Star Magazine: Getting to Know Sam, Mike and Will (Linebacker)

[jobberone]

Star Magazine: Getting to Know Sam, Mike and Will (Linebacker)
Monday, October 19, 2015 10:46 AM CDT
By Jeff Sullivan

(This story originally appeared in Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. For subscription information, please click here.)

So these three guys, Sam, Mike and Will, walk into a bar … no, wait, that’s not right.

They actually walk on to a football field, each and every day throughout the fall, from the youngest of the Pop Warner kids where the helmet is too big for their head to the Dallas Cowboys. Every team in between, too. They all have a Sam, a Mike (sometimes two) and a Will.

We’re not speaking of first names, and here’s guessing the majority of football followers know that. We’re talking about linebackers, the guys in the middle of the defense who run forward, backward, side-to-side, more or less every direction on the compass.

And while the Cowboys most certainly have their “Sam” (strong-side), “Mike” (middle) and “Will” (weak-side), just like every other team, their linebackers – Andrew Gachkar, Anthony Hitchens, Sean Lee, Kyle Wilber and Damien Wilson, who all weigh within 10 pounds of one another – are more or less interchangeable, meaning each can play all three positions. This isn’t by accident.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/10/19/star-getting-know-sam-mike-and-will-linebacker

 

[xwalker]

Star Magazine: Getting to Know Sam, Mike and Will (Linebacker)
Monday, October 19, 2015 10:46 AM CDT
By Jeff Sullivan

(This story originally appeared in Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. For subscription information, please click here.)

So these three guys, Sam, Mike and Will, walk into a bar … no, wait, that’s not right.

They actually walk on to a football field, each and every day throughout the fall, from the youngest of the Pop Warner kids where the helmet is too big for their head to the Dallas Cowboys. Every team in between, too. They all have a Sam, a Mike (sometimes two) and a Will.

We’re not speaking of first names, and here’s guessing the majority of football followers know that. We’re talking about linebackers, the guys in the middle of the defense who run forward, backward, side-to-side, more or less every direction on the compass.

And while the Cowboys most certainly have their “Sam” (strong-side), “Mike” (middle) and “Will” (weak-side), just like every other team, their linebackers – Andrew Gachkar, Anthony Hitchens, Sean Lee, Kyle Wilber and Damien Wilson, who all weigh within 10 pounds of one another – are more or less interchangeable, meaning each can play all three positions. This isn’t by accident.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/10/19/star-getting-know-sam-mike-and-will-linebacker

Odd article. He barely mentions RoMc. He says all the LBs weigh within 10 pounds of each other but I'm certain that's not true for RoMc.

 

[jobberone]

I'm not overly concerned with weight although I want someone who can thump. If that LB is also able to cover reasonably well then great.

I like very instinctive LBers who can move to the ball immediately. Lee is my kind of guy there. Read and react immediately. Make the tackle. Get into coverage and do it reasonably well.

While I think there are body types and players who fit certain roles better, I like a LBer who can do it all. And yes this has become more and more difficult as LBers are picked on in the passing game. They've go from the Butkus type to the Lee type. They are now super safeties.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Odd article. He barely mentions RoMc. He says all the LBs weigh within 10 pounds of each other but I'm certain that's not true for RoMc.

This article appeared in the print edition of the Dallas Cowboys Star magazine a few weeks ago (that's where I first read it). Ro-Mac was still in the midst of his suspension, so Sullivan left him out of this story.

 

[Richmond Cowboy]

I wonder if a team has ever fielded a LB corps whose names were actually Sam Mike and Will. That would be sick.

 

[xwalker]

This article appeared in the print edition of the Dallas Cowboys Star magazine a few weeks ago (that's where I first read it). Ro-Mac was still in the midst of his suspension, so Sullivan left him out of this story.

Aah. I wondered if it was old but I saw today's date on it.

 

[Nightman]

I wonder if a team has ever fielded a LB corps whose names were actually Sam Mike and Will. That would be sick.

Sam Huff
Mike Singletary
Will Witherspoon is the best I can come up with

 

[BAT]

Like the positive tone of the article, and all the quotes were very good. But there is no 3-4 scheme that plays 2 Mike LBs. Author is confusing 2 ILBs with 2 MLBs, which is not the same at all.