Coach Bielema on the Outlook at Linebacker

[onebadrubi]

Via was good but I don't know about "once in a generation" aside from the statistic anomaly sometimes referred to as "the Bua effect." All that aside, I don't know that I would ever characterize Bua's play as "wreck less" I can think of a few on field wrecks I wish he would have "abandoned" before they started.

The one at Florida jumps to mind.

That dude flew around and would lay hits, he would come up and lay a helmet and anyone coming through the hole or over the middle... is what I was meaning. 

[KlubhouseKonnected]

That dude flew around and would lay hits, he would come up and lay a helmet and anyone coming through the hole or over the middle... is what I was meaning. 

I get ya. Just conversatin' on my part.

[onebadrubi]

I get ya. Just conversatin' on my part.

SOrry on edge, been hanging around the politics forum too long...  shoot me.

[bphi11ips]

SOrry on edge, been hanging around the politics forum too long...  shoot me.

I'll bet that's a fun place to be today.  Folks here argue about whether the sky is blue.  Can't imagine discussing politics or religion on Hogville.

Not to be argumentative, but my recollection is that Tony Bua was a safety, although he often played a nickel position that today might pass for Will LB.  He could lay the wood at times.  A lot of his big hits would draw flags today.  Same thing with Ken Hamlin.  Big hits are crowd pleasers.  Houston Nutt liked pleasing the crowd.  Steve Atwater could lay the wood, too, but Hatfield was more of a wrap-up kind of guy.  Atwater tended to keep his head up in the classic explode-upward-through-the-guy-and-wrap-your-arms kind of tackle diagramed on a safety poster currently hanging in NFL dressing rooms.

Fans tend to remember big hits, but sometimes we remember big misses, too.  Klubhouse remembers one of those by Bua against Florida.  I don't remember that one, but I do remember Bua getting burned repeatedly in Arkansas's 63-20 loss to Tennessee in 2000.  Of course, he was a freshman in over his head.  He went on to be a very solid player for us and was drafted in the 5th round by the Dolphins.  The miss I remember most was Ken Hamlin's whiff in the Music City Bowl on a Minnesota wide receiver.  The Hogs were flat that day.  The miss occurred early and gave Minnesota a lead and momentum.  Hamlin was known for big hits and appeared to be auditioning for the draft.  But that miss was a killer for Arkansas. 

Where LB's are concerned, it does appear we're in better shape than usual.  De'jon Harris may be one of the more intriguing players to come along in a while.  His versatility should make him a heady player, an important trait in a LB.  If he can contribute the way Dre Greenlaw did last year, we should be able to keep fresh bodies in the game through the fourth quarter. 

[bennyl08]

No.
I understood his point.
No, it wasn't a good one.

He merely reinforced our typical lack of SEC sized athletes by parading out the "Who's Who" of overachieving or "exceptions to the rule" small guys.

Maybe Hackett will be the next player to break out.
I don't know.

I don't think anyone objects to the truly exceptional.....

Nevermind.
I simply can't believe I'm having to defend the positives of recruiting athletes on par with SEC sized players.

Emotional attachments to our players perhaps?

Based on your retorts, you certainly did miss my points.

First: Your post was an absolutist style post. You posted that is had been "proven true" the theory of "forbidding to bother recruiting players below a certain range of height and weight". You don't think anyone objects to the "truly exceptional"? Your posts objected to the truly exceptional. You want to talk exceptions to the rule? Mizzou's DL has consistently been undersized and consistently been very effective. At some point, people have to stop thinking that is is some major exception.

Second: Who determines size? For example, onebadrubi must not visit hogville much because every last one of the players I mentioned was repeatedly lambasted by posters on here for their size. What is "sec size"? You go on hogville, and people like you lament anytime a LB is under 250 pounds. Average division 1 LB'er is 6'1" 226 pounds. In the NFL, you need to be closer to 6'4 an 230-260 depending on position and scheme.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love every single one of our players to be NFL type players. There is no doubt, that would be ideal. However, it has been proven that you don't need that to be successful in college. So, I'm not going to say we should never bother recruiting any LB's less than 6'3" because there are a lot of good LB's who are shorter than that. I'm not going to say that we should ignore players like Dennis Johnson due to size. Yes, I'd prefer an Adrian Peterson or a LeVeon Bell to be playing for Arkansas, but those are few and far between. If we find somebody who is only 5'8", but demonstrates the ability to play in the SEC, then they deserve a chance.

Yes, I'd love to have nothing but future 1rst round draft picks, but that isn't reasonable. Arkansas has done extremely well players that others might not have thought were SEC worthy. I don't want us to stop recruiting Jake Bequette's or the Drew Morgan's of the world. There's a lot of SEC teams who wish they recruited those players.

You seem to have a viewpoint of recruiting still being like it was under Houston Nutt. That we are scratching for players from nowhereville, AR hoping that 1 out of 10 might contribute. For nearly a decade now, from Petrino through Bielema, the "non-SEC" players as you would describe them have worked out very well here. Maybe you use "truly exceptional" a lot looser than I do. To me, a JJ Watt is truly exceptional. A Manziel at the college level was truly exceptional. Too small players like Dennis Johnson, Chris Smith, Jerico Nelson (Jerry Franklin if you read hogville even), they happen quite frequently at the college level. No, I don't want us making a living of a 4'11" WR's and corner backs. However, 6'1 226 pound LB'ers by your definitions shouldn't be bothered to be looked at by Arkansas, but I'd have no issue with taking somebody like that if the coach thought they were worth a scholarship.

[bennyl08]

EDIT:
I don't think I missed his point.
He made it seem I was opposed to EVER  having an undersized player.
He also used some examples that didn't really work, like Mallett and Tyler, but who cares.  I don't want to spend anymore time on the small points.

I didn't make it seem that way, your own post made it seem that way.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

I'll bet that's a fun place to be today.  Folks here argue about whether the sky is blue.  Can't imagine discussing politics or religion on Hogville.

Not to be argumentative, but my recollection is that Tony Bua was a safety, although he often played a nickel position that today might pass for Will LB.  He could lay the wood at times.  A lot of his big hits would draw flags today.  Same thing with Ken Hamlin.  Big hits are crowd pleasers.  Houston Nutt liked pleasing the crowd.  Steve Atwater could lay the wood, too, but Hatfield was more of a wrap-up kind of guy.  Atwater tended to keep his head up in the classic explode-upward-through-the-guy-and-wrap-your-arms kind of tackle diagramed on a safety poster currently hanging in NFL dressing rooms.

Fans tend to remember big hits, but sometimes we remember big misses, too.  Klubhouse remembers one of those by Bua against Florida.  I don't remember that one, but I do remember Bua getting burned repeatedly in Arkansas's 63-20 loss to Tennessee in 2000.  Of course, he was a freshman in over his head.  He went on to be a very solid player for us and was drafted in the 5th round by the Dolphins.  The miss I remember most was Ken Hamlin's whiff in the Music City Bowl on a Minnesota wide receiver.  The Hogs were flat that day.  The miss occurred early and gave Minnesota a lead and momentum.  Hamlin was known for big hits and appeared to be auditioning for the draft.  But that miss was a killer for Arkansas. 

Where LB's are concerned, it does appear we're in better shape than usual.  De'jon Harris may be one of the more intriguing players to come along in a while.  His versatility should make him a heady player, an important trait in a LB.  If he can contribute the way Dre Greenlaw did last year, we should be able to keep fresh bodies in the game through the fourth quarter. 

Bua started out as an OLB, if I remember correctly he did not move to safety until his senior year. Which may have been the year after Hamlin left.

I also recall one at Baton Rouge btw, it just wasn't as impactful on the overall outcome.

[bphi11ips]

Bua started out as an OLB, if I remember correctly he did not move to safety until his senior year. Which may have been the year after Hamlin left.

I also recall one at Baton Rouge btw, it just wasn't as impactful on the overall outcome.

Maybe you're right, but according to rosters at this site he was always carried on the roster as a safety:

[url]http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/arkansas-razorbacks-team-roster?season=2000[url]

I do remember that Bua played at the safety position against Tennessee in 2000.  I was at the game and did my share of cussing him that day, again, with the realization he shouldn't have been on the field as a true freshman to begin with.  Tennessee started true freshman Casey Claussen that day, but UT was wide receiver U back then. 

I think this discussion is a good example of how defenses have evolved in the last 15 years to adapt to the multiple wideout spread attack.  When some of us played 30 or 40 years ago, Bua would have been a "monster man".  He played in college for the most part as a free safety.  He was the type of hybrid OLB/S the pros have often referred to as the "nickel".  That's where the Dolphins saw him fitting.  Today he might fit the Will spot, although he may have lacked the speed to be as effective as a Dre Greenlaw at that position.       

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Maybe you're right, but according to rosters at this site he was always carried on the roster as a safety:

[url]http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/arkansas-razorbacks-team-roster?season=2000[url]

I do remember that Bua played at the safety position against Tennessee in 2000.  I was at the game and did my share of cussing him that day, again, with the realization he shouldn't have been on the field as a true freshman to begin with.  Tennessee started true freshman Casey Claussen that day, but UT was wide receiver U back then. 

I think this discussion is a good example of how defenses have evolved in the last 15 years to adapt to the multiple wideout spread attack.  When some of us played 30 or 40 years ago, Bua would have been a "monster man".  He played in college for the most part as a free safety.  He was the type of hybrid OLB/S the pros have often referred to as the "nickel".  That's where the Dolphins saw him fitting.  Today he might fit the Will spot, although he may have lacked the speed to be as effective as a Dre Greenlaw at that position.       

Hm. Maybe he was a safety first. I just have a pretty strong recollection of him playing OLB in the same group as Caleb Miller(am I remembering his last name right?).

Edit: Caveat, I was fairly young then. I have a better memory of Hogs that played after I graduated than I do of those from before I graduated.

[ricepig]

Hm. Maybe he was a safety first. I just have a pretty strong recollection of him playing OLB in the same group as Caleb Miller(am I remembering his last name right?).

He played a hybrid/Jack LB. Truthfully, he was too slow for the secondary, and too small for OLB. However, there was no measurement on his heart and effort, I'd take another just like him.

[bphi11ips]

He played a hybrid/Jack LB. Truthfully, he was too slow for the secondary, and too small for OLB. However, there was no measurement on his heart and effort, I'd take another just like him.

Again, semantics.  Bua had free reign to roam and headhunt but he lined up at safety and had responsibility for deep coverage.  This is apparent at the :17 and 6:41 mark, and in general when Arkansas appears on defense, in this YouTube from the 2003 Texas game:

Bua had a lot in common with Sam Olajabutu, including the size of their hearts.  They played together at Arkansas for two years.  But while Olajubutu was listed on the roster as a LB, Bua was listed as a safety.   

I agree Bua didn't have the speed for the safety position, which was apparent that day I described in Knoxville.  I'd also take a bunch more like him but would hope they wouldn't play much until their redshirt junior year.  Reid Miller may be cut from the same cloth.       

[onebadrubi]

Maybe you're right, but according to rosters at this site he was always carried on the roster as a safety:

[url]http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/arkansas-razorbacks-team-roster?season=2000[url]

I do remember that Bua played at the safety position against Tennessee in 2000.  I was at the game and did my share of cussing him that day, again, with the realization he shouldn't have been on the field as a true freshman to begin with.  Tennessee started true freshman Casey Claussen that day, but UT was wide receiver U back then. 

I think this discussion is a good example of how defenses have evolved in the last 15 years to adapt to the multiple wideout spread attack.  When some of us played 30 or 40 years ago, Bua would have been a "monster man".  He played in college for the most part as a free safety.  He was the type of hybrid OLB/S the pros have often referred to as the "nickel".  That's where the Dolphins saw him fitting.  Today he might fit the Will spot, although he may have lacked the speed to be as effective as a Dre Greenlaw at that position.       

I think you are correct, but it certainly seemed his position was more of a front 7 style than DB guy.  At least from my memory... which isn't the best.

[ricepig]

I think you are correct, but it certainly seemed his position was more of a front 7 style than DB guy.  At least from my memory... which isn't the best.

http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Tony_Bua

http://www.nwahomepage.com/razorback-nation/former-razorback-tony-bua-talks-hogs

[PonderinHog]

In the spirit of awl the mispellings in this hear thread, it looks like we finally have more delph at linebacker, at leashed to my untrained aye.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

In the spirit of awl the mispellings in this hear thread, it looks like we finally have more delph at linebacker, at leashed to my untrained aye.

I thought Marvin done egzausted his elajability.

[bphi11ips]

http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Tony_Bua

http://www.nwahomepage.com/razorback-nation/former-razorback-tony-bua-talks-hogs

If I posted the Ten Commandments, you'd argue with me about whether I got them in the right order.

If you looked at the links I posted to the roster and the YouTube video, you'll see Bua listed at safety, lining up at safety, and taking responsibility for deep coverage.  He did that for four years at Arkansas.  You'll also note above that I said the Dolphins drafted Bua as a linebacker.  You are correct that Bua played what amounted to a hybrid position at Arkansas.  That doesn't mean he played linebacker in my opinion, and that isn't changed by someone in the media remembering him as a linebacker.  He's remembered that way for the same reason you and others here remember him that way - he often took responsibility as a hybrid and did a good job of disrupting the offense.  Regardless, Bua lined up in college at safety and covered the field as a safety.  He blitzed at times as a safety.  That's what makes a safety.  Caleb Miller, Sam Olajubutu and Desmond Sims were linebackers on the 2003 team.

[bphi11ips]

I think you are correct, but it certainly seemed his position was more of a front 7 style than DB guy.  At least from my memory... which isn't the best.

Again, we're saying the same thing.  Bua had the freedom to line up anywhere.  He played like a linebacker, but he wasn't in the front 7 and had deep coverage.  That position has been labeled over the last 50 years in a number of ways, most commonly in my recollection as free safety, nickel, or monster.

[ricepig]

If I posted the Ten Commandments, you'd argue with me about whether I got them in the right order.

If you looked at the links I posted to the roster and the YouTube video, you'll see Bua listed at safety, lining up at safety, and taking responsibility for deep coverage.  He did that for four years at Arkansas.  You'll also note above that I said the Dolphins drafted Bua as a linebacker.  You are correct that Bua played what amounted to a hybrid position at Arkansas.  That doesn't mean he played linebacker in my opinion, and that isn't changed by someone in the media remembering him as a linebacker.  He's remembered that way for the same reason you and others here remember him that way - he often took responsibility as a hybrid and did a good job of disrupting the offense.  Regardless, Bua lined up in college at safety and covered the field as a safety.  He blitzed at times as a safety.  That's what makes a safety.  Caleb Miller, Sam Olajubutu and Desmond Sims were linebackers on the 2003 team.

He played a hybrid position, simple as that.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

He played a hybrid position, simple as that.

Thou shalt not label a hybrid position player as a linebacker.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

The way I remembered it Bua was a LB until his last season which he played safety out of need.

This draft preview appears to remember it the way I do.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/2004draft/Bua,Tony-SS-Arkansas.htm

[bphi11ips]

He played a hybrid position, simple as that.

Agreed.  If you Google Bua now you'll see him described in some places as a safety and in others as a linebacker.  He was named to the Butkus Award watch list and second team All SEC linebacker.  Bua's numbers and style were those of a linebacker, but his defensive responsibility and positioning were more the safety.  In reality he just ran to the ball with everything he had.

[woodhog14]

nm

[ricepig]

Agreed.  If you Google Bua now you'll see him described in some places as a safety and in others as a linebacker.  He was named to the Butkus Award watch list and second team All SEC linebacker.  Bua's numbers and style were those of a linebacker, but his defensive responsibility and positioning were more the safety.  In reality he just ran to the ball with everything he had.

Yeah, I know he played both, I grimaced when he had to cover a WR. I don't remember if it was the Florida game, or another one when he would line-up against a slot guy it wasn't good. He was a little short of lead in in his britches to be a top notch OLB.

[onebadrubi]

Whenever yall figure out which side is right, let me know and put me on that side please... 

Thanks,

[ricepig]

Whenever yall figure out which side is right, let me know and put me on that side please... 

Thanks,

Hybrid! I think.......

[bphi11ips]

The way I remembered it Bua was a LB until his last season which he played safety out of need.

This draft preview appears to remember it the way I do.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/2004draft/Bua,Tony-SS-Arkansas.htm

I do remember Bua playing a "jack" position, as it was described at the time.  I am 99% sure Bua played deep at Tennessee in 2000 because I remember feeling bad for him all day.  He just didn't have the speed to cover Tennessee's wideouts.

[hawginbigd1]

Bua was a safety, that played almost exclusively as a LB his last 2 years here, because he did not have the speed or athleticism to play in the secondary in the SEC. As for the Fla. reference I am thinking the borderline roughing call that basically was the turning point in the game is what was being talked about. If he hadn't launched so violently at the QB I believe it would have been a play on, but it looked like the QB barely escaped with his life and the ref threw the flag thinking if that wasn't illegal it should be!

[bphi11ips]

I stand corrected at least on Oct. 5, 2002:

Bua is shown on the graphic at about 3:20 as an OLB, and that is the position for which he was named ALL-SEC in 2002.  On the other hand, if you watch the game itself, particularly OT, Bua lines up anywhere from deep safety to showing blitz.  That's the way I remember him most.  Putting all the info on-line together with what I remember,  I believe Bua began as a freshman at safety, moved to OLB at some point, then moved to FS to replace Hamlin when Hamlin declared for the draft after his junior year. So if any player ever fit the term "hybrid", it was Bua.

[ricepig]

I stand corrected at least on Oct. 5, 2002:

Bua is shown on the graphic at about 3:20 as an OLB, and that is the position for which he was named ALL-SEC in 2002.  On the other hand, if you watch the game itself, particularly OT, Bua lines up anywhere from deep safety to showing blitz.  That's the way I remember him most.  Putting all the info on-line together with what I remember,  I believe Bua began as a freshman at safety, moved to OLB at some point, then moved to FS to replace Hamlin when Hamlin declared for the draft after his junior year. So if any player ever fit the term "hybrid", it was Bua.

He was a LB at John Curtis, I believe.

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

Whenever yall figure out which side is right, let me know and put me on that side please... 

Thanks,

Bua played the Bua position.

It was so revolutionary that the position was retired, therefore it hasn't been seen since.

[bphi11ips]

He was a LB at John Curtis, I believe.

Certainly would have made sense in high school.

[bphi11ips]

Bua played the Bua position.

That's a good way to describe it. 

It's interesting we all remember Bua a little differently as far as his position but the same way as a player.  Even the sources are in conflict on his position.

[bennyl08]

Bua played the Bua position.

It was so revolutionary that the position was retired, therefore it hasn't been seen since.

Perfect.

[Cinco de Hogo]

I don't know which one of you is Bua but you should remember what position you played.  But then again maybe the aftershock of the Bua effect has rattled your brain. 

[bphi11ips]

I don't know which one of you is Bua but you should remember what position you played.  But then again maybe the aftershock of the Bua effect has rattled your brain. 

Most of us are too old to be Bua, which could explain some of the differing memories.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I don't know which one of you is Bua but you should remember what position you played.  But then again maybe the aftershock of the Bua effect has rattled your brain. 

Whether some like it or not, Bua was a Hybrid, before that term became a popular definition of LB's who could both cover as a Safety and fill aggressively as a LB, despite being undersized as a LB.

[Slimac4]

I'll bet that's a fun place to be today.  Folks here argue about whether the sky is blue.  Can't imagine discussing politics or religion on Hogville.

Not to be argumentative, but my recollection is that Tony Bua was a safety, although he often played a nickel position that today might pass for Will LB.  He could lay the wood at times.  A lot of his big hits would draw flags today.  Same thing with Ken Hamlin.  Big hits are crowd pleasers.  Houston Nutt liked pleasing the crowd.  Steve Atwater could lay the wood, too, but Hatfield was more of a wrap-up kind of guy.  Atwater tended to keep his head up in the classic explode-upward-through-the-guy-and-wrap-your-arms kind of tackle diagramed on a safety poster currently hanging in NFL dressing rooms.

Fans tend to remember big hits, but sometimes we remember big misses, too.  Klubhouse remembers one of those by Bua against Florida.  I don't remember that one, but I do remember Bua getting burned repeatedly in Arkansas's 63-20 loss to Tennessee in 2000.  Of course, he was a freshman in over his head.  He went on to be a very solid player for us and was drafted in the 5th round by the Dolphins.  The miss I remember most was Ken Hamlin's whiff in the Music City Bowl on a Minnesota wide receiver.  The Hogs were flat that day.  The miss occurred early and gave Minnesota a lead and momentum.  Hamlin was known for big hits and appeared to be auditioning for the draft.  But that miss was a killer for Arkansas. 

Where LB's are concerned, it does appear we're in better shape than usual.  De'jon Harris may be one of the more intriguing players to come along in a while.  His versatility should make him a heady player, an important trait in a LB.  If he can contribute the way Dre Greenlaw did last year, we should be able to keep fresh bodies in the game through the fourth quarter.

The hit I remember was late in the Florida game, after Matt Jones had brought us all the way back from being down big, and Bua got a silly penalty because he blew the qb up on a late hit. It likely cost us the game but that kid played with heart. That's what I loved about him. He had a lot of grit and we could use a few more like him. I can't remember the walk on DBs name we got that was a freshman last year from IMA but he reminds me of Bua a lot, minus the big hits. Anyways, my vote is Bua was a hybrid.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Most of us are too old to be Bua, which could explain some of the differing memories.

Well I'm certainly too old to be a candidate.  Interesting question though, are you what the roster says you are or are you what your position says you are.  I would think position wins.

[Cinco de Hogo]

BTS, Funny that Josh Williams is our only LBer with Bama type credentials and he wasn't mentioned by CBB. 

Randy Ramsey, I remember a thread a while back asking which newcomer would make the biggest impact and I believe I was the only one who named Ramsey.  I still cnsider him a newcomer.

[Slimac4]

Bua #2 with just as much heart!  :razorback:

[ricepig]

Well I'm certainly too old to be a candidate.  Interesting question though, are you what the roster says you are or are you what your position says you are.  I would think position wins.

They are who we thought they were.....

[bphi11ips]

BTS, Funny that Josh Williams is our only LBer with Bama type credentials and he wasn't mentioned by CBB. 

Randy Ramsey, I remember a thread a while back asking which newcomer would make the biggest impact and I believe I was the only one who named Ramsey.  I still cnsider him a newcomer.

Saban went after De'Jon Harris late.

[bphi11ips]

The hit I remember was late in the Florida game, after Matt Jones had brought us all the way back from being down big, and Bua got a silly penalty because he blew the qb up on a late hit. It likely cost us the game but that kid played with heart. That's what I loved about him. He had a lot of grit and we could use a few more like him. I can't remember the walk on DBs name we got that was a freshman last year from IMA but he reminds me of Bua a lot, minus the big hits. Anyways, my vote is Bua was a hybrid.

I was watching from Ouray, CO that day during Oktoberfest.  No wonder I don't remember.  Too much bratwurst. 

[onebadrubi]

Hey, you old farts, speak for yourselves!  I'm younger than bua... But still can't remember