Robertson says the best he’s seen
THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1976
Page 9
Dean, Fields head up top notch front four
By PAUL MCGRATH
Battalion Staff Writer
The evolution of the 4-3 defense
in college and professional football
has shone new light on those be-
■moths of the trenches—the front
four. Unlike their kinsmen on of
fense, defensive linemen have
found a path to the limelight, usu-
By at the expense of some quarter
back or halfback. Names like the
Fearsome Foursome, Doomsday,
Be Purple People Eaters and the
Steel Curtain quickly come to mind,
exas A&M Defensive Co-
inator Melvin Robertson has re-
ning what he terms “can be as
d a front four as there’s been in
college football.” Robertson is not a
man to hand out praise undeser
vedly, and he thinks that perhaps
the only ingredient lacking from his
starting quartet is a catchy
nickname.
Returning at defensive tackle are
a pair that makes Robertson’s eyes
twinkle. Seniors Edgar Fields (6-3,
253 lbs.) and Jimmy Dean (6-5, 260
lbs.) anchor a defensive line whose
search and destroy missions into
enemy backfields helped Texas
A&M lead the nation in rushing and
total defense.
At the defensive end slots will be
the third senior of the front four,
Tank Marshall (6-5, 255 lbs.) and
junior transfer from Washington,
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Eugene Sanders (6-4, 265). In a nut
shell, opposing offenses will have to
get by over half a ton of meanness
and muscle to make progress.
“I think they’ll be super,”
Robertson Said of these four. 1
know a football coach is supposed to
play it down, but I can’t when I’m
talking about these guys. ”
He was highly complimentary
about his group of defensive line
man, both individually and collec
tively.
Marshall — “He’s everything you
could want in a defensive lineman.
Size, speed, everything.”
Fields — “He’s got quick feet,
he’s strong, he’s smart and he’s a
phenomenal pass rusher and excel
lent against the rush.”
Dean — “He’s stronger than
Fields and is a better technique
ballplayer. He can play the run bet
ter than he can rush the passer.
He’s a darned good athlete.”
Sanders — “He has great ability.
He still has a lot to learn though,
but once he gets our system down
he should be a good one.”
It has been Dean and Fields
though, who have been raising the
eyebrows of the talent scouts.
Fields was fourth amongst the Aggie
defenders in tackles and assists with
92, Dean was not far behind with
84, although he missed a pair of
games with a hand injury. Marshall
had 82.
Fields, an Austin Johnston prod
uct who transferred from Navarro
Junior College as a sophomore,
tackled runners behind the line of
scrimmage 11 times last season, in
cluding four quarterback sacks.
Robertson also keeps a statistic en
tailing harassment of the passer.
Fields topped the list with 20.
Fields has been named to several
pre-season all-conference and all-
America teams. All-Southwest Con
ference last season. Fields has been
cited for his savvy and his excellent
use of his hands to play off blockers.
An amateur naturalist. Fields col
lects plants and blossoms. Pots of
every shape and size hang from his
ceiling and decorate the floor of his
room. He seldom knows the types
of plants he keeps, just as he seldom
misses his pigskin-carrying prey.
Dean carried all sorts of creden
tials with him when he first entered
A&M. All-State, all-America, Hous
ton area Player of the Year and so
on. Recruited from Gulf area power
Brazoswood, Dean has become one
of the steadiest performers of the
defense that allowed only three runs
over 17 yards last year.
A lot of top names are gone from
what was the nation’s top defensive
unit, a fact which many gridiron
prophets use to denote weakness in
the A&M ranks. Not so, says Dean.
“Sure, a lot of the big names are
gone, but we still have a lot of talent
here at A&M. There’s also a lot of
pride involved,” he said.
Dean has played alongside Fields
and Marshall during dozens of con
tests, anticipating countless num
bers of snaps. He has come to know
and rely upon his teammates.
“The senior season is the one they
say you look forward to most. We’ve
all had another year’s experience”
he said. “We have confidence in
each other. If you have confidence
in the people around you, it’s easier
for you to play—you don’t have to
woriy about taking up the slack for
someone else.”
Dean is backed up by Steve Spit-
zenberger (6-4, 248 lbs.) and
Johnnnie Donahue (6-6, 235 lbs.).
Also expected to add depth is Gary
Milligan (6-1, 245 lbs.) . Robertson
expressed concern over depth at the
defensive end positions, but feels
his reserves at tackle are more than
adequate.
“This is the best defensive line
since I’ve been here at A&M—the
best since Tve been coaching,” said
the Aggies’ defensive mastermind.
Each member of the front four
seems to fit the mold of Robertson’s
defensive philosophy. “The number
Edgar Fields (90) and Tank Marshall (86)
close in Rice’s stellar quarterback Tommy
Kramer. This pair, along with Jimmy
Dean and Eugene Sanders will anchor
the Aggies’ defensive line this fall.
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one thing about playing defense is
reaction to the offense. It’s reaction
football played with great emotion
and enthusiasm,” he said.
"You have to have super morale.
Football is a morale game, that’s
what it’s all about. I’m not worried
about alignments, stunts, blitzes—
that’s easy. All I’m worried about is
morale.
“If they’re ready, we 11 pull every
thing out that we have. Otherwise,
we re a close-to-the-line, conserva
tive, stereotyped football team.”
Stereotyped will be an adjective
easily avoided should Robertson’s
expectations be met.
Staff Photo.
TAMU hold
officiating
workshop
Over 150 college and public
school football officials are expected
here next week for Texas A&M
University’s annual officiating work
shop.
Leading updating and training
sessions at the July 23-24 seminar
will be Cliff Speegle, executive sec
retary of the Southwest Conference,
and Hal Lahar, assistant executive
secretary.
Texas A&M’s Health and Physical
Education Department is sponsor
ing the program in cooperation with
the Continuing Education Office.
Tom Belt rand, Prop.
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