AIR FORCE ACADEMY — There couldn’t be a better time for linebacker Patrick Hennessey to show he can stay on the playing field.
With Air Force’s unit at inside linebacker up in the air, a healthy Hennessey could go a long way in bringing some stability to the defense.
“The way he plays with reckless abandon, I think he’ll lift everybody’s play around him,” defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt said. “Our linebacker group in general has some talent, but we’re green right now inside. Our outside spots should be okay with Andre Morris and Alex Means.”
Wallerstedt believes the 10 to 12 candidates at the linebacker spot will be a group that is faster and more experienced than last year, when the Falcons finished 8-5, including a 47-20 victory over Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Hennessey has shown glimpses of being an effective linebacker, but injuries have taken him off the field. He missed all but two games last season when an injured shoulder required surgery and ended his junior season. As a freshman, the 6-foot-2, 225 pounder from St. Ignatius High School in Strongville, Ohio, played in nine games and had shoulder surgery after the season. The next year he had two starts in 11 games before a shoulder injury took him off the field.
Hennessey missed a semester of classroom work and could still play next fall during an extra semester in school.
“It feels good to be out here, but it has been awhile,” Hennessey said after Wednesday’s practice. “We have some younger linebackers who got some experience last year. You can’t worry about injuries. I can look at it as adversity and let it make me a little tougher.”
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun thinks Hennessey is regaining his playing style.
“It would be a real plus if he could give us a lot of snaps as we get into the season,” Calhoun said. “He still has a ways to go, but he’s starting to get back. He loves football. He’s not quite yet turning it loose.”
Calhoun will have his team back at Falcon Stadium for a two-hour workout Saturday at 9:30 a.m. He expects to determine the 60 or so players who will be the mainstays of practice beginning next week.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
