Pirates’ Marine Confines Battles To Football Field Baxter Just Missed Persian Gulf; Leads Whitworth Defense Instead

Just a little more than four years ago, Whitworth Pirates senior linebacker Jeff Baxter was in the Marine Reserves and on his way to the Persian Gulf war when Iraqi troops laid down their guns.

Lucky for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Baxter never got to his country. It could have spelled the end of his reign of terror.

So instead of thrashing warlords and other maniacal tyrants, Baxter has engaged in thrashing Columbia Football Association opponents.

For the past three seasons, Baxter has been the shining star for the Pirates. The 6-foot-2, 208-pounder from Kettle Falls, Wash., roams the middle of the field like a little Dick Butkus.

Win or lose, Baxter is going all out - with a smile on his face.

In his tenure at Whitworth, the Pirates have a 5-21 record. One has to do a lot of smiling in order to endure the Pirates’ performance on the field.

“It’s just the way I’ve always played the game,” Baxter said. “I love the game of football. I go out there to have fun. We can be down 30 points, and I can still have a smile on my face.”

Baxter, 24, went from high school to the Marine Reserves. His time in the reserve ended just this year. He transferred to Whitworth after earning a two-year degree from Spokane Falls.

And Baxter may or may not be playing in his last collegiate game when Whitworth (0-4 Mount Hood, 1-7) hosts Linfield (2-2, 5-3) at the Pine Bowl at 1 p.m.

Due to the fact that Whitworth will be an NCAA Division III school next year, Baxter may have another year of eligibility.

Academically, Baxter will earn his undergraduate degree in business management in the spring. But because he has played three seasons, the chances are good that the NCAA will grant him another year of eligibility.

“Obviously we’d love to have him back,” Whitworth defensive coordinator Chris Casey said. “He’s the defensive leader in everybody’s eyes. But there are some things he will weigh with regards to possibly playing another year.”

Said Baxter on playing another season: “A lot of it will come down school. If I have to take a full course load, I have a hard time seeing myself coming back.”

But even if he doesn’t, Baxter will have clearly left his mark on Whitworth football.

When the Whitworth defensive statistics come in week-after-week, more often than not, the name at the top of the list in tackles is Baxter’s.

“He just always has this look on his face that says, come here, please run the play my way,’ ” Casey said.

And even when the opposition tries to stay away from him, he eventually seeks them out.

In his 26-game career, Baxter has 183 tackles, 123 of them primary tackles while assisting on another 60. He’s intercepted four passes, recorded a safety, blocked a punt and returned that for a touchdown.

With the touchdown and the safety this season, Baxter is the sixth leading ‘offensive’ scorer on the team in ‘95.

Baxter has provided some sense of stability to a program that hasn’t seen it in some time. This year, first-year head coach John Tully is Baxter’s third different coach.

Daryl Squires coached the team on an interim basis last year after Blaine “Shorty” Bennett stepped down before the start of the ‘94 season.

“It’s always been different,” Baxter said. “This year, we (the team) were all hoping for a winning season.”

But a new coach, new system and a whole new host of players - who are predominantly freshman - and once again, the Pirates have taken their lumps.

“When I sat out the Willamette game a couple of weeks ago (due to a pinched nerve in the neck), I looked out at the offense, and with the exception of a couple of players, everyone was a freshman.

“It’s hard enough to compete in this league,” Baxter said. “But the inexperience and injuries we’ve suffered have really taken their toll.”

Still, Whitworth is looking to finish the season strong. Most Whitworth players have been wishing for even more snow and rain for this weekend’s finale. They’re hoping that will provide for a homefield advantage against Linfield.

But to a player like Jeff Baxter, playing on a sloppy field doesn’t carry the same ulterior motive as it might for some others.

For Baxter, probably the best way to finish his football career is on a muddy field because it contrasts real well with the blood stains that he collects on his uniform during the course of a game.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo