Boulder – There’s no truth to the rumor Jordon Dizon once wrestled a bear to the ground. That’s only because Colorado’s senior linebacker hasn’t had the opportunity.
But Dizon did chase wild boar through steep terrain near his hometown of Waimea on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Waimea is a small town known for its statue of Captain James Cook that commemorates the explorer’s first contact with the islands in a nearby harbor in 1778.
Far removed from trendy tourist destinations, folks in Waimea take pride in doing things for themselves, without thinking twice. That’s how Dizon plays football. Instinctively. Passionately.
It also might explain how Dizon, although undersized for a major-college linebacker at 6 feet and 220 pounds, leads the nation in tackles per game (13.8). He had 19 in the season opener against Colorado State.
Colorado (2-2) might need at least that many stops from Dizon on Saturday for the Buffaloes to slow down third-ranked Oklahoma (4-0) at Folsom Field.
This much is certain: Every one of the Sooners’ offensive players will become aware of No. 44 before the game is over.
“Jordon never stops until the play is over,” Colorado cornerback Terrence Wheatley said. “When I almost intercepted a pass against Miami of Ohio, I looked up and there was Jordon. I said: ‘What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be playing linebacker.”‘
The Flatirons reminded Dizon of the craggy mountains near Waimea. He verbally committed to Colorado during his junior year of high school after having attended a CU football camp. Assistant coach Brian Cabral, who grew up in Hawaii, first spotted Dizon while visiting a Waimea practice to check out a big lineman he was recruiting.
Cabral determined the lineman was too slow, but Waimea coaches suggested he keep an eye on a freshman running back. That was Dizon, who would become Kauai’s top player as a do-everything contributor splitting his time between tailback and linebacker.
“We had no idea what position he would play when he first got here,” Cabral recalled. “We put him at safety because we were low on numbers there. But after two days (of August drills) it was obvious we needed to get him closer to the ball. He’s been starting at linebacker ever since.”
Always practicing like he plays, Dizon became a leader and this year became a team captain. It took awhile, however, because he didn’t say much during his first year in Boulder.
“There were communication problems because of the way we talked in Hawaii,” Dizon said. “When I wrote my first paper here at Colorado, I think I got a D-minus. I had sentence structures that were all wrong. There were words that were misused, and I thought it sounded perfectly.”
Other freshmen might have quit and gone home. Not Dizon. He is an honors student majoring in economics.
“I just had to adjust,” Dizon said. “I remember (former CU defensive tackle) Vaka Manupuna taking me out to buy some winter clothes. I didn’t even have a jacket.”
A sprinter in high school, Dizon is able to adjust and adapt on the field as well. Linebacker Brad Jones recalled Dizon making a rare mental mistake against Florida State when he lined up in the wrong spot.
“He realized it right at the snap and ran over to where he was supposed to be and still made the tackle,” Jones said, shaking his head. “I just said, ‘Wow.”‘
Not meaning any disrespect to Matt Russell, Chad Brown, Greg Biekert, Ted Johnson, Jashon Sykes, Hannibal Navies and others, Cabral calls Dizon the “most complete” linebacker he has coached.
“I’ve had big, tough guys,” Cabral said. “But in reality, they were run-stoppers. Jordon can do everything.”
CU linebacker R.J. Brown can vouch for that. Brown and Dizon played against each other in high school. They have roomed together.
“I remember one time our toilet was overflowing. It was bad. I really didn’t want to go in there. But Jordon stomped right in and fixed it, didn’t even hesitate.
“That’s the way he plays linebacker. He doesn’t need to think about things first. He just goes foot-by-foot and fixes the problem.”
Staff writer Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
