By Eric Groves
While the defensive line and secondary are the units garnering most of the national hype, the linebacking corps, which is both deep and talented, could be the real backbone of the much ballyhooed Cardinal defense. Seniors Michael Brown and Chad Lee are returning starters from last season’s defensive unit, which finished the season ranked 10th in the nation in total defense.
If U of L head coach John L. Smith had his druthers, senior bandit (a hybrid of a linebacker and safety) Brown would receive plenty more accolades. “He’s talented. He’s underrated,” Smith said of his four-year starter. “If he does the things he’s supposed to, he’s going to get a chance to go on and play safety (in the NFL.)” Brown, a former star running back at Louisville’s Butler, finished sixth on the squad with 50 tackles last season. Brown’s eventual replacement at bandit is likely redshirt freshman Brent Johnson, a 5’10 speedster from Mobile, AL. Sophomore Jonathon Jackerson will also see some snaps while filling in for Brown.
Senior LB Chad Lee was a defensive lineman when he came to U of L, but with plenty of depth on the D-line, Smith moved the talented Lee to middle linebacker specifically just to get him somewhere on the field. Lee responded with 95 tackles (third best on the squad), including nine for losses and three quarterback sacks. Lee figures to perform even better with a full year at his new position under his belt. Behind Lee, sophomore Robert “The Hammer” McCune (a physical specimen who was last season’s special teams player of the year) and freshman Brandon Johnson both expect to see minutes on the field.
The only newcomer to the starting LB unit is junior Rod Day. Day, a special teams player for the last two seasons, fills the void left by Jeromy Freitag.
Last season in U of L’s C-USA deciding tilt against East Carolina, Day filled in for the injured Lee and provided a key sack of Pirates QB David Garrard in the Cards’ title clinching victory. Day will likely be spelled by junior James Green (who appears fully recovered from a knee injury) and senior B.J. Steele.
