‘Trust’ Sparks McCullough’s Freshman Success
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Every Thursday, when football practice is done, most Indiana football players are gone, Dasan McCullough heads to Kasey Teegardin’s Memorial Stadium office.
Another film session is about to begin, and it starts with one thing above all else:
Trust.
“That’s built up over time,” Teegardin says. “He does what we ask him to do.”
Teegardin, IU's outside linebackers coach as well as special teams coordinator, first saw McCullough in New York during IU’s preparation for the 2016 Pinstripe Bowl. Teegardin was then a defensive graduate assistant. Deland McCullough was the Hoosiers’ running backs coach and brought his son, Dasan, on the trip.
“He was just a little guy running around,” Teegardin says.
McCullough, a true freshman with a senior’s perspective, is not so little anymore. He’s 6-5 and 225 pounds, with a world of potential. Maximizing it comes from work, from mastering the physical skills as well as the mental ones.
“We have him working on pass-rush things,” defensive coordinator Chad Wilt says. “We want to refine the skills and the fundamentals, the pass-rush fundamentals.
“We had a development plan for him throughout the off-season to move on beyond raw ability. Once you know the job and understand the role, you refine the techniques.”
What has refining brought? Heading into Saturday’s season finale against Purdue (7-4), McCullough ranks seventh on the team in tackles (47), second in tackles for loss (6.5), and first in sacks (4.0). Those sacks rank fourth nationally among freshmen. The tackles for loss are tied for the national lead by a freshman.
McCullough wants more, so he seeks out Teegardin. Teegardin instructs without a do-this-because-I-tell-you mandate.
“I have to show him why,” Teegarden says. “We take the extra time to do that.”
So we’re back to trust, to gaining wisdom as well as knowledge. It comes from watching practice film, game film, opponent film. Seeing what offenses do in all the college game’s many complexities.
“He wants it,” Teegardin says. “He comes to me and goes, ‘Hey Coach, we need to watch some film.’ I say, ‘Great. Let’s go.’”
McCullough trusts Teegardin to show him what needs to be done. Teegardin trusts him when in-game adjustments are needed.
“I’m not afraid to ask him, what did you see?” Teegardin says. “We can make adjustments off of that.”
McCullough plays various positions -- bull, linebacker, defensive end -- because he can handle the responsibility and make plays.
Also, because he likes it.
“I like how they give me that freedom to showcase my abilities. My high school head coach in Kansas City gave coaches a blueprint on how to use me and my versatility. I’m glad I have the ability to show that here.”
IU coaches share that gladness.
“We try to put him in specific situations based off his skill set,” Teegardin says. “He understands what we ask him to do.”
Understanding took time because, in what’s been McCullough’s biggest college football adjustment, the playbook was “thick.”
“It was nothing compared to high school,” he says. “We put in the amount of plays I had in high school in the first day of practice. I put in extra time with Coach (Tom) Allen and Coach Teegardin. They helped me a lot.”
Being a coach’s son gave McCullough an early understanding of what elite success requires. He saw high school football -- first in Kansas City, then at Bloomington South as a senior -- as a college training ground. His 4-star-prospect dominance was fool’s gold because of what awaited in college, and beyond.
“In high school, you could beat people off of pure strength,” he says. “All through high school, I learned the fundamentals because I knew in college that wouldn’t slide. That played a lot into how I’m playing this year. That preparation I had my senior year in high school.”
Michigan State was a perfect opponent for him because of its physical attack. He prefers football’s full-contact style. He had five tackles with one quarterback hit, and disrupted multiple other plays.
“I love playing football. I’ve played tackle football since I was five. It’s nothing new to me. Teams that play physical help me showcase my abilities even more.”
McCullough’s success has offenses scheming for him. It’s a complement as well as a challenge.
“I see teams slide to me. Whatever they think will work. We have so many fronts we can move into, so many different things I can do, they don’t know what to expect or what will happen.”
Now more than ever, McCullough does know.
“It depends on watching film how I will approach them.”
Adds Teegardin: “We’re seeing it on special teams as well as on defense. We move him around.”
McCullough will see it for the last time this season on Saturday against Purdue.
“It’s a long season, and the big thing for me is learning how to take care of my body. My IQ grows with more experience. It’s been a great ride.”