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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 2004)
The undersized giant of defensive tackles Robby Valenzuela poses a large threat to offenses despite 'undersized' frame BY JON ROETMAN SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER Robby Valenzuela is hard to miss. Losing track of the massive Oregon defensive tackle would equate to mis placing a television set between the couch cushions. Place Valenzuela next to an average college student, and he’s a giant. But place the senior next to a group of elite Division I defensive tackles, and his 6-foot-2, 300-pound frame is n’t so massive anymore. In fact, he’s considered undersized. Despite being one of Oregon’s best defensive tackles during the past three seasons, Valenzuela’s “diminutive” stature has cost him notoriety. While lining up next to Haloti Ngata (6-5, 345) and former Ducks Igor Olshansky (6-6,305) and Junior Siavii (6-4, 323), the senior has been overlooked by Ore gon fans and opposing offenses. i m not as nyped as the other guys or as publicized as guys in the past,” Valenzuela said. “But that works in my favor.” Valenzuela has used the ignorance of opposing offenses to his advantage this season, compiling 24 tackles and 2.5 quarterback sacks. He tallied a pair of sacks last Satur day against Stanford and knocked quarterback Ttent Edwards out of the game in the second quarter with a bruised left shoulder. Valenzuela hit Edwards right after he threw the ball and drove the signal caller into the Stanford Stadium grass. “He’s a different breed of D tackle,” Ngata said of Valenzuela. “He’s shorter and doesn’t really look like Igor or Ju nior, but he’s a guy that gets through the crack if you let him go. He’ll put hits on quarterbacks.” While Valenzuela’s accomplish ments have gone unnoticed by many, his Oregon coaches and teammates have always shown confidence in his abilities. An All-American honorable men tion during his senior year at Grace M. Davis High School, the Modesto, Calif., native saw playing time as a true freshman and helped Oregon limit Col orado to 49 yards rushing during the Ducks’ 2002 Fiesta Bowl win. Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer Oregon defensive tackle Robby Valenzuela has quietly been one of the Ducks’ most consis tent players during the past three seasons. With each down of football played, Valenzuela became more adept at reading blocking schemes and more sound in his technique. The senior is now capable of sniffing out a play be fore it happens and is a sure tackier once he arrives at the ball carrier. “Robby has played well for three years,” head coach Mike Bellotti said. “He’s hot the biggest, not the strongest or the fastest, but he’s a very good football player. ” The senior’s teammates are quick to recognize his importance to the Ducks’ defensive scheme. Middle linebacker Jerry Matson is the biggest beneficiary of the solid play of Valenzuela and the rest of the Ducks’ defensive line. Matson is often left unblocked as the opposi tion is forced to bring extra blockers in to deal with the penetration of the Oregon line. “I’ve never seen a guy as good as him be so overlooked,” Matson said of Valenzuela. “If he was on another team, they’d make the defense around him. He’s got kind of a linebacker in stinct (and a nose) for the ball.” Valenzuela has also bailed his team mates out of trouble on several occasions. “He’s a step ahead and very in stinctive,” Matson said. “We call him the screen (pass) sniffer-outer. He’s always on the play that fools 90 per cent of the defense.” Along with the play of Chris Solomona, Devan Long and Ngata, Valenzuela’s presence on the field has helped make Oregon’s defen sive line one of the best in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Ducks rank third in the confer ence in total defense, allowing 297.3 yards per game. They also rank third in the conference and 24th nationally against the run, surrendering 109.3 yards per contest. While keeping an opponent’s yardage total to a minimum is pleas ing, Valenzuela’s true passion is sack ing the quarterback. The job of a defensive tackle usu ally entails disrupting the opponent’s blocking scheme, getting penetration into the backfield and putting pres sure on the quarterback. A sack is of ten treated as a bonus for the enor mous men who patrol the interior of a defensive line. . So when a defensive tackle finally struggles through a block and gets to unload on the quarterback, Valenzuela said it’s one of the most rewarding feel ings in football. “It’s kind of like scoring a touch down,” he said. “It’s a celebration. It’s fun getting to the quarterback. Your main goal is to get sacks and hopefully take the quarterback out and get a chance to win.” When Valenzuela is done hunting field generals on Saturdays, he sets his sights on an elusive four-legged oppo nent on Sundays. The burly 21-year VALENZUELA, page 5B .....Mi Lauren Wimer | Senior photographer Robby Valenzuela, seen here wrapping up Arizona State quarterback Andrew Walter, says sacking the quarterback is the ultimate goal of a defensive tackle. The senior from Modesto, Calif., recorded two sacks last week during Oregon’s victory against Stanford. Oregon Daily Emerald I Classified Advertising (541 Now in its 13th year, Game Day is published every Friday throughout the football season and is distributed on campus, at distribution sites around Eugene and at Autzen Stadium the day of the home games. Game Day is published by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. The Emerald operates independently of the UO with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. Oregon Daily Emerald | P.O. 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