July 8, 2006

The following feature on the defensive line is the first installment of position by position over the next six weeks on the Wayne State football program.

The 2005 Wayne State University football team improved by leaps and bounds, moving up five places in the GLIAC standings with a roster of only eight seniors. WSU finished sixth nationally in strength of schedule and was rated 40th in the country by the Masseyratings.com. In addition, the Warriors were one of three teams during the regular season to have a second half lead against Grand Valley, the national champions.

"We have great expectations for the 2006 season," stated head coach Paul Winters. "We are continuing to raise the level of effort and execution. The players understand that we have set the bar high and winning now is the only option."

Winters was able to keep his entire full-time defensive coaching staff in tact for the upcoming year and with 44 past letterwinners returning the 2006 campaign appears to be the brightest in years.

"Our standards are different now. The players push each other harder to achieve success. We have been able to improve our retention of quality student-athletes. With more upperclassmen, we are able to have a stronger, smarter football team."

Wayne State won its final three homes of 2005, starting with a 25-14 victory over then No. 9-ranked Michigan Tech on Parents' Day, giving the program's its first home winning season since 1993.

"One building block of success is to win at home. We want to have an advantage at Adams Field. The new FieldTurf will not only give us a premier football facility, the real bonus is the use of the facility for practice in poor weather conditions. We are also excited about using our speed and quickness on the new surface."

"Our coaches have done a great job of improving the play of our defense. Our goal is to be known as a great defensive football team. We have increased the talent pool and have competition at each position. This season we have more senior leadership than ever before, especially in the secondary with five returning senior starters."

The defense showed remarkable improvement cutting the points allowed nearly in half from 2004 and moving up 85 places in the NCAA Rankings (140th to 55th).

Wayne State graduated just two starters on defense - linemen Leo Wells and Michael Hall. However, the cupboard is not bare on the defensive line for the Warriors. Senior Mike Ellison (20 straight starts) will be joined at defensive tackle by Josh McLean. Providing depth will be Jason Thomas, who redshirted in 2005, along with redshirt freshman Trace Fisher and newcomers Chris Verley and Carlos McMath. Grand Rapids Community College transfer Andrew Bates will redshirt in 2006.

The defensive end spots will be anchored by Jamar Bird and Alan Clay. Bird redshirted in 2005 while Clay had five starts a year ago. Redshirt sophomore Alex Jachym and newcomers Nick Grundy, Athan Anagonye and Charles Pemberton will battle for playing time.

"Everyone expects us to have a huge drop off in production on the defensive line. We admit that we were hit hard by graduation, but we have talented young men returning. Defensive end Alan Clay was one of our most consistent players last season. Mike Ellison has started for two seasons and has made good improvements. Josh McLean has made tremendous improvements in strength and conditioning during the past off season. Jason Thomas (DT) and Jamar Bird (DE) are two redshirts from 2005 who are anxious to compete this year. The two freshmen, Grundy and Anagonye, will compete early for a chance to replace Wells and Hall," added Winters.

Defensive line coach Scott Kazmierski gave us his thoughts on each of his players (alphabetically) for the upcoming campaign:

Athan Anagonye (Fr., DE, Southfield, Mich./U of Detroit Jesuit) signed with WSU last February. "Athan is a very athletic, tough, football player that has a nose for the ball. He will add a lot to the defensive end position, and we are looking forward to having him ready to go this fall."

Andrew Bates (Jr., DT, Howell, Mich./Howell) enrolled at WSU in January. "Andrew came to us from GRCC, and is an exceptional player. We look for Andrew to be a big part in the future of the defensive line. His athletic ability and hard work ethic is noticed and at any time he can make the big play. He will be a big part of this defense in the future."

Jamar Bird (r-So., DE, Ypsilanti, Mich./Romulus) redshirted in 2005 after playing linebacker in 2004. "Jamar has made huge gains since redshirting last year. This past year has helped him learn how to play on the defensive line and he has continued to make strides as a football player. He adds athletic ability up front and after a very good spring we look for Jamar to continue forward and be a solid role player."

Alan Clay (Sr., DE, Ypsilanti, Mich./Willow Run) was named to the 2005 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team after finishing third among WSU defensive linemen with 29 (15-14) total tackles. "Alan is coming off a good year along with a league honorable mention honor. He is a smart, solid player that is getting better with each snap of the ball. His experience will help the defensive line, not just from technique but also from a leadership role. We look forward to big things from him this year."

Mike Ellison (Sr., DT, Hamilton, Ont.) has started 21 times in his collegiate career. "Mike is going into his senior year with high expectations for 2006. He is a solid player inside for us and adds experience to our interior. He will play a huge role in the success of the defensive line."

Nick Grundy (Fr., DE, Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) signed with WSU last February. "Nick adds toughness, size, and athletic ability to the defensive end position. He is a smart player who will play a huge role in the Wayne State defensive line for years to come. Like Athan, we are looking forward to having him ready to go this fall."

Alex Jachym (r-So., DE, Westland, Mich./John Glenn) played in the final seven games of 2005 mainly on special teams. "Alex is coming of a year where he was able to learn and get better as a player. He is a smart player that knows what he is supposed to do on each snap. He has become bigger and faster from the weight room and he is looking to step up this year and play a role on the D-Line."

Josh McLean (Jr., DT, Dearborn Hts., Mich./Crestwood) played in all 10 games in 2005. "Josh played limited time last year and gave us some key possessions when we needed them. He is a very smart player that knows all of the positions up front. The experience he gained last year will be crucial for him this year as he will play a big role up front for us. We are looking forward to Josh stepping up this year."

Carlos McMath (r-Fr., DT, Saginaw, Mich./Arthur Hill) was redshirted last fall. "Carlos came in this year making the team as a walk on. His will and desire to play up front is seen by all the coaches. He is a hard worker who has improved with time. He will continue to learn, and get better as he gains more experience. We expect Carlos to continue to work hard."

Chris Smilo (r-Sr., DE/LB, Canton, Mich./Plymouth Canton) earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team honors a year ago despite playing in just six games. "Chris has an enormous amount of athletic ability and adds speed up front at end for us. Last year Chris played LB and DL for us and that experience will definitely be a key for us this year. In both positions Chris showed his passion to get to the football as he was always around the ball. We look for great things out of Chris this year."

Jason Thomas (r-So., DT, Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) redshirted in 2005 after playing linebacker in 2004. "Jason was redshirted last year and came to the DL after spending his first season as a LB. He has continued to grow into his new position, and has continued to get better with each snap. We are looking forward to seeing him continue to improve and play a role on the D-Line."

Chris Verley (Fr., DT, Grand Rapids, Mich./Ottawa Hills) signed with WSU in March. "Chris is a solid football player who showed some good things on film. We are excited about having him aboard at Wayne State. He showed toughness and his smarts as a football player and we look forward to him bringing that to Wayne State."

The next feature will be with Wayne State defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Kurt Mattix.