As the Owls donned full pads for the first practice of training camp, the offensive and defensive players got a chance to play at the highest level of contact since camp began. One player who the offense won’t have to compete against, along with the rest of the Big East, is linebacker Tahir Whitehead.
Whitehead, who was a senior last season, was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the April NFL Draft. Whitehead led a defense that ranked third in the country in points allowed per game at 13.9.
“You can’t replace Tahir,” defensive line coach Sean Cronin said. “He was a tremendous leader for our football team, an outstanding player and a great playmaker. He was just one of those guys that made plays.”
One player who could lead the defense in Whitehead’s absence is junior defensive tackle Levi Brown, the only Owl who was named to the 2012 preseason All-Big East first team.
“It’s a good feeling,” Brown said. “I mean, it really doesn’t mean anything right now. I am just working each day to get better. I am working as hard as I have ever worked to try and play my best football this year.”
Brown isn’t worried about losing Whitehead though, and trusts his defense can get the job done without one of its top playmakers.
“We are running the same defense we ran last year,” Brown said. “We are just trying to stick to the same stuff and compete at a high level. We can’t focus on last year. We are going to throw somebody in there who is going to make plays and do what he has to do.”
John Youboty, a senior defensive lineman, could also be asked to carry a big load for the Owls, who are matching up against Big East competition for the first time.
“As a unit we want to put our team in the best position to win the game, which is getting the other offense off the field,” Youboty said. “Personally I want to be one of the leaders on and off the field for the defense. As far as that, as long as we are winning, I don’t care about personal stats.”
With the first day of full contact under their belt, staying healthy while staying competitive will be the focus moving forward. Brown described the practices as very “up-tempo” and that the whole team is focused. While the focus on the larger picture of a Big East schedule will eventually have to be addressed, the Aug. 31 season opener against Villanova is fast approaching.
“It felt great [putting full pads on] just to know that the season is right around the corner,” Youboty said. “Once we put those full pads on, we are closer to the first game.”
