Aka atop Cyclones depth chart on defensive line after nearly moving positions

AMES - Defensive lineman Pierre Aka sat in a meeting with Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads and remained quiet, not really knowing how to respond in the moment.

Rhoads waited until the season was over, but brought the 6-foot-4, 293-pound red-shirt junior into his office to give Aka an ultimatum of sorts. If Rhoads didn't start seeing the growth and production he wanted from Aka, he'd be moved to the offensive line.

That was just the kick-start Aka needed.

'You don't really want to hear that. It's sort of a demotion if anything,” Aka said. 'I think that was kind of a wake-up call and his way of telling me, ‘Get your stuff right. If you don't, then we'll figure out where to use you.'”

So during the off-season, Aka put in the work to remain on the defensive side of the line. Through spring and summer workouts, he's put himself in a position to be listed atop the depth chart entering fall camp at defensive tackle.

Defensive tackles coach Shane Burnham knew a change needed to take place also. Aka recorded six tackles in seven games a year ago, but struggled to constantly find exactly where he needed to go.

'He was one of those kids that would fall into a play and did everything else wrong,” Burnham said. 'I couldn't get consistent technique out of him nor consistent play. It didn't look like he played with a hard edge that you need to play with inside.”

Fast forward eight months and Aka started to build the foundation to playing with a hard edge. It was a more physical approach to the game that helped Aka shoot up the depth chart, but he created mental objectives as well.

'I kind of approached it like it was my senior year and last chance to do something right, being under a microscope,” Aka said. 'Whether it was in the weight room or film room, I just kind of took the next step to doing things. If I needed to get one more rep, I told myself to be a self-starter and just attack every drill.”

Aka's mindset to change his approach and absorb whatever he can from coaches has typified the changes the defensive line has made as a whole this offseason. His teammates have seen the progress he's made in a year, and know what that could do to benefit the position.

'I feel like he's been playing with a chip on his shoulder and has something to prove because people didn't think he was anything,” said red-shirt junior Devlyn Cousin. 'So now, he's really stepping up to the plate and is going to bring that force to the end position this year.”

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