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AG's Wildcat Report - Dispatches on the Wildcats, from Anthony Gimino

ASU’s Burfict is Lindy’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year

by on May. 12, 2011, under Sports

All the signs are pointing toward ASU's Vontaze Burfict having a huge 2011 season.
Photo by Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

Picking college football’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year is easy.

It’s Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Heisman runner-up in 2010. Would have been the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft had he left early. Probably the best pro prospect in more than a decade.

Picking the Defensive Player of the Year is trickier.

I recently had to do so in my duties as the college football editor of Lindy’s Football Annuals.

It would be hard to go wrong with Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick (19 sacks in the past two seasons). Florida State defensive end Brandon Jenkins had 13.5 sacks last season and is the leader of a superb defensive front for coordinator Mark Stoops. Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly runs up tackle totals better than anyone in the country. Alabama’s defense is stuffed with All-American talent.

But we ended up going in a different direction … and it’s one that probably won’t make me popular in Tucson.

I’ll tell you that Lindy’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year is Arizona State junior linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

I’ve had my share of fun mocking his lack of on-field discipline. I’ve shaken my head at the nation’s (unofficial) leader in personal foul penalties.

But nobody ever has denied Burfict’s raw talent, and you can’t name a more feared defender in college football. (And just wait until he shows up in the Sun Devils’ new all-black uniforms).

Why Burfict, why now?

Sometimes you have to make that leap of faith that what appeared to be a more serious, more dedicated player in the spring will be a more serious, more dedicated player in the fall.

He’ll be the leader of what should be one of the best defenses in the Pac-12. He’ll be the face of a program that many will expect — including Lindy’s — to win the Pac-12 South.

As the Arizona Republic’s Doug Haller wrote for Lindy’s:

“Put simply, this is Burfict’s time, his year to trade in potential for domination.”

Said ASU linebackers coach Trent Bray: “If he’s focused and has his mind on something, there’s nothing he can’t accomplish.”

The opportunity is all right there in front of Burfict. Shame on him if he doesn’t live up to that potential.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 12th, 2011 at 8:27 am and is filed under Sports. Tags for this post: . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • Will

    GO DEVILS!

  • Vic

    How provincial! Maybe this year he can make first-team all-conference.

  • Carlos J. M.

    Hey Anthony, what’s the criteria one has to meet, or exceed, to be considered, let alone chosen, Lindy’s best?  The guy’s good; don’t get me wrong.  But do academics, on and off field discipline and community service (as in being a positive role model) have anything to do with it?  And a junior over a senior?  I don’t know about that. 

    In case you haven’t noticed, Haller is a card-carrying member of the Sun Angel Foundation.  In fact, he may be second only to Dickie V in getting all lathered up over his team.  Then, he’ll turn around to the rest of us and call it journalism, reporting, writing.  Interesting.

  • Anthony Gimino

    Carlos…

    No, we don’t really consider academics or community service. Discipline (on and off the field) certainly plays a role, and Burfict, as noted, has been lousy with on-field discipline. In a sense, that just gives him plenty of room to grow and get a lot better than what we’ve already seen.

    Haller had no input in the selection of Burfict. He just wrote the story.

    Picking a junior over a senior is not even close to being an issue. Would you eliminate Andrew Luck because he’s a junior? Remember, until last year, we had three consecutive SOPHOMORES win the Heisman Trophy.

  • Carlos J. M.

    Fair enough.  As long as the guy can cover, hit, tackle, who cares, right?  Since it still is college football, though, my point in asking about his underclassman  status vs. someone like, let’s say, a senior with equal or better talent goes to the work that senior put in, at his desk and on the playing field, that sets him apart from the rest.  Or, I’m thinking it should, anyhow.  But that’s just me.  Gives one a greater appreciation for the Cecils, Durdens, Bruschis, Lewises, Casons, Halls and, yes, of course, Stoopses of the world.  Doing things the right way will always win out.

  • Kevin
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