Linebackers lead Lions’ defense
Jalon Thigpen revealed a new jersey number during Sunday’s University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff team media day — 0 — and there is plenty of meaning behind it.
“I changed it because it’s my last season,” the former No. 21 said, going into his bonus season of college football. “I have no more options after this, no more chances, and I’m trying to go no dropped picks and keep it going.”
Thigpen took steps toward that lofty goal with a conference-leading five interceptions and three pass break-ups in a five-game spring season. It was a big improvement for the fifthyear senior from Laurel, Miss., from intercepting one pass in 2019.
“It comes from practice, staying on yourself hard,” Thigpen said. “Anytime you drop a ball or you’re just going through practice and not dropping a ball, you’ve got to make sure you catch every ball. Try not to drop any ball.”
As a rover, Thigpen poses a threat either as a linebacker or secondary player and plays a key role in the Golden Lions’ multiple defense, which ranked fifth of nine teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in total yards allowed at 364 per game. (Alcorn State University did not play in the spring, and
Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M universities joined the SWAC on July 1.)
Still, UAPB limited opposing offenses to 27.8 points per game during a SWAC Western Division championship, thanks in part to giving multiple looks.
“We wanted to do things slightly different from when I first got here,” Doc Gamble, second-year Lions Coach said. “Even though they consider me an offensive coach, I do know something about defense. I spent three years on defense. I just wanted to change our style of play. We wanted to do things we felt would bother offenses, and by being an offensive coach, I’m able to say, here’s what would bother a quarterback, some wideouts and things like that.”
In many cases, UAPB runs a 4-2-5 scheme but can switch to a 4-3 or 3-4. That means at any time, the Lions can have three spring 2021 All-SWAC linebackers on the field — Kolby Watts, Isaac Peppers and Thigpen.
“No lie, we probably got the best corps in the SWAC right now, as far as linebackers,” said Watts, another fifth-year senior from DeSoto, Texas, who switched from No. 43 to No. 4 for the spring season. “Our system usually consists of four linebackers on the field. So, I’d say we got the best one on the field.”
Watts returned a fumble 33 yards for a touchdown in the May 1 SWAC championship game against Alabama A&M University and finished the season with 36 tackles, including eight for losses.
Watts enjoys playing alongside a multitalented player like Thigpen.
“That’s a straight dog,” Watts said. “He motivates me every day to come out here and get better, because I want to be better than him. Right now, he’s got a step on me. It’s exciting because Thigpen is very versatile. You never know what he’s going to do, but he’s very big on instincts. Usually, when he does something, it’s for a good cause, and we trust him.”
While Thigpen has a knack for picking off passes, Peppers developed an aptitude for getting to the quarterback. The fourthyear senior from Greenville, Miss., totaled 7.5 sacks out of his 33 tackles in the spring, and he wants to help the Lions prove they’re better than their fifth-place prediction in the six-team SWAC West.
“The mindset going into this season is no different from last season,” Peppers said. “We’re just going in and proving ourselves, showing what we can do. Once we did it earlier this year, now we’ve got something to prove, to do it two times. We’re going to hold our heads up high, minds focused, go in, focus and execute to our highest level.”
ALEXANDER TO HELM SWAC COUNCIL
UAPB Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander will take over this semester as chairman of the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors and will be vice-chairman of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum.
The SWAC council assembles the 12 campus leaders in the conference, who act as a governing board for the league. In a statement, SWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland said Alexander “has shown a steadfast commitment to the forward progression and advancement of our student-athletes and league membership.”
The NCAA Division I Presidential Forum is a collective of one president or chancellor from each of the 32 Division I conferences. The forum assists the Division I Board of Directors in governance structure and helps ensure presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics on the campus, conference and national levels.