Aztecs Need His Backing : Freshman Mathis Is in New Defense Plan

Since the day in February when Haywood Mathis signed a letter of intent to play football at San Diego State, Coach Denny Stolz has been touting Mathis’ future.

Whenever Stolz was asked about his latest recruiting class, he usually mentioned Mathis first.

Mathis, a tall, rangy outside linebacker with speed and strength, was exactly the kind of player Stolz envisioned thriving in his new 3-4 defensive front. He was expected to step directly from Mount Miguel High School into contention for a starting position.

So imagine the coaches’ reaction when Mathis reported Sunday for his physical still nursing a sprained right ankle that he injured in a playground basketball game in June.

“They weren’t too happy about it,” said Mathis, smiling at his understatement. “But I’m sure given some time, it will get better.”

The injury has not stopped him from participating in non-contact workouts, which began Monday for freshmen, transfers and other new players. But he said it did slow his time in the 40-yard dash to 4.9 seconds (“Usually, I’m a 4.6,” Mathis said) and caused him to limp slightly after practice. Ironically, he quit the Mount Miguel basketball team early in the season because he was concerned that an injury might hurt his chances for a football scholarship.

Although Stolz is confident that the injury will not change his plans for Mathis, the temporary setback gave Stolz reason to lament.

“Basketball,” Stolz said. “That’s how it seems we get all of our ankle injuries.”

Aside from working on an exercise program to strengthen his ankle, Mathis is not letting the injury distract him from his goals. He said he was told during his recruitment that he would get a chance to contend for significant playing time as a freshman, and nothing he has seen or heard in the intervening months has changed his mind.

With only four experienced linebackers returning and only one of them--Morey Paul, a sophomore inside linebacker--more than a part-time starter, Stolz said Mathis will get a chance to prove himself. Kevin Maultsby and Derek Santifer, who were part-time starters as juniors last season, emerged from spring practice as the starting outside linebackers, but Stolz said he expects Mathis to press them for their jobs.

“We’d like to find two (freshman) linebackers who can step right in and help us,” Stolz said, “and Haywood Mathis has that kind of ability.”

The Aztec coaches convinced Mathis to pass up offers to play at Colorado and USC to stay near home and help rebuild their defense. SDSU ranked 98th out of 104 NCAA Division I-A schools last season, allowing an average of 35.7 points per game. Quite a contrast to what Mathis was used to at Mount Miguel, where his team led the county in regular-season defense, allowing 4.9 points per game.

“I thought at first I wanted to get away, be on my own for a while,” Mathis said. “But I really care for my parents and listened to their word. They wanted me to stay home. This way, I’m right around the corner. If I get homesick, I can go home.”

Because the Aztecs are switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 front, much of their recruiting effort went into finding linebackers. Seven of their initial 18 freshman recruits were linebackers, and they recently added two more freshman linebackers who will sit out the season because they failed to meet the NCAA freshman eligibility standard.

Out of that group, Stolz is looking for someone who has the potential to come in and do what Paul did in his first season out of Oceanside High School. When Maultsby temporarily quit the team after the third game, Paul took over his starting spot, finished second on the team in tackles with 98 and earned freshman linebacker of the year honors from The Sporting News.

One look at Mathis at practice, and it is easy to see why the coaches are impressed with his resemblance to Paul. Both are 6-feet 3-inches tall and weigh about 200 pounds. And both appear to have the speed, range and strength to play the position.

“I figured if (Paul) could come in a do that nice of a job, so could I,” Mathis said. “I know if I work hard and learn the plays, I could possibly end up playing.”

Mathis has found the initial instruction a bit more complicated than what he was used to in high school, where all he had to be concerned with was pursuit to the ball and rushing the quarterback. Now he has to learn the intricacies of pass coverage.

“It’s a different concept,” Mathis said. “The first day was real difficult mentally for me. There is a lot I have to learn.”

The next few days are a teaching time for new players and staff. Returning players begin practice Saturday, and contact drills start next Wednesday. Then the coaches will get a truer reading of what Mathis might be able to contribute to their retooled defense. It is a period that Mathis is confidently, but quietly, anticipating.

“I’m not saying I’m going to come in and start, but I consider myself like a Dick Butkus type,” Mathis said. “I’m know I’m one tough cookie.”

Aztec Notes

ESPN will televise the Western Athletic Conference game between San Diego State and Wyoming on Oct. 8 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, a network spokesman said Tuesday. Starting time for the game has been been moved back 30 minutes to 7:30 p.m. to accommodate the telecast. The game is part of a series of ESPN games designed for late-night viewing in the East and prime time in the West. The spokesman said the network will show two other WAC games--Brigham Young at Wyoming on Sept. 1 and Brigham Young at Hawaii on Oct. 22--as part of the series. The network previously announced that it would show the Aztecs’ home opener Sept. 11 against Air Force as part of its College Football Assn. package. . . . Darren Cooley, a freshman defensive lineman from Oklahoma City, underwent back surgery April 12 to remove a ruptured disk. Coach Denny Stolz said a decision on whether to redshirt Cooley would be made later, depending on his recovery. Cooley injured his back while weightlifting April 1. Cooley, who is 6-feet 3-inches tall and weighs 260 pounds, was one of the Aztecs’ top recruits and had been mentioned earlier by Stolz as a possible contender for playing time at nose tackle. . . . After two days of practice with his latest recruits, Stolz had praise for offensive lineman Chuck Hardaway, a junior transfer from Taft College; Darrin Wagner, a freshman running back from Lincoln High School, and two other freshman outside linebackers--Tracey Mao from Lynwood High School and Derrick Williams from Carlsbad High School. “This freshman class, from top to bottom, is a touch better than the one last year,” said Stolz. . . .The Aztecs will hold their annual photo day at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the new Aztec Athletic Center next to Peterson Gym.