Indiana University Athletics
Mayberry Tries to Buck the Trend
8/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 14, 2006
Every year in college football, there are a handful of true freshmen that see regular playing time on the field.
Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner said that the Hoosiers' theme this past offseason was "if you can run, you can play." When you look at Indiana freshman Matt Mayberry's 6-2, 211-pound frame and his 4.39 40-yard dash time, you can see why the Hinsdale (Ill.) South product was so highly touted.
Mayberry's unique combination of size and speed presents a unique decision for IU co-defensive coordinators Joe Palcic and Brian George. How do you maximize Mayberry's talent within the Hoosiers' defensive scheme? The answer comes in the buck position.
"I'm sort of a hybrid position of the safety and linebacker," Mayberry said. "You're going to cover opponents sometimes like a safety, but you'll also come up with the run and be another linebacker. You've got to be athletic to play this position, and you need to be a linebacker type player."
For the buck, the responsibilities change on every play. Blitzing is one of the steadfast qualities of the position.
In addition to the intricacies of a hybrid position, Mayberry says that the biggest thing that he had to adjust to at the college level was the speed.
"It takes time to get used to the speed," Mayberry said. "I worked on my speed (over the summer). I always tend to work on my speed training. I also worked on weight training. I've put on quite a bit of weight."
Like all players, although Mayberry certainly wants to see playing time, he also wants to do what's best for the team.
"I've tried my hardest and worked my hardest since I came here," Mayberry said. "It really doesn't matter to me whether I see playing time or not. I'm not in here for myself, I'm here for my team. If they need me to wait, then I'll wait. I'll do whatever it takes."
