Passion Player -- Casey Brings Out the Linebacker Love
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Aaron Casey is a marked man and it doesn’t matter.
Opposing teams game plan for Indiana’s senior linebacker and he still disrupts.
Proof comes with his Big Ten-best 8.0 tackles for loss, including 3.0 sacks. It comes with his 50 tackles, which rank sixth in the conference. He averages 8.3 tackles per game, which ranks No. 43 nationally.
He was expected to be one of the Big Ten’s best linebackers, and hasn’t disappointed.
“He’s a very special linebacker,” head coach Tom Allen says. “I want to see him have his best next six games as he finishes out the final phase of the regular season of his career here.”
It resumes during Saturday’s Homecoming Game, when Indiana (2-4) hosts Rutgers (5-2) at Memorial Stadium.
Casey’s 11 tackles helped IU hold Ohio State to 23 points. Only Notre Dame held the Buckeyes to fewer points (17) this season. He set a career high with 13 tackles in a four-overtime win over Akron.
“He continues to be one of our leaders that we need to continue to step up and play well, lead well,” Allen says. “He continues to make plays at critical times, get a key tackle for loss, a couple of sacks, cause a fumble.
“He has a great passion for what he does. I love his consistency. Love how he practices, the way he handles himself. He's a guy I can pull aside and talk to. He’s a guy who knows who we are, believes in who we are.”
Casey’s impact goes well beyond numbers, a big reason why he wears No. 44 in honor of Hall of Famer George Taliaferro, the first African-American drafted by an NFL team.
“He’s done a tremendous job,” co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri says. “He’s playing really fast with tremendous physicality. He’s beating blocks. He’s making tackles. He’s making plays in the run and throw game.
“Everything leads with him. His leadership presence is felt. He’s doing what I expected him to do. He needs to do that every week. Continue to be a great leader.”
Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano calls Casey one of the five best linebackers in the Big Ten.
“There are a lot of good linebackers, including ours (Tyreem Powell) in this league. Casey is strong. He’s fast. He’s instinctual.”
IU will need that from Casey, and the entire defense to achieve the strong season finish they seek that would produce bowl eligibility.
“Once again, I'm challenging our guys,” Allen says. “We want the linebackers to be a unit that's on the rise. We want our defense to make some adjustments.
“When you play against an offense (Michigan) of that caliber with that elite of a quarterback (J.J. McCarthy), you've got to be darned near perfect or else they'll make you pay. The linebackers have got to own that, get everybody lined up right and make the checks and adjustments.
“(Casey) is doing a lot of good things with that. We've got to get the whole group to play at his level of consistency and his level of execution every week.”
Doing that, defensive end Andre Carter says, with everyone doing his job.
“The coaches preach that a lot -- doing your job and trusting each of the others to do their jobs. It’s the linebackers trusting the D-line, the D-line trusting the cornerbacks. It all goes hand in hand. If we do our jobs, everything else will take care of itself.”