Fox Position Requires Unique Asks in Heater's Defense

The flow of practice is constant. One period the roster is involved in team drills, then the next they have individual sessions. When the horn sounds, it's time to move.

And maybe occasionally a player forgets exactly where they're supposed to head next. It happens, so you adopt the herd mentality and watch where others in your position group is headed.

Unless you're a Fox linebacker at Colorado State. You better know, because it is constantly changing. One period you are working with Antoine Smith and defensive line. The next could have you paired with Sean Cronin's linebackers. There are periods when they get one-on-one time with Kap Dede.

It makes the Fox a rather unique position in defensive coordinator Chuck Heater's system.

"It's definitely a different position than normal teams will play. You have to stay locked in, stay tapped in," redshirt sophomore Troy Golden said. "You're working with different groups every period. You work with the Sam and inside linebackers, then you might work with the interior defensive line. You have to stay locked in and know what you're doing.

"I think when the defensive staff first got hired, they let us know from the jump the Fox position is one of the most important positions on the field, a key part of the defense. The Fox is a very unique position and an intriguing position to play, just because you get to pass rush, you get to drop back into coverage; you get to do a handful of things that are pretty fun to do."

Thus the blended coaching. A Fox may have their hand in the dirt on one play, but the next they'll be asked to cover a slot receiver. Or a tight end.

"They function like outside backers, but they also function as defensive linemen. You have to give them the appropriate amount of time, both in meetings and on the field, and you have to make sure you're distributing it," Heater said of their teachings. "It's good that we've got an outside backer coach in Kap and Antoine on the D-lien who can work together."

Heater has developed the position in his scheme for years. The best of the bunch he has coached have earned NFL paychecks. He looks for athleticism, naturally, and when he can find to blend with the ability to rush forward or drop back, the defense can play at a higher level.

Golden, Brandon Henderson-Rooks and Cian Quiroga are at the spot right now, and all of them comprehend what is possible if they can be proficient in every ask.

"A lot of times that guy gets the two-man surface, that's the guy that gets the better edge on pass rush," Heater said. "He has to have some skill, because at times he's dropping into coverage. It's an important spot, but if you have pass-rushing ability, that's a good spot to be.

"We're kind of a four-down team, and those guys are always rushing. All the way back to the Florida days, we've had first-round pass rushers, but at times we ask them to drop because that was the nature of the defense. If you have a good pass rusher, you've got to ask the question why would you ever drop him, but you have to do that sometimes."

So they work with the defensive line and then the linebackers. Dequan Jackson still considers them all linebackers, and he's getting used to seeing them time and again, not all the time.
If it moves the defense forward, he's all for the concept.

"I think it's great. It gives those guys a great chance to rush the passer, get on the field and play the game," Jackson said. "I think it gives us an extra opportunity, and it gives the offense somebody extra to worry about.

"T-Roy is still a linebacker to us. At the end of the day, when they put their hand in the dirt, we're all still part of the defense."

Golden, who played in a reserve linebacker role in 2019, said it's all still relatively new to all three of them, so they gather together to help educate each other. If a mistake is made, they discuss it. And at every stop, they work on whatever particular skill they'll be asked to use.

They need to be proficient at it all, and while Heater is happy with the progress they're making, none of them believe they're a final product just yet.

"You have to be very athletic to really do that job. I feel my skillset is fine for the position," Golden said. "It's really polishing everything at the same time, but last year I was dropping a lot, covering receivers, slot receivers and tight ends. I got used to doing that, so I guess right now it's getting into the pass rush and developing those skills and getting better at that every day."

It requires attention to detail. And to get that work in, they really have to know what's coming next when the horn sounds. As unique as they are, that sound could lead them anywhere.

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