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FOOTBALL PLA YER FEA TURE: ROBER T MACI Quick Study Maci plays critical dual role SClardie@GoldandBlack.com BY STACY CLARDIE At Purdue's media day, Robert fensive line and the linebackers. At the team's kickoff luncheon, Maci took photos with the de- he was introduced to fans as a defen- sive lineman. In the first official depth chart, advantage of players who can stay on the field in several personnel groupings without giving away what kind of formation Purdue will use. It's possible Maci won't know Tibesar's schemes hope to take Maci was listed as the Boilermakers' starting strongside linebacker and he's expected to start there in the opener against Eastern Kentucky. So it' having a bit of an identity crisis. "I play defense, triguing player because of the role he's expected to play in the new-look defense. The game already flooded with hybrid players on of- fense — the Boilermakers have their fair share with Raheem Mostert, An- tavian Edison and Rob Henry. And now it's trending toward the same on defense to match up with those offenses, coordinator Tim Tibesar says. is Maci may be Purdue's most in- " being ing, when asked what position he defines himself as. "That's what I like to say. Or slashy. Some call me slashy. which spot he'll line up in before the snap, and then once the call comes in, he's either putting his hand down in the ground at rush end or stand- ing up and dropping into coverage. Maci still is getting used to d make sense if Maci was " he said, laugh- the latter, even though he played linebacker for three years in high school. In his first season with the Boilermakers, he was converted to an end and didn't start playing line- backer again until last spring with Tibesar's arrival. "When I started coming here, it was an adjustment putting my hand in the ground and getting comfort- able and now it's an adjustment get- ting in a stance and bursting off the ball, tice at both positions and extra time in his playbook trying to learn both. With every installation of a new de- fense, Maci approaches it from two perspectives. That could seem to be cause for " Maci said. Maci is spending time in prac- some confusion. Or, in the least, cause for con- Robert Maci may be the most intriguing player on Purdue's new defense in his role as a hybrid player, starting as an outside linebacker but also expected to get snaps at defensive end. cern that Maci won't be able to mas- ter either position because he's torn between the two, not fully immersed in the nuances of becoming a fully- formed outside linebacker and also have his development stunted in his growth to become a more effective pass rusher. Maci is feeling it all. "In a way, I think it makes me better. When I'm playing defensive end, I know more about what's going on behind me, time, I'll have to admit, I do get a lit- tle lost if I don't know exactly if I'm playing defensive end or linebacker. " he said. "At the same It's more mental." Tom Campbell in only the first five last season be- fore suffering a Lisfranc injury that required two surgeries. As a sopho- more, he appeared in all 12 games but only had 17 tackles and mostly saw time on special teams. His defensive snaps that season were limited be- hind Ryan Kerrigan. The same for his redshirt freshman season in 2009. But even when he hasn't gotten high reps in games, Maci has kept studying and been prepared to play. That continued this spring and in the fall. Senior defensive tackle Kawann that led coaches to give him a chance in a key spot as the defense transitions. Coach Danny Hope, Still, it's Maci's makeup Tibesar and outside line- backers coach Donn Land- holm cite Maci's experience, intelligence and physical skills as reasons he was a prime candidate. Maci is in his fiſth sea- son with the program, but he really hasn't had much game experience. He played West Lafayette, IN 47906 Bus: 765-743-9595 trentismyagent.com Trent B Johnson, Agent 249 E State Street I've got service, yes I do ... And I am ready to prove it. Call me for your insurance needs and see how it feels to be on a #1 team. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® CALL ME TODAY. Short said he hasn't seen Maci make many mistakes, and that's, in part, P097275.2 State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • volume 23, express 1 • 14

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