Iowa’s Meier packs a punch

IOWA CITY - By Big Ten standards, Iowa defensive end Nate Meier is short and light. In his match-up against Wisconsin tackle Rob Havenstein last November, Meier (6-foot-2, 252 pounds) gave up five inches and 77 pounds.

But dimensions in college football count for the blue bloods, not blue collars like Iowa. Unease over Meier's size was plentiful, as defensive line coach Reese Morgan admitted this week. Against many run-first teams, any defensive end can lose the attrition battle, especially in the fourth quarter. A lighter one often gets dominated.

'A year ago at this time the big concern was can Nate be an every-down defensive lineman with his size,” Morgan said. 'He answered those questions last spring and last season. We still have to detail things in terms of his technique. He's an undersized guy that thinks he's bigger and tougher than he is, and you love that about him.”

In every competition, Meier faces a weight disadvantage. But that hasn't deterred the senior from Tabor, Iowa. Meier has quick, violent hands and a killer first step. Leverage is crucial, and Meier gets inside taller tackles, which negates their length.

'It's all about details with your hands,” Meier said. 'If you get them in their chest plate, you can control anybody.”

'He really has to be good with his leverage, certainly, and he'd better utilize his feet,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. 'All the things that he does have, he's got to really make those work for him because he's not the biggest guy in the world.”

Meier has drawn comparisons to former Iowa defensive linemen like Karl Klug and Mitch King because of his position flexibility. Ferentz said he hadn't used a player with Meier's size at defensive end since Howard Hodges in 2002. They were successful at Iowa in part because of their work ethic, quickness and tenacity.

This spring, Meier has picked the brains of King and former Iowa defensive end Matt Roth during film sessions. Those players all were fearless and a bit crazy. Count Meier in that category. He's put on about 10 pounds this off-season but is built about as thick as his sculpted frame can handle. And nearly every description of Meier by teammates and coaches begin with the word tough.

'He's all muscle, and he's tough,” fellow defensive end Drew Ott said. 'I don't think he's scared of anyone, and he'd run through a brick wall for the Iowa football team. That's just the kind of personality he has so that's what makes him good.”

'He's got a really hard mentality, and I think it's what enables him to do that,” Ferentz said.

Size wasn't an issue for Meier in high school. He overpowered 8-man football in leading Fremont-Mills to a state title his senior year. He rushed for 2,494 yards and 57 touchdowns that season and also posted 34 tackles for loss.

'He looked like John Riggins in 8-man football,” Ferentz said. 'It was like men against boys.”

Meier was a late commit and he came to Iowa without a position. He opened his Iowa career at running back then dabbled at linebacker and fullback, Meier found a home at defensive end. He played in every game as a sophomore. Meier started every game at left defensive end last year and recorded 57 tackles, including six for loss and two sacks. He also was credited with four quarterback hurries.

This year, he's shown maturity. Graduate assistant Broderick Binns, a former Iowa defensive end, mentors Meier. Binns stood the same height and weighed a tad more than Meier. Binns finished his Iowa career in 2011 with 13 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss.

'He's helped me a ton,” Meier said. 'I still need to get better in a lot of areas, but I think my pass rush definitely did a whole 360. Coach Binns, he's just been helping me do a lot of things with that.”

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