Boulder – For those Colorado linebackers who want to be great, at some point in their career they report to the office of position coach Brian Cabral.
On his walls are pictures of some of the Buffaloes’ greatest players, all in NFL garb. The photos speak to the hard work those players put in and the rewards it produced. The photos speak to the level the current players need to reach in order to have their picture placed on the wall.
“That’s what you aspire to be,” CU senior Akarika Dawn said, “the next guy whose picture is on that wall.”
CU figures to have four candidates for a spot on the wall of fame this fall: Brian Iwuh, Jordon Dizon, Thaddaeus Washington and Dawn. Cabral isn’t the only one to recognize their potential.
Washington and Iwuh were tabbed by Street & Smith’s as preseason honorable mention All-Americans. Dizon, Washington and Iwuh, the starters, have all made at least one preseason all-Big 12 team. The linebacking unit is ranked as high as 10th nationally, by Lindy’s magazine.
Before 2004? Not one of these linebackers drew mention as a potential all-conference or All-American. Talent, experience and improved performance last season changed all that.
“It’s a great feeling to go out there and see veteran linebackers and know that you have to go out there and compete every day,” Washington said.
Said Cabral: “I like the depth, I like the experience. They are a year older, they have a year with greater knowledge of the defense. So they’ll be more confident and they’ll play more confident.”
A year ago, the foursome combined for 344 tackles, 223 of which were un- assisted, including four sacks and 23 other tackles for loss, and three interceptions.
Iwuh led CU with 98 tackles, and he wasn’t the star. Dizon was. His 82 tackles and a sack as a freshman led to Associated Press Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year honors. Not bad for a player who arrived in Boulder without a true position last August. He started off in the secondary and was moved to linebacker.
“It never hit me till I went home and had some time to think about it,” Dizon said. “I’m just so blessed to have that happen to me.”
Since last season, Dizon said he’s added nearly 20 pounds in effort to increase strength. His high school coach, he said, told him he “needed to step it up” for his sophomore year. Cabral already has pulled him aside to chat about living up to the lofty expectations.
“I like that,” Dizon said. “It deflates my head.”
Meanwhile, Washington’s confidence has grown each year he’s been in Boulder and Dawn, the super sub, is a former starter who remains the heart and soul of a unit expected to be one of CU’s best in several years.
Said Dawn: “In the past two or three years we haven’t had a group like this. But I think we’re getting back to where we used to be. You come here knowing that linebackers are bred here.”
Footnotes
Starting safety Dominique Brooks suffered a high ankle sprain in Saturday’s scrimmage and is out at least four weeks, CU coach Gary Barnett said Monday. … Offensive lineman Daniel Sanders suffered a hyperextended elbow at practice.
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
