Deacon Sports Xtra: Weight Room Success Translating to the Field for Bergan Jr.
8/25/2022 12:29:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“He’s taking the next step athletically,” - Coach Cohen on Dion Bergan Jr.
A rested, healthy and fresh Dion Bergan Jr. should be enough to keep opposing ACC quarterbacks and running backs sleepless the night before squaring off against the Demon Deacons.
A 6-foot-1, 294 pounds fifth-year senior, Bergan is in the best shape of his career and is regarded as the strongest player on the Wake Forest Football roster. He squats 700 pounds, can power-clean upwards of 400 pounds and offers a bench press of 460 pounds. He can also vertical-jump right around 30 inches.
He was rightfully named to the 2022 "Freaks List" by Bruce Feldman at The Athletic.
"I didn't even know about the list until Coach Clawson told me about it," Bergan said after a Fall Camp practice. "I was pretty excited about it. All the work we've put in helps allow me to get recognized like that.
"Wrestling was a huge thing for me in high school. I did it all four years and was able to qualify for the state championships. It definitely helps. Discus and shot put helps with explosiveness on the field."
Not content to just excel in the weight room, Bergan has put together an impressive fall camp, standing out among a deep and talented group of defensive linemen eager to show off an improving Demon Deacon Defense.
"What's exciting is how many playable players we have there," Wake Forest Clawson said after the second scrimmage of Fall Camp. "You look at defensive tackle, you have Dion Bergan, who might have had the best camp of anybody.
"Then there's Tyler Williams, who when healthy can be a dominant player. Kobie Turner and Kevin Pointer both have had a great camp. Bernard Gooden shows up every practice. So, that's five guys inside. Then at defensive end you have Rondell (Bothroyd), JaCorey (Johns), Jasheen (Davis) and Kendron (Wayman). With the game on the line, you're comfortable with any of those guys in the game. The hope is we can roll those guys and keep them fresh."
Bergan has played in 40 career games, including all 14 in last year's ACC Atlantic and Gator Bowl Championship campaign for the Demon Deacons. He finished the season with 25 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups.
"He's taking the next step athletically," Wake Forest defensive line coach Dave Cohen said. "He's always been strong and physical at the point of attack. What he's doing differently now is coming off blocks and making plays. He's not just being a fire hydrant, but he's now athletic enough to come off."
The change at defensive coordinator with the hiring of Brad Lambert has reinvigorated the defensive line, as they are able to go into attack mode more frequently, working to get in the backfield to sack the quarterback or gobble up the running back.
"The mentality is to just come out here and be consistent everyday," Bergan explained. "We have to stack days and then recover. Everybody has just been all-in. The buy-in for this season has been crazy. The leadership of this team helps ensure everyone is training and in the film room after practice. It's been consistent learning everyday and getting better.
"We have a lot of vets in that room with a lot of experience. Ever since that third year, we've just been trying to rally the young guys and build them up every year. Leadership has always been there for us."
Having what Clawson and Cohen describe as nine players for four positions is a positive, according to Bergan.
"We have a pretty deep rotation of guys who are going to be able to play," he said. "Coach always talks about that being a good problem to have, having guys who can play at a high level and keep the starters fresh."
"We're going to get out plays as guys rotate in and out. It's good that we will be able to keep fresh and play at a high level."
The Deacs begin the season at 7:30 p.m.Thursday Sept. 1 against VMI at Truist Field.
