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CAM NWOSU: Last call
Back from injury, Cam Nwosu eager to finish college career at SMU
Posted on 06/05/2014 by PonyFans.com
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Cam Nwosu is not tall for a linebacker, but what he lacks in height, he makes up for with a long memory … a trait that might turn out to prove invaluable to the SMU Mustangs.

When a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee cost Nwosu his 2013 season, it was time for him to move on, to find another place to play while he began graduate school. Several schools, including Texas Tech and BYU, as well as several Div. II schools, put out feelers to gauge Nwosu’s interest.

But Nwosu wanted a measure of familiarity. When he was a senior at Rice, his cousin — who coached at Cypress Ranch High School — shared Nwosu's film with another CRHS coach, who had played under current SMU wide receivers coach Jason Phillips, and gave him Nwosu's film. This summer, as he started to look for a new team, Nwosu heard from one of his former teammates at Houston’s Klein Forest High School: quarterback Matt Davis told Nwosu he was transferring to SMU, and urged his former teammate to consider a similar move up Interstate 45.

“Coach Phillips recruited me for U of H — he recruited me hard,” Nwosu said. “Then Matt said he was going to SMU. We grew up together, we played together, and I told him I was interested, as well.

“We used to be next-door neighbors. He plays with the same intensity and passion that I do. When you have a quarterback with that firepower, and with me being sort of the quarterback of the defense, I think we’re going to be two solid players who hopefully make an impact. I think SMU can be a great team, and hopefully we’re a couple of the pieces that help get everything rolling.”

Before he can get anything rolling, Nwosu knows he must earn his spot in the lineup. Having used his redshirt year in 2013 while recovering from his knee injury, he must fight his way into the lineup in the middle of the SMU defense. One of the anchors of the Owls’ defense — he finished second on the team with 92 tackles in 2012 — Nwosu also was a special teams ace, setting an NCAA record with three blocked extra points … in a single half … against UCLA.

Despite his consistent production — he averaged 100 tackles per season in 2011 and 2012 — Nwosu has dealt with questions about his height, or lack thereof. At just 5-10, he also has been compared to other linebackers who lack prototypical height, like former St. Louis Rams/Buffalo Bills/Washington Redskins star London Fletcher (also 5-10) and former New Orleans Saint/Carolina Panther Sam Mills, who measured in at just 5-9. Not coincidentally, Fletcher and Mills were smart players whose knowledge of opposing and offenses and blocking schemes, in addition to non-stop hustle, allowed them to be around the ball all the time during their highly productive careers.

“I think my biggest strength probably is that I have a coach’s mindset out there on the field,” Nwosu said. “I not only made all the calls, I relayed them to the other players on the field and helped get people lined up in the right place.

“I know I’m not the tallest (linebacker) out there, but I play with passion and energy on the field all the time. I think I play smart and I’m very tenacious, which is what you want to see from an every-down linebacker.”

Where he fits into the Mustangs’ linebacker corps will be sorted out in August and during the season. Last year’s starters, Randall Joyner and Kevin Pope, are gone — Joyner to graduation, and Pope to running back. But the cupboard isn’t exactly bare in the middle of the SMU defense: Nwosu will join a rotation that includes mid-year transfer Caleb Tuiasosopo, Nick Horton, John Bordano, Carlos Carroll, freshman Inoke Ngalo and Jonathan Yenga, who could play inside or outside.

The first step to cracking the lineup is his health, which Nwosu said is a non-issue. He recovered in time to spend the latter part of the 2013 season on the Rice scout-team defense, serving almost as an on-field coach for the Owls.

Linebacker Cam Nwosu set an NCAA record when he blocked three kicks against UCLA … in one half (photo by Rice athletics).
“I didn’t like sitting out — I don’t think anybody does — but I was there to do whatever I could to help my team win, and that’s what I’ll do at SMU, too,” Nwosu said. “While I worked my way back, I was coaching up the younger guys, telling them what I saw. When our (position) coach wasn’t there, it was, ‘Cam, run the (linebackers) meeting.’ That became my role while I was getting my knee stronger.

“(Sitting out) was all about trusting in God, having faith, testing my faith. Everything happens for a reason, and I took it as an opportunity to learn the defense even better, to get stronger and faster. I learned that when things don’t go your way, you have to focus on getting better. In my case, I focused on getting healthy. I spent more time analyzing everything and teaching the younger guys. I was almost like a (graduate assistant coach). I would give the guys a good look at practice, and when someone had a question on a call, they would come and ask me what to look for. I really became a better student of game.”

Choosing where to go to graduate school was a different experience for Nwosu, compared to when he chose Rice. Because of his experience with the Owls, he had a better idea of what to look for.

“I already knew what to look for, as far as likes and dislikes, having played four years at a university,” Nwosu said. “Coming into college out of high school, I didn’t know the ins and outs — I didn’t know the things that were really important to playing college football. But being at Rice, learning for four years, that really helped me make a good decision this time.

“I wanted to be at a place where I can trust the coaches, where they can rely on me to give my all, and where I know they have my back, regardless of the situation.”

The one thing Nwosu did not consider was quitting. While recovering from his knee injury, and then while looking for a new school where he could continue his playing career, the idea of hanging up pads never was an option.

“I know that injuries happen — they’re part of the game,” he said. “Every player knows that. You never know when they may happen, but I never allowed a negative thought to enter my head. I only thought about what I could control.”

Armed with his degree in sports management, Nwosu now begins graduate school — in the classroom, where he will pursue his Master’s of Liberal Studies, and on the field, where he has just a couple of months to get ready for his final season of college football.

Nwosu said that when he began considering his options, the Rice raved about SMU head coach June Jones and defensive coordinator. When he visited the campus, he learned about how the Mustang practices are run — “I’m a morning person,” he said, “so (the early start times) won’t be a problem,” — and began to focus on what it will take to contribute on his new team, a focus that he honed during his years at Rice.

“Coach Jones and Coach Mason are great coaches, and after playing (in college) already, I know more, as far as taking care of your body, putting less stress on yourself as far as getting ready for Saturday and hopefully getting ready for the next level,” Nwosu said. “I’m just happy to get another chance to play for a great team, with great players and coaches, at a great university.

“SMU didn’t have to take me, but now it’s up to me to show them they made a good decision.”

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