Lofton: Bringing 'em down
Published: 10/18/2007 12:07 PM
Last Modified: 10/18/2007 12:07 PM
I always liked watching Rufus Alexander play linebacker.
Whether it was forcing a fumble, falling on a ball or rushing the passer and then jumping at the last second to knock down the throw, the guy had a disruptive instinct for the ball that you just can't coach.
But as good an athlete as he was, as much of a ball-hawker he was, Alexander wasn't a particularly talented tackler, even though he did lead the team in tackles three years in a row. Neither was Zach Latimer, the Sooners' middle linebacker the previous two seasons. Even Clint Ingram, now a starter with the Jacksonville Jaguars who had amazing freelancing abilities, wasn't a gifted tackler.
Not like Curtis Lofton.
Lofton isn't going to test off the charts. On a good day, with the wind at his back, he might run a 4.6-something in the 40. But the 6-foot, 240-pound Lofton makes up for physical limitations by sniffing out plays before they develop and getting himself in position, whether it's a running play out of a jumbo set or a pass play out of the empty backfield set.
But here's the thing about Lofton: once he gets close to the ballcarrier, the ballcarrier's going down. The man can flat tackle.
"He's just a powerful, strong player that's quick, he's fast, and he understands," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "He just sees things and tackles well. His change-of-direction is exceptional. He's everything you look for in an inside 'backer."
On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Brent Venables talked about tackling ability. Rocky Calmus' tackles were sometimes unorthodox, but could bring a runner down whether he was in position or falling on his facemask. Teddy Lehman could tackle because his 4.4 speed put him on the ball every play, even if his bring-down technique was that of a calf-roper. If not for a knee injury, Lance Mitchell might have been the best of them all (he was great before the injury, and pretty good after it).
But Lofton, Venables said, could be the best tackler he's ever coached.
Lofton doesn't have Lehman's speed, but he may have Calmus' instincts. And when he gets to the football, he has something neither Calmus or Lehman did: perfect form, a knock-back pop, a powerlifter's upper body and an octopus grip.
"The guy's fabulous, I'm telling you," Stoops said. "I think, in the end, he has a chance to be better because of his overall ability and his toughness, the way he understands the game. I didn't say he's better than all those guys. I just said he has a chance to be if he continues to improve the way he has, and mature, and really figure it out. The guy is a great player."
And that's why, every week it seems, Lofton keeps resetting his personal record for tackles. Last week it was 18 against Missouri's spread. No Sooner has had that many since Lance Mitchell in 2002.
"Now you know what I've been saying since before the season, that we had a chance to be better in those positions, and I feel strongly that that's happening to this point."
– John E. Hoover
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
