Wesselman Worth More Than a Nickel to Aztecs

John Wesselman, San Diego State’s nickel back, leads the football team in tackles.

He was recognized last season as the team’s most valuable special teams player.

He is considered by Coach Al Luginbill as one of the players who best follows Luginbill’s philosophy to play hard on every down.

But he will be best remembered, at least until something even more special comes along, as the player who ran a fake punt 73 yards for a touchdown against UCLA two weeks ago.

The touchdown was not enough to keep the Bruins from escaping with a 28-25 victory, but it elevated Wesselman’s rather low profile. And it was even sweeter for Wesselman because UCLA was the school that disappointed him when it failed to offer him a scholarship five years ago, after a recruiting courtship that lasted several months.

“My biggest thrill in football,” Wesselman said of his part in that shocking piece of football gimmickry. “Nothing tops it.”

Of course, Wesselman said, he would rather have had the victory. But when your team has won only eight of 25 games over three seasons, and you are a member of its much-abused defense, you have to find consolation somewhere.

Wesselman, as any good team player will tell you, would trade his 34 tackles (18 unassisted) and that touchdown run for a victory, but that is a bargain no one can make.

All he can do is get ready for Saturday night’s Western Athletic Conference game at Utah (1-3, 0-1) with the hope that this might be the game the Aztecs (0-2-1, 0-1) finally turn things around.

“We’ve got some good players on defense,” said Wesselman, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound fifth-year senior from West Torrance High School. “We just have to go out and execute, that’s all. Right now, we go out there and play a couple of series well, and then the next series we get the ball driven down our throat.”

That kind of erratic play, especially in games such as last week’s 41-41 tie to Cal State Fullerton, has troubled Wesselman. The Aztecs led by 11 early in the fourth quarter, only to allow the Titans to tie the game on a 22-yard field goal as time ran out.

“Against UCLA, that was probably one of the better efforts we’ve had here in the last couple of years,” Wesselman said. “Coming so close against UCLA and not pulling it out kind of tires you a little bit. Everybody was down.

“We weren’t really up for the (Fullerton) game. We relaxed on defense, which a team can never do. We let them get back into it.”

Wesselman said he, too, had his problems in that game.

“I don’t think I had missed but one tackle all year,” he said, “and I missed two in that game.”

Still, Luginbill generally is pleased with Wesselman’s performance.

“John has probably played to his capabilities once out of three games--the UCLA game,” Luginbill said. “Against Fullerton, he certainly was playing to his capabilities; then at times, like everyone else, he wasn’t with us. That is the thing we have to iron out.

“Am I displeased with his performance? No. Is he playing as well as he can? No.”

That might sound like an endorsement Luginbill can give to any member of a defense that has allowed an average of 40.3 points in its first games.

Actually, Luginbill’s appreciation of Wesselman began shortly after he took over as coach from Denny Stolz last November. Luginbill said he was impressed with Wesselman’s off-season training and his showing in spring practice. Luginbill identified Wesselman early as a player who shared his work ethic.

“I was impressed with his consistency from day to day,” Luginbill said. “That was important.”

While some players struggled to adjust to Luginbill’s demanding ways, Wesselman said he had little trouble because Luginbill’s methods were what he grew up with.

“All through Pop Warner and high school, I had coaches that were very demanding,” Wesselman said. “They wanted you to go 100% on every play. If a guy got a 40-yard gain, then we had 11 guys sprint 40 yards down the field.

“I carried those kind of work habits all through my career. It wasn’t stressed as much with Coach Stolz to play hard that way, but I just did it from habit. When Coach Luginbill came, for me, it wasn’t much change from the past.”

Adjusting to new coaches is nothing new to Wesselman. Luginbill is his fifth coach since his junior season in high school.

Wesselman was brought to SDSU by Doug Scovill and red-shirted as a freshman. Stolz took over the next season and led the Aztecs to the Holiday Bowl, but Wesselman could only watch because he was academically ineligible. He caught the coaches’ attention in 1987 as a special teams player, earning his first start as an outside linebacker by the fourth game against Oregon.

Last season, he played mostly strongside linebacker, and he says he frequently found himself overmatched physically. That is why he is so glad to be playing nickel back this year, a position that has him in the secondary against one-back offenses and playing closer to the line against two-back attacks.

“Last year, I was getting hit by a guard or a fullback on every play,” Wesselman said. “Now, if I get blocked, it is usually just a wide receiver, and I can throw him down.”

This does not mean Wesselman avoids punishment; he plays too hard. He is nursing a bruised hip, but not that or much else will prevent him from playing.”

“This is my last chance, so I’m trying to make the most of it,” Wesselman said. “It will take an awful lot to keep me out. This is my last go-round, and I don’t want to miss a thing.”

Aztecs Notes

San Diego State reserve nickel back David Cooper, a junior from Honolulu, is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery today to repair cartilage damage in his left knee, trainer Brian Barry said. . . . Tight end Ray Rowe (shoulder sprain/bruise) is doubtful for Saturday night’s game at Utah. Cornerback Marlon Andrews (dislocated shoulder) and offensive guard Damon Baldwin (dislocated elbow) are questionable. Reserve defensive end Milt Maples will miss his third consecutive game because of a sprained knee. . . . Safety Morey Paul, who was demoted to second team this week and had his status for the Utah game questioned after being thrown out of a 41-41 tie against Cal State Fullerton for a personal foul, has impressed Coach Al Luginbill enough in practice that the coach said it is possible Paul will make the trip to Utah.