Sophomore linebacker John Hale went into fall camp as one of the
starting outside linebackers. Because of a suspension from the
first game of the season, Hale lost his starting spot to Aaron
Whittington. Although Hale is back for Saturday�s
game against Rice and has been practicing with the team throughout
the suspension, he will not return in his expected starting
role.
�Hale will be back this week and he will play
some (strong-side) linebacker,� coach Karl Dorrell
said. �(Whittington) is the starter at
(strong-side linebacker). Hale will be ready to back up as he gets
back in the fold.�
Hale was suspended after pleading no contest to an assault
charge that stemmed from an altercation at teammate Jess
Ward�s parents� home in the
offseason. Ward was also suspended for the first game.
The role of a backup is one Hale has not often had to play in
his career as a Bruin. Hale is the ideal size for a linebacker at
6�4� and 226 pounds. He started
seven games as a freshman last season and played in 11 of the
Bruins� 12 games, recording 20 tackles. As a
seasoned player, sitting on the sideline last week against Utah was
a unpleasant experience for him.
�I had that experience last year and I
didn�t like it,� Hale said.
�I�m going to do my best to stay
on the field instead of on the sideline.�
To do that, he will now need to beat out Whittington for the
starting job. Whittington recorded two tackles for losses in last
week�s win over Utah, and generally provided a
solid presence in the linebacking corps. It is unknown whether
Whittington will remain the starter against traditional offenses,
but against teams with spread offenses (such as Utah and Rice),
where quickness on defense is at a premium,
Whittington�s speed and 215-pound frame make him
the perfect linebacker. In practice on Tuesday, he actually fell
into pass coverage a couple of times and came away with an
interception.
�Yeah, I had to show off my old skill-position
days,� Whittington said. �I
really don�t know (why the coaches picked me to
start again this week). It�s the
coaches� decision. I know both of us are going to
contribute against Rice, and hopefully both of us will do our part
to get the win.�
Hale�s main goal for this week is to show the
coaches that he is still capable of holding down a starting job. He
is listed on the depth chart as second to Whittington, but if Rice
runs its spread like Utah�s, he might not see much
time, as the Bruins would fall into more nickel and dime packages
with five or six defensive backs. Whatever the case, Hale is simply
looking forward to the chance to compete again.
�I�m going to go in and work
my butt off to try to get my spot back,� Hale
said. �I was suspended for a game, so I know I
have to earn it.�