Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:08:21 GMT -5
07/06/2011
Chip Fontanazza
MetroNews Sports
Last year, Bruce Irvin was a highly touted JUCO prospect for the Mountaineers and he was trying to prove himself on the field. If you ask many of his opponents they’ll say he did a fine job and probably don’t want to face him again. He finished the season with a Big East best 14 sacks that ranked him second in the nation. Not bad for a guy who was originally a wide receiver in high school.
Irvin will admit he learned a lot from last season and he is hoping to pass that knowledge and experience along to new JUCO transfer Shaq Rowell. Who is in the same situation that Irvin was in. He is a defensive lineman, he spent two years at a community college, he didn’t take part in spring practices and he is expected to contribute as soon as possible.
Rowell played JUCO ball at Iowa Western Community College and is now on campus and training with the Mountaineers. Irvin has already given Rowell advice about adjusting to the Division I level and finding success in the Big East. The coaching staff is still trying to figure out what Rowell can do on the field and they will find out what he can do when fall camp comes around.
Irvin says Rowell has a great chance to contribute right away, but he still has a lot of work to do.
“It depends on what type of person he is,” said Irvin on Rowell playing early. “I think you wouldn’t expect as much from a player if he’s coming out of high school, but Shaq was a junior college player like me. Coming out of junior college you have a little bit more knowledge of the game and what’s expected of you.”
Last season Irvin was used on third downs and he proved how valuable he is to the team. Now he is listed as the starting defensive end and is expected to play every down this season. The ferocious defensive end knows many WVU fans wanted him to play every down last season, but Irvin says he found plenty of success in his role last season and that was the coach’s plan all along.
“Coach [Jeff] Casteel and coach [Bill] Kirelawich do a good job of putting you in the best situation,” explained Irvin. “I didn’t know a lot so they put me in the best situation to help me succeed and I did. Hopefully they’re going to do the same for Shaq. They’re going to find out his strengths and weaknesses at fall camp and they’re going to put him in the best situation like they did [with] me.”
This season fans can expect to see Rowell on the field and hopefully he will find success, just like Irvin.
Chip Fontanazza
MetroNews Sports
Last year, Bruce Irvin was a highly touted JUCO prospect for the Mountaineers and he was trying to prove himself on the field. If you ask many of his opponents they’ll say he did a fine job and probably don’t want to face him again. He finished the season with a Big East best 14 sacks that ranked him second in the nation. Not bad for a guy who was originally a wide receiver in high school.
Irvin will admit he learned a lot from last season and he is hoping to pass that knowledge and experience along to new JUCO transfer Shaq Rowell. Who is in the same situation that Irvin was in. He is a defensive lineman, he spent two years at a community college, he didn’t take part in spring practices and he is expected to contribute as soon as possible.
Rowell played JUCO ball at Iowa Western Community College and is now on campus and training with the Mountaineers. Irvin has already given Rowell advice about adjusting to the Division I level and finding success in the Big East. The coaching staff is still trying to figure out what Rowell can do on the field and they will find out what he can do when fall camp comes around.
Irvin says Rowell has a great chance to contribute right away, but he still has a lot of work to do.
“It depends on what type of person he is,” said Irvin on Rowell playing early. “I think you wouldn’t expect as much from a player if he’s coming out of high school, but Shaq was a junior college player like me. Coming out of junior college you have a little bit more knowledge of the game and what’s expected of you.”
Last season Irvin was used on third downs and he proved how valuable he is to the team. Now he is listed as the starting defensive end and is expected to play every down this season. The ferocious defensive end knows many WVU fans wanted him to play every down last season, but Irvin says he found plenty of success in his role last season and that was the coach’s plan all along.
“Coach [Jeff] Casteel and coach [Bill] Kirelawich do a good job of putting you in the best situation,” explained Irvin. “I didn’t know a lot so they put me in the best situation to help me succeed and I did. Hopefully they’re going to do the same for Shaq. They’re going to find out his strengths and weaknesses at fall camp and they’re going to put him in the best situation like they did [with] me.”
This season fans can expect to see Rowell on the field and hopefully he will find success, just like Irvin.
