USD Defenders Have No Differences They Can’t Tackle : Football: Washam, Salazar aren’t much alike, but they get similar results.

Jim Washam and Rick Salazar--the rustler and the wrestler--are an odd mix on the defensive line for the University of San Diego football team.

How they ever became roommates and best friends is anyone’s guess.

Washam is the kind of guy whose wardrobe consists of a dozen T-shirts, a couple of flannels, some boots and three pairs of blue jeans--one for work, one for play and the other for formal occasions.

He is a good ol’ boy. He broke his first horse--a pony--at age 7 and has tamed more than 40 since. He was reared in Lakeside and still lives there. He just bought a 1985 one-ton truck that seems as big as a casino and has darn near as many lights.

Salazar, on the other hand, is more concerned with fashion than brawn, though he rarely wears shoes and teammates call him Shoeless Sal.

He likes to dance, is always courteous and, to hear Washam talk, has no difficulty finding dates.

“He’s the ladies’ man,” Washam said. “He’s the suave one.”

In his hometown of Reno and later at nearby Lassen Community College, Salazar was a 177-pound wrestler. He grew weary of the sport and small towns, however. Without ever having been to San Diego, he moved here to try his luck in football.

“We’re compatible,” said Washam, the more outspoken of the two seniors. “Completely different, but compatible.”

Kevin McGarry, USD’s defensive coordinator, is merely pleased to have them at all this season.

The Toreros might not be 5-2 and ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III West Region--heading into Saturday’s homecoming game (1:30 p.m.) against Pomona-Pitzer--if not for a defense that gives up only 2.6 yards per carry.

Salazar (6-1, 220) leads the group with 36 tackles. Washam (6-1, 235) is next with 31.

“Washam is not the kind of defensive lineman we look for as far as guys who can run real well,” McGarry said. “We’re kind of a slanting defense, and he’s more of a strong man. He’s like our heavy hitter.

“Salazar is a complete opposite of Washam. He’s not the kind of guy who’s going to stand there and slug it out. He’s a finesse guy. He’s got good technique. His experience as a wrestler has really helped him with leverage.”

At this time last season, McGarry had neither player.

Washam was in debt and had to quit the team after four games to go to work. Salazar tore cartilage in his knee, missed three games, re-injured the knee trying to come back and had surgery in the off-season. Neither was sure he would be able to return.

Said Washam of his dilemma: “I owed the school $8,000. They wanted me to pay up. They came to my door. They called me on the phone. I mean, this was happening every day. I had to get to work. I had teachers that wouldn’t let me into class because I was on a blacklist.”

The solution? Washam took out a 30-day emergency loan and went to work at his parents’ ranch, training and breaking horses.

“By the time 30 days was up, I had the money,” he said. “I was working 12-hour days. Right after school, I’d run out there and work. Somehow I came up with it.”

Washam, a mass media communications major with minors in business and philosophy, added: “I never missed any school, though. That’s why I’m going there. I mean, all these rich kids can skip all the classes they want. They’re not paying for it. If I’m paying for it on my own, I’m going to go.

“It’s a great school academic-wise. Otherwise, they just want to take your money. And they’ve done that well. I’m into this thing for $100,000. But I’m going to graduate.”

Salazar, majoring in psychology with a minor in marine biology, is determined to graduate, but he will do so with a few scars.

After spending the off-season rehabilitating his knee, he tore cartilage in the other knee during the first game this fall. He has continued to play.

If USD is to make the playoffs for the first time since 1973--a possibility should it win its final three games--it needs continued good play from the defensive line.

“I think, overall, the defensive line has played great this year,” McGarry said. “Every last one them has made major contributions to the defense. Teams are averaging only 100 (rushing) yards against us, and I think that’s pretty good. That’s a credit to those guys. They really control the line.”

But while quality is up, quantity is not. Other than Washam and Salazar, the only Toreros with any experience on the line are junior Christian Sirek and sophomore Bobby Tubbs.

To help bolster the unit, Coach Brian Fogarty moved his one-time fullback and leading rusher, Charlie Taumoepeau, to the defense a week into his senior season. He also moved freshman Adam Smith, who had been a quarterback/tight end at Coronado High.

Fogarty previously thought of moving Taumoepeau, but this season seemed to be the right time.

“There’s a guy I wanted for awhile,” McGarry said. “He’s 235 pounds. He’s strong as an ox. And he’s quick. I’ve been in Coach Fogarty’s ear since his freshman year to let me have him.”

Said Taumoepeau: “Even though we’re all different, we mix together as a unit really well. We each appreciate the other.

“Aside from (Washam), none of us really belong there. You could say that they asked us to go there, and we’re the guys who said, ‘Ah, what the hell.’ ”

Washam said the key is Salazar, who tied for the team lead in interceptions in 1989 with three.

“He’s the D-line motivator,” said Washam, 21. “He’s the old man. He’s 23. My goodness.”

Before coming to USD, Washam was an all-league performer on both the offensive and defensive lines at Valhalla High. Salazar played linebacker and finished fourth in the state wrestling tournament at McQueen High in Reno.

“I was a decent football player, but I thought I’d try wrestling for a couple of years (at Lassen),” Salazar said. “It didn’t go to well, though. (Susanville) was a small community. We did some things that didn’t sit too well with some of the people. But the coach was the mayor of the town so we got away with a lot.”

Salazar described his landing at USD as a “twist of fate.”

“I wanted to try playing football in college but had no idea where I wanted to go,” he said. “Then one day, my brother, who was still in high school, came home with all these catalogues, one of them from USD. My mother had lived (in San Diego) years before and said it was a nice place.

“I came down a day before camp started in ’89. I didn’t know what to expect. But I ended up starting that first year. I guess I kind of got lucky seeing that catalogue there. I think I was.”

Salazar recalled something else.

“When I first got here, (Washam) was out with pneumonia,” Salazar said. “But I remember hearing all these stories about big, bad Jim Washam.

“He’s not really like that, especially around his (equestrian) clients. You should see him. He’s polite, a real businessman.”

So they became friends, then roommates, and Washam even got Salazar aboard his first horse.

“I’ve taken him over (to the ranch) a few times, and he’s catching on just fine,” Washam said. “But now my parents like him better than me.”