UI linebacker Vabora tops in WAC tackles

It’s the homecoming nobody is talking about.

While Dennis Erickson’s return to Corvallis fuels sports radio and fills newspapers in Idaho and Oregon, University of Idaho junior linebacker David Vobora will celebrate a homecoming of his own when the Vandals face Oregon State on Saturday.

Vobora grew up in Eugene, which is about 50 miles from Corvallis. His parents have moved to Junction City, roughly 25 miles from the Oregon State campus. His mom has rounded up 40 tickets or so to accommodate family and friends.

“Everybody will be there, which is exciting,” Vobora said, “but the bottom line is it’s a business trip.”

With a little pleasure mixed in. “I’ll be able to have some selected time with my parents at the hotel on Friday night and after the game,” he said.

Vobora’s family is well-versed on the football fever that has gripped the state of Oregon. Vobora’s dad, Andy, was a linebacker at Oregon in the late 1970s. Vobora, a quarterback essentially until his junior year at Churchill High in Eugene, was recruited by Oregon and Oregon State, but ended up a Vandal – thanks to a Beaver.

“Jonathan Smith was (a graduate assistant) at Oregon State while I was getting recruiting by them,” Vobora said. “When Nick Holt got the job at Idaho and brought Coach Smith with him, Coach Smith pretty much grabbed my tape and took it up here.”

Vobora has been filling Vandals highlight tapes through three games this season. He has 40 tackles, tops in the Western Athletic Conference and third in the nation, despite having a stress reaction in his leg that limits his practice reps. At his current pace, he would finish second on Idaho’s single-season list.

“He’s been outstanding every game we’ve played,” Erickson said. “He’s the catalyst of our defense.”

It hasn’t happened by accident. Vobora has worked to improve his strength and speed – both were concerns when he was being recruited. The improvements showed up on a play Saturday against Idaho State in which Josh Barnett caught a screen pass and appeared to have clear sailing.

“I don’t know if David would have made that play a year ago,” linebackers coach Johnny Nansen said. “They tried to cut him, but he got off it and made the tackle. There was nobody else there.”

Beyond physical improvements, Vobora has benefited from the tutelage of his father, former Vandals linebacker Cole Snyder and hours of film study. His father typically sees Idaho games in person and watches the game again on tape.

“He’s always giving me pretty encouraging e-mails after games,” said Vobora, who carries a 3.4 grade-point average. “Growing up, I was just fascinated because he always knew when it would be a run or a pass and it just added to my learning of the game. His big thing is as a linebacker you have to play bigger than you are. You have to go against big linemen, tackle guys and finish plays.”

Snyder, who cracked Idaho’s top 10 in career tackles, “wasn’t the biggest guy but he encompassed the idea of playing bigger than you are,” Vobora said. “Coach Nansen has also been huge for me. He’s helped me understand how to use my feet and be where I need to be.”

Nansen shares a videotape collection of NFL players with Vandals linebackers.

“In the off-season I watched a lot of guys like Derrick Brooks and Brian Urlacher,” Vobora said. “Those guys use their chests and tackle through the body, exploding through the ballcarrier.”

One of Vobora’s pregame rituals on Friday nights is watching tape of Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu flying around the field making impact plays. One of Vobora’s postgame rituals is self analysis and he’s a tough critic.

“How many missed tackles is more important than how many I made,” Vobora said. “What gnaws at me is the win category. I can have one tackle or 25, but whether we got the win is what matters. Personally, I feel I need to make more big plays, more momentum changers.”

Corvallis would be an ideal location to do so.

“I’ve seen it go both ways,” Nansen said. “I’ve seen guys get so jacked up they try to do too much to please the home fans, but he’s not the type of kid that puts too much pressure on himself. We met (Wednesday) morning and he said, ‘Coach, don’t worry about it, I just have to get myself ready.’ “