Game Program Feature: Russ Leads the Nasty Sweethearts
9/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 10, 2010
This article was originally published in the Sept. 2 edition of Kickoff, the official gameday magazine of Wake Forest football.
By Evan Lepler
As the only member of Jim Grobe's 2010 coaching staff who ever played a snap in the NFL, Steve Russ knows exactly what it takes to be an effective linebacker.
"They've got to be physical, and when you're physical, you're nasty," said Russ. "You can't play linebacker and not have a rough edge to you. And at the same time, you've gotta have enough finesse to be able to make plays in space. That's kinda always one of the givens for me. If you're not nasty, you're not gonna be able to get out there and play. I got some guys, when they step on the field, they're not real nice, and when they stop off the field, they're real sweethearts. And that's kind of a good way to be."
After two successful years of handling the fullbacks and tight ends, Russ has transferred back to the position group that he personally mastered as a defensive leader for the early-90s Air Force Falcons, where he suited up for a linebackers coach named Grobe, and the late-90s Denver Broncos, where he twice had to supply his ring finger-size as a symbol of football glory. With Brad Lambert, the third-year defensive coordinator sliding to the cornerbacks, Russ provides a renewed fervor to a linebacker core that is poised to lead the Deacon defense.
"I really look for guys that can run and hit and be physical and love the game," explains the passionate Coach. "And if you love the game, you're going to work in the weight room. You're going to do the things you need to do in the film room.
"Also, I need a guy who's going to be a good leader. We always say, we're the quarterbacks of the defense, and we gotta be able to tie the back-end in with the front-end and set the tone. So you gotta have a guy that appreciates that aspect of it as well."
Despite the last couple years spent working with the offensive side, Russ does not lack experience at handling the `backers. His first coaching job, beyond serving as a graduate assistant at Air Force, was to monitor the linebackers at Ohio University, working under then Bobcat head coach Brian Knorr (who now oversees the Wake Forest wide receivers). Following his time in the Buckeye State, he served as the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Syracuse before rejoining Grobe in Winston-Salem.
Grobe has wanted to shift Russ back to the defensive side "for a while," and before spring practice opened, the decision became official and the players were informed.
"It may have been after a six AM workout," said fifth-year senior linebacker Hunter Haynes, when asked when he found out the change in his position coach. "I was a little tired [at the time]. It didn't hit me until about an hour later.
"But we went over to his house and had dinner and met his family and his kids. Great family. Obviously, he's a great guy if Coach Grobe hired him."
While Haynes and his fellow fifth year senior linebackers Matt Woodlief and Lee Malchow enjoyed playing directly under Lambert, a new headmaster can breed a fresh excitement. It also provides an opportunity to see and hear a new style of leadership.
"He's always really intense," said Haynes, "but there are these times when he's trying to show us a drill, and he'll just go ahead and hit someone. He'll just kinda get physical with you. He used to be a linebacker. Every day, he's catching us off guard, just trying to keep us motivated. He's never hit me, but sometimes when he's trying to show us a tackle, he'll use me as a dummy. I don't even know if he knows he's doing it, but he's just boiling all the time."
Even off the field and in the meeting room, the players have noticed a drastically different approach to their classroom-like study sessions. Whereas they were used to Lambert joining them at the table, Russ is often too energized to remain stationary.
"Coach Russ is the type of guy who doesn't like to sit down," explains Woodlief, who was one of only four Wake defenders to start every game in 2009. "Lambert's the type of guy that sits down when we're watching film. Coach Russ is always standing up and pointing things out...He's very intense. He's very energetic all the time."
The constant passion has resonated with the entire crew of linebackers, a group that has given Russ reason to be confident. Heading into the opening game against Presbyterian, the multitude of options at the position has provided him with a tricky challenge, albeit, a good one to have.
"There's great competition from top to bottom," Russ stated emphatically. "This is a real deep group, which is great. And we have a lot of guys that can play multiple spots and multiple positions, which balances your depth even more. It's really fun to watch, and the depth chart changes daily. It kind of depends on what series it is or what group we're running. I'm trying to mix and match lineups to give everyone a chance to win a job."
The three aforementioned redshirt seniors all figure to be in the mix, though Malchow, a former walk-on who earned significant playing time last year, is still battling back from a broken leg that he suffered while making the tackle on the opening kickoff against Georgia Tech last November.
Joining the veteran trio are a slew of youthful options, most notably redshirt sophomores Joey Ehrmann and Riley Haynes (Hunter's brother). Newcomers to watch include Justin Jackson and Mike Olson, a pair of redshirt freshman that have received rave reviews from teammates during preseason camp.
Perhaps the most exciting prospect is Ehrmann, the son of a 10-year NFL defender and the leading returning sack-artist on the roster. As a Deacon rookie, Ehrmann played in every game as a reserve and received praise from Grobe on a weekly basis for the spark he brought to the heart of the defense. The offseason goal for Ehrmann was simply to gain weight, add muscle, and begin to take his game to the next level. Physically, he appears to be on the verge of a breakout season.
"He's really bought into the whole weightlifting thing, and he's changed his game tremendously," Hunter Haynes said about Ehrmann. "Joey's always been extremely fast, and he's kept his speed. But now he's able to use his hands and be able to do things that he wasn't able to do when he was really light."
As a talented high school athlete in Baltimore, Ehrmann was recruited by many, including Russ. But, at the time, Russ was looking to bring Ehrmann north, not south.
"I was getting recruited by Syracuse and Coach Russ was recruiting me there," Ehrmann explained. "So I had a pretty good relationship with Coach Russ. Then, when I found out he was coming here, before I even got here, I was really excited. I'm glad I get to play for Russ."
Now a third-year sophomore, Ehrmann will become an example to the rookie Deacs, particularly those who are finally shedding their redshirts and are giddy about the chance to play.
"Justin Jackson is probably one of the fastest kids on the team," Ehrmann said of the redshirt-freshman from Rockingham, N.C. "He's a freak athlete. He's a workout machine. He's strong, he's fast, and he's going to be really good."
Not only do the newcomers have talent, but their attitudes have meshed with the veterans to create healthy competition for playing time and a positive working atmosphere throughout the dog days of August camp.
"The younger guys on this team, they know how to work," Hunter Haynes said. "It's rare when you see a team where the young guys come out every day and get after it. And so it's been refreshing to camp. When you're a fifth-year senior, trying to lead the team, you don't want to be someone you're not. We're just going out every day, the young guys are working, and the old guys are doing what they're supposed to do. It's been exciting to see."
The entire crop of Deacon linebackers also realize that their ability to recreate the turnover success of 2008 will be vitally important in experiencing a winning season in 2010. Wake Forest led the nation with 37 takeaways in 2008, whereas the 2009 defense was not ranked among the top 100 units in the country.
"That's definitely been a big focus," said Ehrmann. "We're definitely emphasizing turnovers big time. If the defense can get turnovers, we're guaranteed to have a pretty good year."
Added Woodlief, "That's our biggest goal as a defense right now: creating turnovers. Because if we create turnovers, then obviously we're going to win the game. That's the main thing for the defense, just creating turnovers and flying around the ball."
