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The Portland Tribune
Thursday, April 11, 2013
By KERRY EGGERS
The Tribune
CORVALLIS — Cornerback
Steven Nelson isn’t just talent-
ed, he’s very self-confident.
In a good way, suggests Ore-
gon State’s resident expert at
the position, senior-to-be
Rashaad Reynolds.
“He tells me he’s going to be
better than me,” says Reyn-
olds, who will be a second-year
starter for the Beavers this fall.
“I tell him, ‘Don’t get too far
ahead of yourself.’
“But I like the attitude of
that. I’m the same way. You
want to go out and compete to
be the best.”
By all accounts, Nelson will
do that.
“He’s a competitive guy, with
a burst,” secondary coach Rod
Perry says.
A burst as in “4.4-something”
speed in the 40, says the trans-
fer from College of the Sequoi-
as in Visalia, Calif., by way of
Warner Robins, Ga.
The 5-10, 190-pound Nelson
has jets and an elusiveness
that helped him return 13 punts
for touchdowns in high school.
Not in a career. In his senior
season.
“I like doing it,” Nelson says
of the punt return. “That’s my
other specialty. Hopefully I’ll
get a chance to break one next
season.”
Oregon State is only one-
third of the way into spring
ball, but Nelson — who arrived
on campus in January in time
for winter term — has already
impressed the folks on hand
enough to get him first-string
turns with Reynolds at the cor-
nerback spots.
“I really like him,” head
coach Mike Riley says. “Be-
sides his ability, the thing I en-
joy, he loves to play. He works
out hard, he studies hard — he
brings a lot.”
“We thought a lot of him
coming out of junior college,”
defensive coordinator Mark
Banker says. “We have a long
way to go with him, so it’s
tough to make
too much ap-
praisal , and
we ’ r e
n o t
shooting live
bullets yet. But
it’s clear he re-
ally likes to
play football.
He has good
size, ball skills
and overal l
athleticism.”
With consensus All-Ameri-
can Jordan Poyer departing to
the NFL, a cornerback spot is
open. That was part of the pitch
given by OSU coaches with the
heavily recruited Nelson.
“They told me Jordan was
leaving and the opportunity to
play was there,” he says. “They
said they had two guys back
(Reynolds and senior-to-be Se-
an Martin, the No. 3 corner last
season), but that I could come
in and have an immediate im-
pact.
“I wanted to come in, get the
playbook down pat and move
in with the ones. It’s tremen-
dously important to me to be a
starter. I’ve always been a
starter. But I expected I’d have
to work my way back to the
top. That’s what I’ve been do-
ing, and I know I have to keep
getting better every single day.
There’s still a whole long way
to the start of the season, but
I’m fine with where I’m at right
now.”
Poyer says he likes what he
sees as he watches spring ball
while waiting for the NFL draft
later this month.
“When I first saw him, I
thought, ‘Great athlete,’ ” Poyer
says. “He can play in this sys-
tem, once he understands what
he’s doing and the concepts of
the defense. He’ll contribute
right way. He’s an athletic,
smart kid who competes.
That’s what our coaches love.”
If comparisons with Poyer
are valid — Nelson is two inch-
es shorter and the same weight
— the experience level is a ma-
jor difference.
“Jordan had four years in
this program,” Nelson says. “I
just came in. For me to be
catching on pretty fast like this
is an achievement. I have the
playbook down pretty good.
“The biggest challenge is
technique. It’s more technical
at this level. I have to pay atten-
tion to the craft more.”
Reynolds, who hosted Nel-
son on his recruiting visit last
fall, says he loves his new team-
mate’s work ethic and atten-
tion to detail.
“After he got to school in
January, we started watching
(video) together,” Reynolds
says. “We’ve been doing it ever
since. I’m telling him things
I’ve learned; he’s telling me
things he knows. I try to teach
him the defense and the fastest
way to learn it.
“I like his mindset. He comes
out every day to work, to com-
pete to be the best.”
Perry calls Nelson “a little
gym rat. He wants to learn and
do better. He’s working his be-
hind off. He’s willing to listen
and try to do the right thing.”
Banker’s defensive schemes
call for cornerbacks to “press”
receivers — that is, play them
man-to-man near the line of
scrimmage. Nelson says cor-
ners pressed often at College of
the Sequoias, often in zone
packages such as Cover 2.
“It’s the same concept here,
with a whole lot more things to
remember,” he says with a
smile. “I’m grasping the stuff
pretty quick. It’s still early. I
know I have time to progress.”
kerryeggers@portlandtribune.com
Twitter: @kerryeggers
By ERIK SKOPIL
For The Tribune
EUGENE — It takes only
one misstep, misread or
missed tackle for the oppos-
ing offense to score.
So for Oregon, spring football
is a time to get those miscues
out of the way.
The Ducks return seven of 11
starters on defense. With line-
backers being three of those
four losses, defensive coordina-
tor Nick Aliotti will need to fo-
cus much of his attention on
that area.
“Inside ’backer is the only
place I feel we’re a little more
green than I’d like to be,” he
says. “You’re talking about re-
placing two very good inside
’backers (Michael Clay and Kiko
Alonso).”
Also gone is Dion Jordan,
who was all-Pac-12 in 2012 as a
hybrid linebacker-defensive end
despite shoulder injuries.
The lone returning starter at
linebacker, strongside senior
Boseko Lokombo, is faced with
helping lead an overhaul of the
unit.
“It’s a blessing. I’m taking it in
stride,” he says. “I want us to be
the best. I personally want to be
the best, so I’m trying to bring
along the younger guys to be
just as good, just as great.”
Linebackers coach Don Pel-
lum says Lokombo “has unbe-
lievable talent. Bo can be as
good as he wants to be, and he’s
starting to do some of the extra
things. It’ll be really exciting to
see how far he really pushes
himself, because he has some
special gifts.”
In past years,
Pellum has
shuffled
through a six-
to eight-man ro-
tation. With so
many new and
inexperienced
players — and
injuries this
spring to play-
ing-time con-
tenders Derrick
Malone and
Rodney
Hardrick — it’s
hard to predict
what the corps
might look like
come the Aug.
31 opener with
Nicholls State.
The lack of
healthy experience and bodies
has moved sophomore Tyson
Coleman to the inside, a change
from the outside position the
former Lake Oswego High
standout played during his first
year with the Ducks.
“It’s a whole different world,”
he says. “When you’re in the
middle, you have to read differ-
ent plays. You have to see stuff.
You have to communicate to
everyone. You’re kind of like
the quarterback of the de-
fense.”
Veterans Clay and Alonso
“would see the play and at the
snap already know what it is
from film study and just from
their knowledge of the game.
That’s where I want to get to,
not only as a good player on
the field, but also in film
study.”
Also competing on the inside
is Joe Walker, the Ducks’ only
scholarship newcomer this
spring, a junior-college transfer
from Los Angeles Harbor Col-
lege. Pellum has been im-
pressed with how easily Walk-
er has picked up the team’s de-
fensive principles.
“You don’t have to review
things ... you can go over it on
the board, walk through it on
the field and Joe’s got it,” Pellum
said.
Sophomore Rahim Cassell al-
so will factor into the position
group competition; he projects
to play the position Clay played
last season.
year and accepted his role. He’s
now 19 — 18 in hockey age.
“Last year, I had only three
fights, but I had a broken
wrist,” he says. “Bumping up to
17 this season was a huge deal.
I had to work my way on to the
team doing anything. If I have
to fight, I have to fight.
“It’s almost a way of policing
the game. You’re not going to
see 10 fights a game. But, it sets
the tone out there, especially
for me, when guys are going af-
ter our top guys, you’re going
to have to step in. Then, they’ll
think a second before going af-
ter them again.”
Soft-spoken off the ice, De
Champlain says his competi-
tiveness takes over on it. He’s
also the son of a Royal Canadi-
an Mounted Police officer, Yvon
De Champlain, who works in
border control and other areas.
Policing things on ice, “it’s
definitely a part of my person-
ality,” says De Champlain, who
hails from Sherwood Park, Al-
berta, suburban Edmonton.
The Winterhawks have been
such an offensive juggernaut,
led by Nicolas Petan, Brendan
Leipsic and Ty Rattie. A lot of
players have gotten on scoring
sheets. De Champlain had eight
goals and 10 assists during the
regular season. A bigger scor-
ing role might be part of next
season.
“I always want to look for my
offense, and look for ways to
improve my offense,” he says.
“Everyone wants to get to the
next level, and I got parts of my
game at every level to work
on.”
Similarly, the
17-year-old Ko-
peck attended
Portland training
camp last year,
but he had al-
ready committed
to the Junior A
L l o y d m i n s t e r
Bobcats.
“I wanted to do
that to better my-
self,” he says.
“Get experience
and then come into ‘The Dub.’ I
thought it was a better route
for me.”
He made the Hawks this sea-
son, and earned consistent
playing time, scoring 10 goals
with nine assists. More impor-
tantly, he provided non-stop
energy.
“We’ve liked ‘Kopes’ since
we drafted him,” Green says.
“He’s a really good player. He
does a lot of good things that go
unnoticed. The average fan
might not recognize them, but
to guys in the locker room,
those guys are invaluable. He
competes hard, stays on the
right side of the puck, he’s
tough to play against, tena-
cious. He’s been a really good
surprise for us.”
The 6-0, 165 Kopeck, from
Medicine Hat, Al-
berta, has played
with various line-
mates on grinding,
checking lines. He
sees a larger role
ahead next year.
“I like to be of-
fensive, create
chances, but my
work ethic is over
the top,” he says.
“I give 110 percent
every game. I
won’t let up. Fin-
ish my checks. Play with a lot of
energy. I’ll do whatever I can do
help the team.”
Many WHL rookies are 16
years old. The Winterhawks
sport three — Iverson and
Bittner, both from Minnesota,
and Dominic Turgeon, from
Cherry Hills, Colo.
Entering games at Spokane
this week, Bittner had played in
seven of eight playoff games,
and Iverson in six. Turgeon
had made one appearance.
Bittner (45 games), Iverson
(47) and Turgeon (54) all saw
ample action during the regu-
lar season, combining for 21
goals and 20 assists — Bittner
had 12 goals and 11 assists him-
self, actually playing with first-
line guys during one stretch
after Christmas. He’s clearly a
burgeoning scorer.
“I got a good amount of
games in, especially with the
talent we have,” says the 6-4
Bittner, who has gained about
10 pounds during the season,
weighing about 205 now. “We’re
playing day in and day out ...
half of our team is drafted or
signed (with NHL teams).
We’re playing against them ev-
ery day.”
Like Bittner, Iverson has size
— a hulking 6-0, 215 pounds.
Green says the value of the
two rookies in the playoffs has
been the “heavy” minutes they
have played, meaning a lot of
ice time and grinding play
against the opponent’s defense-
men.
“You need guys to play heavy
minutes,” Green says. “Those
two guys are big — might be
the heaviest guys on the team.
And, they’re only 16. They’re
getting better every game.
They got a lot of energy, and
they’re hungry to stay in the
lineup.”
Iverson says playing against
older players has been invalu-
able.
“They have a lot more expe-
rience,” he says. “You get the
puck and you have to make de-
cisions right way. It’s just a
mind game. You have to be out
there working your hardest ev-
ery shift. You can’t let down.”
Iverson, Bittner and Turgeon
recently had a conversation.
The topic: the future. It’s pretty
bright for the them and the
Winterhawks.
“We’re going to have a really
good team next year,” Bittner
says. “We’re going to be a big
part of that.”
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From page 8
TRIBUNE PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER ONSTOTT
Forward Adam De Champlain (right), one of numerous young and
promising Portland Winterhawks, has some words with Spokane Chiefs
defenseman Cole Wedman during Game 2 of the Western Hockey League
Western Conference semifinals.
“He’s not a guy
that other
teams enjoy
playing
against.”
— Travis Green,
Winterhawks coach,
on Portland forward
Adam De Champlain
Ducks’ young ’backers
still learning to fly
Position shifts put
players in place to
knock out offenses
LOKOMBO
WALKER
NELSON
Nelson studying to
be just like Jordan
Beavers’ transfer
corner gets ready to
make his mark