Leggett Packs Up His Tackles and Heads West : Former Mississippi State Cornerback-Turned-Linebacker a Big Hit at Fullerton

The first time anybody tried to change Jerry Leggett’s position, Leggett was a 6-foot 2-inch, 142-pound string bean of a high-school cornerback in Meridian, Miss., whose only complaint was that he preferred not to do any backpedaling.

That, you can imagine, posed a problem.

“I wanted to play cornerback, but I didn’t want to run up and down the field,” Leggett said. “I just wanted to go after the quarterback every time.”

To his credit, an exasperated coach made a suggestion: “You want to hit? You don’t want to do what I say? Come over here at linebacker.”

So Leggett became a linebacker, and has remained one even though he has grown to 6-5, 260--bigger than most linebackers.

The second time anybody tried to change Leggett’s position was after his sophomore season at Mississippi State 2 years ago. The coaching staff suggested that Leggett become a defensive lineman. Leggett, who believes in speaking his mind, said no.

“They tried to put me down as a down lineman, and I loaded up my bag and I headed for the West Coast,” Leggett said. “I didn’t look back.”

This was all to Cal State Fullerton’s great good fortune. Leggett, a second-cousin of the Rams’ Charlie White, came to California with hopes of playing at USC. While he was watching the Rams practice at their Fullerton training camp, he caught a bit of the Titans’ preseason practice. Soon after, he walked into the Fullerton football offices and told the coaches he was there to play.

“When I look at Fullerton, I’m looking at Mississippi, quiet and green,” Leggett said. “When I look at SC, I’m looking at L.A.--lots of crime and fast-talkers. I’m the type that could get taken advantage of. I’m just a country boy.”

More than a year later, after sitting out as required by NCAA transfer regulations, Leggett leads Fullerton in tackles with 59 in 6 games. And with his plain-speaking manner, has become one of the leaders of the team.

“The way I grew up, you say what you feel,” Leggett said. “If it’s right, you say it. You don’t talk stupid, but you say what you feel.”

Just how fortunate does Fullerton feel to have had a player of Leggett’s ability walk through the door?

“ Ver y fortunate,” said Kirk Harmon, Fullerton’s defensive coordinator.

And no one is asking Leggett to change his position now. He’s a linebacker, no question.

“That’s where I want to play,” Leggett said. “I don’t think size should judge a man. I think if the heart is there and the mind is there, the body will follow. . . . People look at me and say, ‘This guy’s playing linebacker and he’s almost 270 (pounds)?’ I feel you’ve got guys playing linebacker who are 218, 220--my feet are just as fast as theirs. And I know I have as much heart as any man on earth.”

That quality was in evidence last Saturday, when Leggett walked off the field after a 23-10 loss to Fresno State, saying he was near tears.

Leggett had 18 tackles in that game, one he said he would have given up his beloved linebacker position to win.

“I’m not a selfish player,” he said. “If they need me, just put me in there and I’ll be a piece of meat to help my team. If I would have come into the game against Fresno and (Titan Coach Gene) Murphy had said he wanted me to go play fullback, I’d go play fullback.”

A nice offer, but not one the Titans will accept.

Linebacker is where Fullerton likes him.

“He’s a very instinctive football player, and that really helps for an inside backer,” Harmon said. “He has a nose for the football.”

He is also hard to block.

“He’s a tall guy, and a lot of people try to cut him, chop him at the knees,” Harmon said. “But he has really good feet, and it’s hard for anyone to knock him off his feet, which is unusual for a guy his size.”

Leggett has his own way of describing his methods.

“The first couple of plays of the game I just try to destroy my guard and tackle,” Leggett said. “I feel I can punish them. Not many people like to get hit hard in the face. I just try to terrorize the offensive line.”

Bill Bryan, a 4-year starter at linebacker who is closing in on the Fullerton record for tackles, is out for 2 to 3 weeks with a knee injury that was aggravated against Fresno State.

Bryan, one of Fullerton’s 4 captains, has 35 tackles in 6 games, several of which he has played in only sparingly because of injuries. He is 36 tackles short of Terry Hubbard’s school record of 336 tackles.

“This will make me have to work harder,” said Bryan, who hopes to return at least for the final 2 games of the season, against San Jose State and Utah State.

“Three seasons, I didn’t miss a game, and here I am going to miss half my senior season.”