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West Virginia State's Dennis Gardeck enters football season with plenty of energy

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By Derek Redd

As the defensive huddle broke on the West Virginia State football team's practice field, a familiar scream pierced the air and a muscular frame clad in a No. 47 jersey sprinted toward the next drill.

Just another practice for preseason all-America linebacker Dennis Gardeck.

"It's him every day," WVSU coach Jon Anderson said, "which is the greatest thing."

The junior wants to inject that energy in to the rest of the roster. That's his mission this year, to step to the forefront as a teammate and a leader in the Yellow Jackets' locker room. He already has exhibited top-caliber individual talent. Now Gardeck wants to ensure the rest of the team can take the next step.

The screams and shouts are Gardeck's way to keep himself totally focused on the field at all times. That primes the pump and sets a baseline for his energy. But his motivation at every practice actually is quite simple.

"I get to play football," Gardeck said. "I've been waiting all winter for this."

Gardeck took the finish to WVSU's 2015 season especially hard. The Yellow Jackets had a chance at their first winning season since 2008, but couldn't hold on to a late lead against West Liberty in their season finale. The linebacker had to live with that for months, and this August is the beginning of his opportunity to make up for that loss.

His 2015 campaign was among the Mountain East Conference's best. He finished sixth in the conference with 93 total tackles, second with 11 sacks and third with 22 total tackles for a loss. He earned All-MEC first-team honors for that work, which made him a player to watch in the 2016 preseason.

Lindy's Magazine named Gardeck to its preseason Division II all-America second team, something Gardeck said was both "humbling" and "awesome." Yet it's also a warning to State's opponents this season that he'll be a player worth paying attention to on film.

Anderson knows that, too, which is why WVSU coaches have been working with Gardeck this preseason to change things up just a little bit. Opponents have a full year's worth of film of him playing at that level. Gardeck understands that the same old, same old won't be enough.

Anderson said Gardeck has embraced the need for those changes and has tried his best to vary things.

"He's open to anything we suggest to him," Anderson said.

Gardeck said his goal this preseason was to add a few more wrinkles to his game, which should be enough to keep opposing offenses on their toes.

"Last year, I feel a lot of my plays came from just pure effort," Gardeck said. "This year, I've been trying to get the fundamentals down, really work on a pass rush move, more technique stuff."

WVSU coaches also have told Gardeck he needs to bring the rest of his teammates along for the ride. He always has kept himself running at his peak. Anderson wants him to bring the entire roster up to that level. That, Anderson said, is the mark of a leader, and Anderson added that Gardeck has embraced that challenge.

"He's a model teammate and a model player in everything that he does," Anderson said. "If I had a hundred of him, it'd be a great thing. He's met or exceeded every expectation we've placed on him."

Gardeck appreciates all the individual accolades he's received. But he wants the entire team to enjoy the game as much as he does. Competing for an MEC title would help there.

"For me, it's not really about the personal stuff," Gardeck said. "I want to get the team a conference championship. That's what really matters, getting State on the map. I'm a proud Yellow Jacket, and I want everyone else to understand that we came here to play football."

Contact Derek Redd at 304-348-1712 or derek.redd@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @derekredd.


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