College Football
Meet Tyrel Dodson Texas A&M Linebacker
Tyrel Dodson enters the Texas A&M season as the undisputed leader of the defense. A blue chip recruit from Centennial High School in Franklin, Tennessee, he could have gone anywhere. Now as a junior, the emotional playmaker is ready to take A&M to football greatness.
Playing with a chip
Junior linebacker Dodson with a smile on his face is not afraid of a challenge. The Aggies defense ranked last on the 2017 SEC stat sheet. That simple fact makes it all the more amazing that Dodson would declare the A&M linebacking corp the best in the country.
I don’t say this a lot..but we will have the best Linebacker core in this country! @OtaroAlaka @bwhite5350 @s_marchiol32 I PROMISE https://t.co/G4O1Dh0jG0
— Tyrel Dodson (@tdots25) March 30, 2018
Then five weeks later came this tweet
This season is dedicated to everyone that disrespected A&M’s linebacker corps over the years. Time to show we are #LBU
— Tyrel Dodson (@tdots25) May 9, 2018
“We have a huge chip on our shoulders,” Dodson said. “We’re kind of tired of people not thinking highly of us. We’re ready to prove that we can be really good.”
Lead the way
Dodson says that there might be some who doubt but with all the work the defense has put in he knows they will be better. The Aggie says LSU linebacker and his friend Devin White is one of those doubters. By the time LSU invades Kyle Field for the last home game, Dodson expects to have the last laugh.
Then came July and the announcement that Dodson was on both the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Award watch lists. Along with Dodson, fellow linebacker Otaro ALaka is on the 2018 Butkus Award watch list . Maybe there is some truth to the tweets.
Dodson led the way in 2017 with 105 tackles. Eleven went for losses and and 5.5 for sacks. This season the Aggie is expecting more.
“Coach Schmidt coming in has helped all of us a lot physically but the most important he has helped us mentally more,” shared Dodson. “Just preparing us for greatness, doing the little things right.”
Not one to rest on his laurels, Dodson is a self-described student of the game. He wants to become better at things like down and distance becoming the smartest on the field.
Dodson knows that it all begins with him. A versatile player, he will play both inside and outside for Jimbo Fisher. As the lead man he is ready to show the way. He is convinced that if the linebacking corps itself can cut down on missed tackles this will be a much improved defense.
He is ready to shoulder the load.
