gordon Booker (6-0, 295, Longview, Texas) and Tyler Francis (6-4, 265, Sulphur Springs, Texas) and sophomore Wayne Thompson (6-0, 288, Cedar Hill, Texas) are all currently listed as backups, but each have the talent to start. All three athletes have taken different paths to SFA.
The son of a former Lumberjack standout, Booker signed with SFA out of high school. A high-intensity player, Booker has played in 23 games during his career and is expected to see quite a bit more playing time in 2010.
Both Thompson and Francis are transfers, but Thompson arrived via the FBS rout (Tulsa) just days before the 2009 season, while Francis was a junior college addition during the team's most recent signing class. Thompson recorded 18 tackles in 11 games last season, while Francis is an all-conference athlete at Trinity Valley who has made the transition from end to interior lineman.
The defensive line will be thrown into the fire in the season opener against Texas A&M. The Aggies return the heart of an offense that was ranked among the nation's top 20 scoring, total and passing offense at the FBS level last season. The season opener is slated to kick off at 6 p.m. from Kyle Field.
-SFA-
