Kirksey runs into lineup

IOWA CITY - Forget the “sophomore” in front of Christian Kirksey's name. In football years, he's much younger.

Out of the wreckage of the Iowa State game, it's difficult to say with credibility that there was a bright spot. You know the numbers, and you were reintroduced to the concept of contain. It was an ugly performance.

Kirksey, a 6-foot-2, 215-pounder, came the closest for the Hawkeyes. He led Iowa with 13 tackles, had two tackles for loss including a sack, forced a fumble and recovered it. A full day from Iowa's weakside linebacker position, which was the launchpad for former Hawkeye Chad Greenway, who recently signed a five-year, $41 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Yes, the recent history of Iowa linebackers to the NFL was mentioned to Kirksey this week. He astutely laughed it off.

“I'm just a young linebacker growing,” said Kirksey, who's sixth in the nation in solo tackles at 8.5 a game. “I really haven't focused on the NFL because I have a lot to do in college and I'm only a sophomore. I have a lot to improve on before thinking about the NFL.”

Yes, Kirksey is only a sophomore. And really, he's only in his fourth year of football.

He played for two seasons under Coach Mike Jones, the former St. Louis Ram, at Hazelwood East (Mo.) High School. He played for the Hawkeyes as a true freshman last season, all on special teams. And now, here he is, starting weakside linebacker.

That's an incredible climb, especially considering the fact Kirksey came to Iowa City weighing just 195 pounds. That's small for a running back at Iowa, and so, yes, that's undersized for a linebacker at Iowa and in the Big Ten.

Jones isn't surprised, though. He saw this coming. Jones saw a family that was behind their son. He saw a player who took to the team and the game.

When Kirksey, whose nephew is Minnesota defensive lineman Brandon Kirksey, started playing at Hazelwood East, the school was on the verge of a state title. In his first year, Kirksey joined a veteran team with a few college prospects.

He checked his ego and learned.

“He had to basically earn his stripes with those guys,” Jones said. “He kept his mouth shut and he knew what to do. And he just kept getting better and better and better.”

Every player has something that grabs coaches' attention and gets him into the starting lineup. For Kirksey, it was speed. Jones and his staff saw it during the first week of practice.

Kirksey lined up at fullback. On the third play of a scrimmage, he took a simple trap play 80 yards for a TD.

“I looked at my offensive line coach and we kind of looked at each other and said, ‘OK, we've got a football player,'” said Jones, who's now the head coach at Lincoln University in Baltimore Pike, Pa. “He started off a little slow, but as he got better, the one thing I realized about him, he could really run. He ran extremely well for a guy his size. He blossomed.”

Kirksey knows speed is his thing and he banks on it.

“Because I am a smaller guy, I pay attention to my speed,” Kirksey said. “I can't be in too many wrestling matches because of my size, so I try to use my speed to my advantage.”

That speed is what has Kirksey in the starting lineup, Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said.

“He's done a lot of good things for us, and we're asking him to do a lot,” Ferentz said. “His numbers were really good the other day, but like everybody on our team, not just offensively or defensively but everybody on our team right now, he's got a lot of things he still has to get a lot better at and see quicker.”

That speed was sort of the point with linebackers coach Darrell Wilson. Sophomore Anthony Hitchens, a 6-1, 224-pounder, is next off the bench.

“Sometimes, being quick and aggressive is better than that big, sluggy guy who maybe can't get there,” Wilson said. “You want physical kids who can get there (and tackle) and get out and play in space ... I think that's the route we've gone with these ‘backers. They might seem light, but they're still very tough, physical football players who can hold their own in the running game.”

Jones, who made the game-winning tackle for the Rams in their Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the Titans, readily admits Kirksey needs to see more football. After all, this is all of year No. 4.

“He played two years of high school football. He played special teams last year,” Jones said. “Now, he's starting for a Big Ten school playing against really good football teams. He has to raise his awareness of the game.”

Kirksey is an able body. He's also been a willing participant.

Coming to college football as a linebacker and weighing just 195 pounds, that probably should've spelled red-shirt last season. As you probably have noticed, Iowa has had problems on special teams the last two seasons. Kirksey was asked to drop the red-shirt and help on kick coverage last season.

He jumped at the chance, 195 pounds or not.

“Coaches told me, hey, we need you right now. Jump in there, we don't care about your weight,” said Kirksey, whose father, Elmer, died during Christian's first summer on campus. “It wasn't really a hard decision. Everything is a learning experience. I feel I was the next man in.

“Apparently, they see something in me if they want me to go in the game. I feel it was a good decision, though.”

So far, so good.