University of North Carolina Athletics
Coach Huxtable On The Linebackers
June 26, 2001 | Football
June 26, 2001
By: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue: Could you please brief us on each of your players and how they did this spring?
Coach Huxtable: "To me, Quincy Monk is the leader of the group. He's a really good football player, plus he's an extremely intelligent kid. He understands his position very well. He's got a good knowledge of the game and a good work ethic.
"We moved Quincy from Mike linebacker to Will linebacker. He made the adjustment moving from Mike to Will, but probably in the fall we're going to move him back to Mike linebacker.
"Our Mike linebacker is the guy that makes all the defensive calls and sets our front. He's really the quarterback of the defense as far as the front seven is concerned. Quincy is the guy that I feel needs to do that job for us.
"He runs well, he's strong, he's instinctive, he's a good tackler. He's very strong both mentally and physically. I've really got a lot of respect for Quincy.
"Quincy is without a doubt the best linebacker we have in the program.
"I'm really pleased with David Thornton, I like this kid a lot. He's always got a great look on his face, he's always got a great attitude, he's got an excellent work ethic.
"You know you don't see him on tape playing a whole lot last season, but he really worked hard this spring and in the off-season program before the spring. He worked hard to get bigger and stronger.
"David was a very consistent player for us in the spring. He's a fast learner. I can tell in the meetings that he's eager to learn, he wants to learn. He's a lot of fun to coach. I enjoy being around him, he's a very positive, up-beat kid.
"David was our number one Sam linebacker in the spring, but right now I'm projecting moving him to the number one Will position. The Will linebacker is the weak-side linebacker.
"I think David is going to be one of our top linebackers next year.
"Clay Roberson came to me late in the spring, I only had him for the last week. He had been working with Coach Webster at defensive end.
"We moved him to linebacker. He's got more of a linebacker-type body. We didn't feel that he was quite big or heavy enough to play down on the line.
"Moving him so late really put Clay in a difficult position. We had already installed so much in the first three weeks before moving him. His learning to play linebacker on top of having to learn all the installations really was tough for him.
"He's a kid that we're going to continue to work with in fall camp and see if we can get him caught up with the other linebackers as far as learning the defensive scheme. We have to get him reacting more instinctively as a linebacker. Right now he really doesn't have the instinct to play the position. Clay is playing Sam linebacker, the outside linebacker position.
"He's working hard this summer with Coach Connors and in the position-specific drills that we're doing. He also works hard on special teams. Right now he's on our kickoff-coverage team, and he's on our second team punt team. He should be a special teams player for us, and we'll just have to see how he progresses at linebacker.
"You know, Anthony Perkins is another great kid. Even now, after his injury, he's still very positive. A lot of fifth-year seniors who were in his place would be down, but not Anthony, he's fighting through it.
"Clarence Gaddy is going to be a good player. He has a lot of skill, a lot of talent, and a lot of ability. He runs really well.
"He's got to get into the weight room, he's got to get bigger and stronger. He's got a mean streak that runs down the middle of his back that I really like.
"I'm really excited about this kid. He's got a good attitude, I like his work ethic. I think that Clarence, if he dedicates himself in the weight room, will be a really good player.
"Clarence will play the Will linebacker position behind David Thornton to start out the fall.
"You know, I'm talking very positively about most of these kids, but I really like the kids I'm coaching.
"Sean Williams worked most of the time as the number three Mike linebacker. Sean is a walk-on linebacker with a real passion for the game. He was not in the best of condition coming into spring practice. Sean has to concentrate more on his conditioning, because I feel like he fatigues easily.
"He needs to work harder on his cardiovascular conditioning. Right now, I don't know how much linebacker play he'll get in the fall.
"Good kid, great passion for the game, but right now he's the number three Mike linebacker.
"Merceda Perry will start off the fall as a Sam linebacker. I am anxious to see what he can do.
"He's not 100% yet, he didn't participate in spring football on the field. He had a pin in his ankle. He was involved in the meetings. The first couple of days he went through some individual drills, but was not involved in any live contact. After the first few days, we made the decision to let him go ahead and have surgery and get that thing removed.
"He's coming around. His conditioning is getting better, he's starting to get back in shape. There's still some soreness in there.
"He's a big, strong, good looking kid who moves well. I'm curious and anxious to see what he can do.
"Robert Harris, I love this kid. Robert was a walkon player who just went on scholarship, and I think it's a well-earned scholarship, he's really worked hard.
"Robert will start fall camp as our number two Mike linebacker. What a hard worker, I mean a really hard working kid. He's another one with a great passion for the game.
"He's strong, he's physical, he runs well. He's still got a lot to learn about his position and the defensive scheme, but I think he'll play a lot for us this fall.
"He's also going to be a big part of our special teams. He's an awesome kid.
"Robert Davis is a walkon who just joined the program this winter. We call him "General Davis", I don't know why, we just call him that.
"What a great kid, he does everything that we ask him to do. He loves the game, is eager to learn and very coachable. He's a joy to be around.
"He's got a lot to learn. If he sticks it out, down the road, who knows what can happen for him.
"This was the first time playing linebacker this spring for Malcolm Stewart. He worked at the Sam position from day one of practice.
"He played defensive end last year, but we talked to him during the winter and moved him to linebacker. It was new to him. A lot of times he was like a fish out of water, just like Clay Roberson was a lot of times.
"Malcolm has got a lot of talent. He's tall, he's rangy, he has that ease of movement. He can run. He's got everything you're looking for except the knowledge of the position.
"I just talked to him yesterday about that. He's got to work harder than the rest of them because he's so far behind in knowing his position. He's got to get a lot of reps, he's got to study the game, he's got to watch a lot of film, he's go to learn.
"I think if he commits himself to doing that and really works at it, he's going to be a player for us.
"Devllen Bullard is a redshirt freshman who was playing our Sam linebacker position. He really did a nice job through the first week of spring. In fact, he may have been the most productive of all our linebackers in the first scrimmage. Then, the next week he hurt his knee in a punt protection drill, and I lost him for the rest of the spring.
"I'm quite excited about Devllen. He's another of those kids who've got a real mean streak. He's got the temperament that a linebacker needs to play the game the way it's supposed to be played.
"He's gotten bigger, he's put on 10 or 15 more pounds. He's coming back from the knee injury. He's a bit behind in his conditioning, which is understandable, but he's working hard to get back into shape.
"He'll play some football for us at linebacker this fall. He'll also be heavily involved with our special teams.
"I think he's a guy who will strongly compete for a starting position down the road."
TarHeelBlue: You mentioned a linebacker's temperament. What's the ideal temperatment for a linebacker?
Coach Huxtable: "I don't think a linebacker's ever dressed unless he's got a mean streak right down the middle of his back. He's got to have a take-no-prisoners attitude.
"It's a contact game, it's a physical game. It's played the best by the most physical players. You've got to be a physical player to play linebacker. You've got to be a guy who absolutely loves contact. You can't shy away from contact.
"Our linebackers need to be productive. They've got to be able to make plays. They've got to have a heart and a passion to lay it out on every down to make the plays they have to make, and even plays they shouldn't make. If they play with passion, they'll make those plays.
"They've got to have a love for contact and sticking their eyes where they belong."
TarHeelBlue: When you go out and watch high school prospects play, what are you looking for?
Coach Huxtable: "I look to see how fast they play. We want our linebackers to play fast.
"You get some kids with a 4.5 or 4.6 forty time, then when they put on a uniform they go out and play at 4.9 or 5.0 speed, they play slow.
"Then you get those guys who are 4.8 or 4.9 on the clock, but they go out and play like they're 4.6.
"Then when you get someone who clocks 4.4 or 4.5 and also plays at that speed, then you've got something special.
"I like to watch not just a kid's instincts and how well he moves, but how fast he plays, how well he reads and reacts. I also look at the effort he plays with. Those things are important with me.
"I also look at how well they tackle. I tell my linebackers all the time that tackling is the most important defensive fundamental. To be a linebacker, you've got to be a great tackler, so that's the other thing I look at."
TarHeelBlue: What makes for a great tackler? Technique, desire?
Coach Huxtable: "I think it's both. It's a technique that we work on every day in practice as a defensive team. It's a desire, it's a willingness, it's an attitude of 'I want to.'
"It doesn't always have to be pretty. It doesn't have to be a pretty form tackle. It just has to be a want to, a desire to get the ball carrier on the ground any way necessary. As long as he's on the ground, it's a good tackle.
"Another thing is, I talk to the kids all the time about yards gained after contact. If we tackle poorly with our heads behind and not bringing our feet, we may get him on the ground but after an extra two or three yards gained after contact.
"I'm very conscientious about working with the kids on their form to prevent extra yards from being gained after contact."
TarHeelBlue: You talked about playing fast. Which of your guys plays the fastest?
Coach Huxtable: "Quincy plays fast, which he should, he's got the most experience. He's played that position for a long time. He plays with good eyes, he reads well, he recognizes well, and he reacts quickly.
"Robert Harris plays fast, sometimes too fast. Sometimes he's going, but he's not going where he's supposed to be going. Once he gets more reps under his belt, he's going to be a really fast player.
"David Thornton plays fast. Clarence Gaddy plays real fast, but again, he's not always going where he's supposed to go, but he's always going fast. We've got to get him a little more disciplined, making sure that he's recognizing better what he's seeing.
"You play faster through experience and repetition. It's a repetition thing. The more times they see the picture, the faster they can react to what they see."
TarHeelBlue: Do you worry much about a linebacker's height?
Coach Huxtable: "They've had tall linebackers here in the past, and we've got some tall ones here right now. Merceda, Quincy and Clarence are all 6-4. David Thornton's a tall kid.
"You'd like to have them in the 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 range, but I'm not really hung up on the height thing, as long as they can run and play physical and play fast."
TarHeelBlue: How well did the defensive coaches mesh this spring?
Coach Huxtable: "I think Coach Tenuta's done a great job with the defense, and with the defensive staff. He's organized, he knows defensive football, he knows what he wants to do.
"He's got to teach us in the off-season.
"Jim (Webster) and I worked together down at ECU. Rod Broadway is a tremendous person and a good football coach.
"We threw a lot at these kids this spring, and they picked it up pretty well. I'll tell you, these kids are smart, they learn quickly. We threw a lot at them and really challenged their minds.
"I think the chemistry is really good on the defensive side of the ball. Everybody is very excited to be here and anxious to coach the kids up to play good defense.
"Also, I think Coach Bunting did a good job preparing us as a staff, plus he did a great job with the players. There were a lot of kids getting a lot of reps and a lot of looks. It was not only good for the kids, it was good for us as a staff because it gave us a great opportunity to evaluate them.
"It was a very up-tempo pace at practice. I heard a lot of the kids say it was the hardest they've worked since they've been here. It was a different type of practice than they've gone through, and I think it was challenging to them.
"Coach Bunting has a great work ethic. He's our leader and he's not going to back off. The kids have to play to his tempo.
"I think he challenged them this spring to pick it up. And, I think they liked it. I think they responded well to it.
"Coach Bunting is a good CEO, he let us coach. Our job is to coach the kids, it's our responsibility to get it done. He'd step in when he felt like he had to do so.
"He's hired a bunch of aggressive coaches. We all have a passion for the game and love coaching. We all coach aggressively.
"You'll see an intensity, because Coach Bunting has a great desire and intensity. He's got a great love and passion for this school. We all want to do well, but I know it's even more special for Coach Bunting."
Coach Huxtable will give a detailed look at the special teams this Thursday on TarHeelBlue.
