Fan favorite Levi Peters hopes to spark Cyclone LB corps

AMES - His dark and bushy beard is easy to spot on the field, even through the obscurity of a chin strap and face mask. A soft-spoken voice doesn't match his grizzled outer appearance, but it's those his differences that have made him a fan favorite.

Levi Peters always brought his hard-to-contain energy to the Iowa State special teams unit, but in 2015 he'll be called on as an every down linebacker.

The junior tore his Achilles just two games into last season but is back on the practice field this spring as a first-team weakside linebacker. And his recognizable energy and enthusiasm hasn't gone anywhere.

'I bet he got his fingers hit a lot with a ruler when he was younger,” joked Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads. 'He goes full speed, blue jersey or not and hasn't missed a day. The only time we've taken him off the field is when we've tackled.”

Peters wears the blue jersey in spring drills and even though he hasn't been tackling, he's continued to make strides at linebacker. For a player who thrives on hard contact, not getting a chance to participate in tackling this spring hasn't been easy.

Finding a medium between not putting in valuable reps and going full contact has been a process, but Peters has improved at that, too. When the Iowa State season-opener rolls around, though, the 5-foot-11, 213-pounder paints a clear picture of what kind of linebacker he will be.

'I just try to be one of the toughest guys out there,” Peters said. 'I'm a little smaller linebacker so I try to make up with that in toughness and my speed. I try to fit my gaps and take 320-pound lineman on if I need to and try to win those battles.”

Uncertainty surrounds Luke Knott's playing status in 2015 because of injury, but Peters has inserted himself into the linebacker rotation and is being backed up by sophomore Brian Mills. His willingness to be physical is just what defensive coordinator Wally Burnham likes to see.

'Levi's crazy,” Burnham said. 'He's going everywhere, but he's going hard. But he's improved with knowing the defense and what his job is.”

Peters has a taste for theatrics when it comes to his appearance, even shaving stars and stripes into his hair for a game. Rhoads hesitantly described his style as flamboyant, but his appearance isn't meant to make a statement.

That's just Levi.

'He's doing the right thing as he does that type of stuff so I don't mind,” Rhoads said. 'He's my type of guy because he plays his heart out.”

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