By ROBERT CESSNAVersatility has been a blessing and a curse for Texas A&M's Lucas Patterson until this season with the Aggies planning to showcase his talents.
Patterson will play end and nose guard in the defense's new 3-4 alignment. The senior has had the most snaps of the defensive linemen in fall camp.
"Luke doesn't get tired, and he's playing great football," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said.
Patterson, who graduated earlier this month, would volunteer to play linebacker or safety if it meant more playing time.
"This is my last year of playing college football," Patterson said. "I want to be part of changing Texas A&M football. All the seniors do. This summer is probably the hardest we've worked since I've been here.
"This team is really coming together as a family this summer, offseason and spring. I think through all of that and realizing this is my last shot, it's kind of what's driving me."
The coaching staff knew the 6-foot-4, 295-pound Patterson was talented and a team leader, but it has been tough to find him a position to call home.
His size and a mean streak allowed him to play 13 games on the defensive line as a redshirt freshman in 2007. He got better as the football season progressed. He sacked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy forcing a fumble that set up a touchdown in A&M's 38-30 victory in the regular-season finale. That also helped earn Patterson his first career start against Penn State in the Alamo Bowl.
He started 11 games as a sophomore, getting 34 tackles, but A&M was 4-8. Sherman thought the team would be much better by moving Patterson to left offensive tackle to help fix problems on that side of the ball. The Aggies had allowed 3.3 sacks per game in 2008, which ranked 115th nationally. A&M also had trouble running the football, averaging 88.5 yards per game (114th nationally).
"Until we can move the football effectively and keep our defense off the field, we're not going to get better on defense," Sherman said at the time. "It was a tough decision because [Patterson] meant so much to the defense."
Sherman had such high expectations for Patterson that he took him to the 2009 Big 12 media days along with quarterback Jerrod Johnson and strong safety Trent Hunter.
Patterson's stay on offense, however, was short. After two weeks of fall camp he returned to defense, even though Sherman said that Patterson's best chance of playing in the NFL was probably on offense. Sherman said Patterson would give the defense experience behind Eddie Brown and Tony Jerod-Eddie.
Patterson started 13 games but had a quiet season. He had 23 tackles, which tied him with Jerod-Eddie. Brown led the linemen with 33 tackles for a unit that didn't distinguish itself. A&M ranked 90th against the run, allowing 171.6 yards per game, a slight improvement from the previous year (114th, 219.3).
The Aggies switched to an attacking 3-4 defense under first-year defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter during the spring, when Patterson looked good at nose guard.
"He just makes plays," Sherman said after the Maroon & White Game. "He's hard to block. He just has a feel for that position. Hopefully, he can continue to the play the way he's playing once we start the season. He's really a force to be reckoned with."
That's in part why the staff moved Patterson to end to give him more opportunities. He spent the first few days of training camp at end learning how to play in space.
"At nose you're right up in the middle of everything," Patterson said. "Everything is 6 inches away from you. At end you have some space to work. It's a different technique, different footwork. It's just going to take a little getting used to."
Adapting is one of Patterson's best assets.
"Whatever I needed to do to help this team, I was going to do it," said Patterson, reflecting back on his move to offense. "It didn't work out that way. I'm happy where I'm at right now."
So is Sherman.
"He's bounced around a little bit," Sherman said. "To his credit, he just wants to help our defense be the best defense."
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