San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
TEXAS A&M: MADUBUIKE LEADS A NEW-LOOK AGGIES DEFENSE.
Junior DT plans to curb his enthusiasm for facemask tackles
COLLEGE STATION — Claiming that Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike had a facemask problem last season is minimizing his biggest issue at the time. It was more of a whole head concern — like trying to keep the heads of opponents intact.
In the Aggies’ first eight games in 2018, Madubuike ripped off two quarterbacks’ helmets, yanked off the facemask of thenAlabama running back Damien Harris and also collected an oldfashioned, run-of-the-mill facemask call.
The imposing man in the Aggies’ defensive middle can laugh about it now, even though Madubuike left a handful of players wide-eyed and grimacing then.
“It was, ‘Oh, I’m starting. I’m just so jittery. I’m trying to make this tackle any way I can,’ ” the junior explained of what prompted any extra eagerness on takedowns. “It was, ‘I don’t care how I’m going to get him down — I’m going to get him down.’ Obviously, it doesn’t work like that.”
Madubuike (6-foot-3, 304 pounds) cleaned up his headscratching act the rest of the way on a team that won four consecutive games to finish 9-4, and now he’s expected to lead an Aggies defense that must replace five starters.
“He kind of came out of nowhere last year — he had played a little bit, and no one realized how good he was,” A&M second-year coach Jimbo Fisher said of Madubuike. “We were in love with him. We thought he played great.”
There was plenty to be in love with, starting with Madubuike’s run-stuffing role. He anchored a defensive line that finished third nationally in run defense, allowing 95.2 yards per game. He finished with 5½ sacks from his inside slot and led the Aggies with five quarterback hurries.
He earned the team’s defensive most valuable player award, both after the season and for a second straight spring.
“He’s one of the best players in the SEC, and a lot of offenses will find that out this year,” A&M quarterback Kellen Mond said of the tackler nicknamed “BK” by his teammates. “He’s a terror to deal with in practice, but that’s always going to make our offensive line better, so we can’t ever complain.”
“Terror” hardly is the first adjective springing to mind when visiting with Madubuike, who hails from McKinney, away from the field. The first thing a visitor will note is a megawatt smile capable of lighting up a stadium.
“My mom says I have one. Everybody says I have one,” Madubuike replied when informed he owns an exceptional smile. “So I’ll just keep on smiling.”
Past the grin, the next thing one notices from the “terror” on the field is a sharp sense of humor, along with striking opinions on football matters and beyond. A sampling from a couple of visits with the always engaging Madubuike over the summer:
On A&M defensive end Micheal Clemons:
“He’s ‘swoller.’ If y’all see him, you’ll say, ‘Whoa, is that Clemons?’ He’s got back muscles now.”
On being one of three Aggies at the always zany SEC Media Days in July:
“I’m just soaking it all in — all these cameras in my face. I’m
like, dang, it’s crazy. I feel like Kellen Mond out here.”
On defensive tackle Bobby Brown (6-4, 325), whom he dubs “Big Sack Bob,” taking over for perpetually winded Daylon Mack, now in the NFL:
“Bobby will be less tired than Daylon. Bobby is a young cat — big, strong and athletic. It’s like having an energy bunny right next to you. Daylon was like a big brother; Bobby is like a little brother. A little big brother.”
On defensive coordinator Mike Elko entering his second season at A&M:
“He knows what he has now. Last year, he was just stuck with what he had because he came here from Notre Dame.”
On visiting with the Adrian Peterson and Lonzo Ball at the ESPY Awards in July:
“(Peterson) shook the heck out of my hand. I was like, dang, AP. Geez, bro, don’t break my hand. Then I met Lonzo Ball. I was a little star-struck when I met Lonzo.”
On if he’s reading newspapers since the Aggies claim they gave up social media during camp: “Newspapers? It ain’t 1976.” On his youthful approach to life:
“I like to laugh, I like to have fun. I feel like I’m a little kid at heart. I like roller coasters and stuff like that. Even though they probably won’t put me on one now because I’m too big.”
On the last time he rode a roller coaster a couple of years ago:
“I had to (shift) three times, then I had to squeeze my thighs out to make them skinny, and they finally locked (the safety bar) in.”
On touted freshman defensive end and Judson High School product DeMarvin Leal:
“He’s moving around really well. And he has a new little visor that’s pretty cool. He has a little swag going.”
Madubuike is the ringleader of a defensive line that should be a team strength despite losing three starters to the NFL in Mack, Kingsley Keke and Landis Durham. Madubuike and Brown are expected to man the inside for starters, with talented junior backup Jayden Peevy breathing down their backs. Clemons and perhaps Leal will harass quarterbacks and running backs from the outside.
Sophomores Tyree Johnson, Tyree Wilson, Max Wright, Jeremiah Martin and Josh Rogers — along with freshmen Derick Hunter and Ardarious Jones — also are in the mix for playing time, with Madubuike and Peevy serving as the savvy veterans (and with nary a scholarship senior in sight).
“It’s funny. We like to think about it on third down that if we can just hold (receivers) for about three or four seconds, we know Justin Madubuike, Bobby Brown, Micheal Clemons, all those guys can get to the quarterbacks and cause them problems,” A&M safety Keldrick Carper said. “We’ve got some monsters up front. I would put our defensive line up against anybody’s in the nation.”
As for Madubuike away from the stadium?
“Every time you see him, he’s smiling, laughing,” Carper said. “He probably has the most distinctive laugh on the team. He’s just a big, funny guy.”
Try telling that to four foes from last season, two of whom wound up helmetless and found out the hard way Madubuike needed to refine his handiwork heading into the offseason.
“I needed to clean that up,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve been working on staying low, my hand placement, and just tackling from the waist. All those little things to not cause my team 15-yard penalties.”