LBs: passing grades
A new Washington coach soon will survey the wreckage that is Husky football and, much like a claims adjuster, will take copious notes and consider what is salvageable and what is not.
After making a careful inspection of the roster and filling out the necessary paperwork for needed repairs, notes in the far left-hand margin should include the following observations: Some of these guys have been bowed over so often, spinal exams are recommended. His hands couldn’t catch the flu. That guy couldn’t tackle his grandmother. The other guy couldn’t outrun his grandmother. Need to replace the wobbles with spirals. It’s not a total loss, but it’s close.
Linebackers? Hmmm.
Run the season video back and forth, and these UW players look fairly reliable, if not downright sturdy. They’re clearly in the middle of everything, cleaning up after everyone else’s messes. There might be one little dent in the armor now, but otherwise this is a group to build around.
In a season spoiled by poor performances, injuries approaching ridiculous levels and extended freshman orientation, UW linebackers Joe Lobendahn, Evan Benjamin and Scott White weren’t perfect. But collectively, these three Huskies came within five quarters of doing what no other position group on their 1-9 team could do: survive with reputations, bones and sanity intact.
“I think we’ve been solid,” Benjamin said. “We’ve had our share of mistakes, but we’ve been productive and, until last game, healthy. Whoever the coach is who comes in isn’t going to worry about us.”
This trio has given the Huskies more second-line speed and coverage ability than any group since the glory years of the 1990s, although their efforts largely have been wasted because of the team’s overall decline.
“They all move real well and to have three with the ability to make plays in space like that is really unusual,” said UW linebackers coach Chris Tormey, someone a new coach probably should consider keeping on the next staff.
Lobendahn, a 5-foot-10, 225-pound junior from Honolulu and the lone underclassman among the team’s five co-captains, won’t be in uniform for the Apple Cup Saturday after breaking his wrist against California. That shouldn’t diminish his exemplary season. He ranks first on the team, third in the Pac-10 and 21st nationally in tackles, finishing with 100 in his 10 outings.
Benjamin, a 6-0, 214-pound junior from Redmond, Wash., has made the successful transition from strong safety to outside linebacker. He’s listed second on the team, fourth in the league and 30th in the nation with 95 tackles. He still leads the Huskies in interceptions with three, but he’s not considering a return to the secondary at all.
Then there’s Scott White, the 6-1, 230-pound sophomore from Lemon Grove, Calif. The overly vocal one is third on the team and sixth in the Pac-10 in tackles with 83.
They provide what little swagger there is for a UW entry that most opponents have found surprisingly soft. Playing for the league’s last-place team, these guys won’t be duly rewarded for their efforts. They’ll settle for in-house praise.
“They’re probably not going to get much recognition, but I’ve certainly enjoyed watching them play,” UW coach Keith Gilbertson said. “The three of them quietly have had very good years.”
A closer look at each one:
Say it ain’t so, Joe
Lobendahn got hurt in typical fashion, turning a bad play into a superlative one, covering for someone else and performing an extra chore without complaining.
With a full sprint accompanied by a perfectly timed diving tackle, he caught Aaron Rodgers, Cal’s fairly mobile quarterback, from behind on a 36-yard breakaway run, saving a sure third-quarter touchdown or at least delaying the inevitable points in a 42-12 defeat. His wrist was snapped in the process, getting tangled awkwardly in Rodgers’ scissoring legs. He felt his entire arm go numb. His season ended on the spot.
An hour later, as Lobendahn slouched in a theater seat in the team meeting room, dressed casually in a white T-shirt and gray sweats, barefoot with his long, black hair flowing down his back, this ultimate football warrior joked about getting ready to play against Washington State in Pullman.
When healthy, the Hawaiian native astounds his teammates and coaches with his wide range of skills. He ranks among the top three Huskies in several weightlifting categories, namely bench pressing 440 pounds and squatting 550 pounds. With 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash, he doesn’t let all that muscle and strength slow him down, either.
“He’s one of the two fastest linebackers I’ve coached at Washington,” Tormey said. “I’d put him in the same category as (the late) Jaime Fields.”
Lobendahn, who chose the Huskies over Wisconsin during recruiting, had the hit of the year against Stanford on the goal line. He separated J.R. Lemon from the ball with a fierce collision. He talked himself into it.
“Before the play, I told myself, ‘Joe, you’re going to make this tackle,’ ” he recalled. “I talk to myself a lot on the field. I jumped before he did, met him in the air and hit him. He turned sideways and we got the ball. That was crazy.”
Now idle and out of pads, Lobendahn doesn’t intend to shut up any time soon. As one of the team leaders, he’s already considering the months ahead and direction needed after suffering through a disastrous season.
“I’ll be telling guys that you’re not missing any workouts, that you have to be on time for every workout, that you have to be bigger, faster and stronger, and I’ll make everybody understand that,” he said. “I’ll let them know that we were 1-9 or whatever. I’ll hit them in the head every time and let them know we can’t lose anymore.”
Private Benjamin
Last February, Benjamin, son of former Seahawks fullback Tony Benjamin (1977-79), was summoned to Gilbertson’s office. He wasn’t sure why.
A couple of things went through his head, but a position change wasn’t one of them. He was coming off a breakout game as a strong safety, coming up with a pair of interceptions in the Apple Cup.
His coach explained there was a need to speed up the defense and put the best players at the most crucial positions. Welcome to outside linebacker.
“Of course, I didn’t like it at first,” Benjamin admitted.
Other players weren’t quite sure what to make of this switch, either.
“I was kind of curious,” Lobendahn said. “Moving from safety to linebacker is definitely a different position. You have to fight through a lot of traffic to get to the ball. As a safety, you’re sort of free. He’s doing (well).”
Benjamin, who chose the Huskies over Georgia Tech after leaving Redmond High School, had 11 tackles in his first game against Fresno State. He wouldn’t consider playing anywhere else now.
Snow White
He looks so innocent, but then he opens his mouth and White is anything but that as the words come tumbling out.
Just a sophomore, he kept quiet until his team went 0-4. Then publicly, White challenged others to step up and play better. He hasn’t stopped talking since. His style inspires some teammates, makes others cringe.
“He’s funny. He’s a very smart player and he knows the game,” Lobendahn said. “Yes, he talks a lot. I’m trying to teach him to be patient instead of negative. Some day he’s going to be a captain. He asks me all the time, ‘How can you always be so positive.’ “
White has high expectations, and rightly so. A big-time recruit, he picked the Huskies over Oklahoma. He likes the mix of linebackers now.
“We’re all speed guys,” said White, who holds a 4.6 time in the 40. “The coaches have really simplified things and let us get after it. I just want to hold up to my end. I want to grow each year and I think I’ve done that. I didn’t get much time last year and now I’m one of the leaders on the team.”
Said Tormey: “The game has slowed down for him. It’s like he has an internal computer now. He understands what to do. He understands the big picture. He makes adjustments really well.”