Monday, September 2, 1991
The Battalion
The list goes on
Aggies
continue
linebacker
tradition
by Steve O'Brien
The Battalion
Texas A&M is considered by
many people now to be the new
Linebacker U.
The likes of Johnny Holland,
Larry Kelm, John Roper, Aaron
Wallace, and most recently
William Thomas, have passed
through Aggieland and made
their presence felt on Kyle Field.
1 A main cog in what was a
highly touted A&M linebacking
j:orps for the 1991 football season
will be missing, but barring in
juries, the Aggies should not miss
a beat, A&M head coach R.C.
Jlocum said.
Senior Anthony Williams, rat
ed among the nation's best
linebackers, was declared academ
ically ineligible for the 1991 sea
son.
The leading linebacker be
comes senior Quentin Coryatt,
also one of the nation's top rated
inside linebackers. Coryatt, who
may best physically stronger than
Williams, begins only his second
vear of play for the Aggies.
Next to Coryatt, the Aggies
will quickly fill the vacant spot left
by Williams with sophomore Ja
son Atkinson.
Slocum said it remains to be
seen what the loss of Anthony
Williams will do to the defense.
"If we can keep our two
starters healthy it won't be a major
loss," Slocum said. "But instead
PHELAN M. EBENHACK/The Battalion
'.&M linebacker Quetin Coryatt is an All-American and Butkus Award candidate.
of having Jason Atkinson ready to
come in on either side for Quentin
Coryatt or Anthony, now he is the
starter."
Last fall Atkinson stepped in
for an injured Williams against
Texas and responded with 10
tackles, leaving him with 32 total
tackles on the season.
"We still kid about it," Atkin
son said. "Standing next to
Quentin I don't look that intimi
dating, but I can do the job."
At 6-4, 243 pounds, Coryatt is
rated the country's eleventh best
collegiate linebacker and named to
the preseason All-Southwest Con
ference team by one sports publi
cation. Coryatt also earned Asso
ciated Press Defensive Newcomer
of the Year honors while accumu
lating 92 tackles his first season as
a starter last season.
Slocum said Atkinson can be a
force for the Aggies next to Cory
att.
"Jason is one of the best ath
letes on our team," Slocum said.
"He can move well and reacts
well."
Juniors Otis Nealy and Marcus
Buckley get the call as the two
starting outside linebackers.
Nealy, who has played mainly
as a reserve the past two seasons,
brings speed and experience to his
position.
After playing backup, Nealy
said it is his turn.
"I'm blessed to be in this posi
tion," Nealy said. "I'm not Roper
or Thomas. I'm a man of my own.
They had their thing, and now it's
my turn."
Buckley, who gained a starting
outside linebacking spot midway
through last season, could be the
next great A&M linebacker. Buck-
ley finished last season with 47
tackles, including 31 solo stops.
He also had four quarterback
sacks and eight pressures.
Rebuilding the wall
A&M
defensive
line must
stay healthy
this season
by Art Garcia
Maroon is the color most of
ten associated with the Texas
A&M football team, although
this year that color could very
well be green.
The 1991 Aggie defense re
turns only five starters from last
season, and none of those are
defensive linemen.
The three projected starters
on the defensive front are all
sophomores, enough to make
A&M head football coach R.C
Slocum a little nervous.
But Slocum seems very com
fortable with this year's unit.
"The defensive line looks
better than anytime in the last
two-to-three years," the head
coach said.
The reason for Slocum's opti
mism is that all three projected
starters this season already have
a full year of experience behind
them.
Sophomore defensive ends
Kefa Chatham and Eric England
both played last year as true
freshmen, filling in for a line
decimated by injuries.
Also, sophomore nose guard
Pat Henry returns to reclaim his
starting spot after a medical red-
shirt last season.
Henry, who started as a
freshman two years ago, said he
has a point to prove in 1991.
"To show people the Pat
Henry that could play is back."
A key to this years defensive
success is how the Aggies stack
up against the run. Last year
A&M finished fourth in the
JAY JANNER/The Battalion
Noseguard Pat Henry hopes to
return to the form before being
injured before last season.
Southwest Conference in rush
ing defense, a topic of concern
for the coaching staff.
"We need to stop people
from running the football on
first and second down," Slocum
said. "This year's line is more
physical up front - All (the line
man) are 265 to 275 pounds and
can move."
Chatham, a 6-foot-4 inch,
250-pound lineman, agrees that
speed is one of the line's best as
sets.
"The speed up front in
stunts will help us stop the run,"
Chatham said. "We're young
but strong."
Slocum said he hopes the
defensive front can stop the run
on first and second downs in or
der to open up more opportuni
ties to blitz.
By setting up passing situa
tions, it forces the opposition
into the hands of A&M's highly-
regarded and much-publicized
secondary and linebacking
corps.
But how does the line feel,
being in the media shadow of
the rest of the defense.
"No problem," said
Chatham. "I'm quiet, so I like it
that way."
But Henry believes in the
team concept.
"I feel good about the defen
sive backs getting publicity," he
said. "After all, when we win it
says the Aggies won - not just
the defense."
Both players agree the only
thing that matters is working to
wards a SWC title.
Add to the defensive line
equation 1989 starter Kevin
Tucker, senior Mark Wheeler,
sophomore Lance Teichelman,
and the state's number-one re
cruit Sam Adams.
Slocum, who has been coach
ing on the defensive side of the
ball for more than 20 years,
praised is young defensive line
man.
"Sam Adams is one of the
best in a while to come in here,"
he said.
If the defensive line stays
healthy this season, Kyle Field
may be a place where offenses
Page 5
Buckley
knows
meaning of
hard work,
dedication
by Steve O'Brien
The Battalion
For the first time, A&M
linebacker Marcus Buckley
knows the most important
person in his life will be
watching him play football.
Buckley's father. Nelson,
always told his son how im
portant it was to work hard.
Nelson told Marcus he had to
be disciplined to get the things
he wanted out of life.
For Marcus, this meant
working at a gas station to
earn extra money and strug
gling through the hard work
of school every fall. Hard
work also meant becoming a
three-time all-district tailback
at Eastern Hills High in Ft.
Worth.
Like his father told him,
the hard work Marcus put into
things would help him get
what he wanted. In the spring
of 1989, Marcus was offered a
scholarship to play football at
Texas A&M.
His dedication to football
paid off, but there was some
thing missing. Marcus' father,
suffering from the effects of
emphysema and diabetes since
Marcus was 10 years old, was
never able to see his son play
football.
"He was always too sick
and couldn't get to the
games," Marcus said. "The
most he could do was take me
there (to the game) and then
he would have to go."
This past August Nelson
Buckley died at the age of 69.
For Marcus, his father's
death means his biggest fan
can finally watch.
"I know he's in a better
place now," Marcus said.
"He'll be watching me play all
the time now."
And with his father look
ing over him, Marcus knows
he can never give up.
"Every time I get tired or
want to quit, I just think of
him," Marcus said. "My fa
ther couldn't even walk (20
feet). I can do so much."
Marcus, a junior who took
over the starting outside
linebacker spot half-way
through last season, is dedicat
ing this season and the rest of
his life to the memory of his fa
ther.
At 6-2, 225 pounds and
possessing blazing speed,
Buckley is poised to become
the next great A&M lineback
er. Three previous A&M out
side linebackers, John Roper,
Aaron Wallace and William
Thomas, received All-South-
west Conference honors and
all currently play in the Na
tional Football League.
But Buckley contends he
will make his own mark on
A&M.
"It's hard to match-up
with those players in the past,"
he said. "They're all guys to
shoot for, but it's a hard goal
to achieve. "But I'm not
Roper or any of those other
guys," Marcus said. "I can
only play the way I know how
and the rest will just happen."
Buckley is part of a four
man linebacking corps that
should be one of the best in the
SWC.
Nelson Buckley instilled
more in his son than a good
work ethic for football.
See Buckley/page 12
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